Jaylen Brown goes hard to the bucket, but was rejected by Houston's Jabari Smith Saturday night at the Garden.
Jaylen Brown goes hard to the bucket, but was rejected by Houston's Jabari Smith Saturday night at the Garden.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Midway through the third quarter of the Celtics’ game against the Rockets on Saturday night, coach Joe Mazzulla marched onto the court seemingly upset about calls that had not gone in his team’s favor.
The Rockets stepped to the foul line time and again, while the Celtics turned and wondered when it would be their turn. But the disparity was mostly due to Houston’s position as the aggressor while the Celtics simply waited for assistance.
Playing their second game in as many days, and fifth in seven nights, the Celtics simply looked a step slow. And when they did summon bursts of energy, they appeared unsteady. The Rockets, meanwhile, had no had no such issues as they rolled to a 128-101 win to snap Boston’s three-game winning streak.
The Rockets led by as many as 36 points and never trailed. Baylor Scheierman had 17 points and Payton Pritchard added 14 for the Celtics, but there were really few individual performances worth noting on this forgettable night. The Celtics shot 38.8 percent from the field and made only 14 of 44 3-pointers.
Houston’s top-ranked offense gashed what had been a sturdy Boston defense. The free throws helped (hitting 25 of 35), but they probably were not even needed. The Rockets made 54.5 percent of their shots and a blistering 65.5 percent of their 3-pointers (19 for 29). They were led by Kevin Durant’s efficient 26-point outing.
Durant started the game with a calm 18-footer that he has converted thousands of times, and that was the start of a vintage first half for the superstar forward. He pummeled the Celtics with mid-range shots and connected on both of his 3-pointers during his 20-point surge.
The Rockets started by making 9 of 11 shots as a team and burst to an early 22-12 lead.
Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez, who has provided instant bursts off the bench, checked in midway through the opening quarter and promptly hit a 3-pointer. But life was more challenging at the other end, where he was tasked with guarding Durant, a daunting but worthwhile trial for the 19-year-old.
He fouled Durant on one post up and fouled him again soon after. Perhaps thrown off by this hard task, Gonzalez was on the exercise bike during an ensuing timeout, seemingly unaware that he was still in the game. When the Celtics returned with just four players on the court, Boston’s coaches frantically motioned to Gonzalez, who was whistled for a delay of game before finally joining his teammates.
One game after giving the 76ers trouble on the offensive glass, the first half was a chore for Boston, which registered just one offensive rebound on 15 misses. Of course, this reduced the number of possessions the Celtics generated, but it also made it easier for the Rockets to find openings in transition.
Houston took a 37-24 lead to the second quarter after making 14 of 21 shots, 4 of 8 3-pointers and all five free-throw attempts.
The Celtics trailed, 53-34, when their lone flicker of a run arrived. Josh Minott hit a 3-pointer and had a powerful putback to spark a 7-0 burst. But the good vibes were fleeting.
Jabari Smith had a massive block on a Jaylen Brown drive, and at the other end Amen Thompson threw down a powerful dunk over Luka Garza as he was fouled. The Rockets led at halftime, 66-48.
Early in the third, Minott ignited a potential momentum swing when he stole the ball from Durant and started a fast break. But that sequence ended with a thud when he threw an errant behind-the-back pass to Brown, leading to a quick counterattack that led to a Jabari Smith 3-point play.
The Celtics’ frustrations emerged as the quarter progressed. Coach Joe Mazzulla picked up a technical foul for voicing his displeasure about foul calls. Soon after, Chris Boucher received a rare flopping technical foul.
The Rockets, meanwhile, roared toward the rim and put immense pressure on the Celtics’ compromised defense. Houston attempted 17 free throws in the quarter, with fans and the Celtics teaming up to display their agitation. But the Celtics did not challenge any fouls called against them, an indication that there was little to carp about.
Houston stretched its lead to 97-70, and that at least made it clear to Mazzulla that it was time to rest his weary starters for the remainder of the night. With Boston’s backups on the floor in the fourth, Houston stretched its lead to 111-78.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.