by Chris Sama ’27 on November 6, 2025
Sports
On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Houston Rockets took on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The Rockets won 128–101, making their record 3–2 and the Celtics 3–4. Kevin Durant finished the game with 26 points in the first three quarters for the Rockets, later sitting out in the fourth. He was a hard matchup for the Celtics; he created his own shots with ease as Celtics defenders struggled to guard against his height and speed throughout the game. Alperen Sengun finished the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists for the Rockets. He was also a challenge for the Celtics’ defense, as none of the centers or forwards had the physicality to stop Sengun under the basket.
The Rockets shot 57 percent at halftime and pulled away early in this game. The Celtics looked disorganized on defense, having issues primarily on breakaways and in the paint. Without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have been struggling to find a leader who could take over his role. Jaylen Brown is the Celtics’ next best star to Tatum, but he doesn’t truly play as a leader. Although Brown had five assists this game, he spent most of his time with the ball and was trying to get crazy shots off by himself. He ended up having five turnovers.
The Celtics especially broke down during the beginning of the third quarter. They had a string of technical fouls, with head coach Joe Mazzulla receiving the first with 9:07 left. Shortly after, there was a three-second violation in the paint on the Celtics, giving the Rockets another free throw. Finally, Chris Boucher got a technical foul for flopping, and Durant capitalized on all of the free throws awarded to him. The Rockets’ win underscored the Rockets’ growing chemistry and the Celtics’ ongoing search for consistency without Tatum on the floor.