Kevin Durant, Rockets pummel exhausted Celtics to snap three-game winning streak: 6 takeaways

The Celtics noticed their three-game profitable streak snapped in emphatic vogue on Saturday, because the Rockets claimed a crushing 128-101 victory. 

Listed here are the takeaways.

The Rockets took benefit of the whole lot.

Saturday’s sport was at all times going to be an enormous problem for the Celtics for myriad causes. 

First, the schedule was extremely unfriendly. Saturday’s sport was the second evening of a road-home back-to-back, and the Celtics put the whole lot they’d into warding off the 76ers for a hard-fought street victory on Friday. It was additionally their third sport in 4 nights and the fifth sport in seven nights. These 5 video games included contests towards the Pistons and Cavaliers in addition to the aforementioned Rockets and Sixers, and the journey concerned added as much as slightly below 4,000 miles. 

That’s to not say, nevertheless, that the Rockets solely received due to the Celtics’ schedule. The Rockets additionally appeared each bit just like the contenders they had been projected to be previous to the season. Kevin Durant was smoldering – he scored 26 factors on 8-for-11 capturing and nonetheless appeared unstoppable at 37. Amen Thompson is a particular expertise. Alperen Sengun completed one help shy of a triple-double. The Celtics challenged Jabari Smith Jr. on the rim again and again, and he swatted them away 4 occasions. The Rockets made a staggering 65.5 p.c of their 3-pointers, capturing 19-for-29 from deep, they usually compelled their technique to the free-throw line, incomes a 35-7 disparity (extra on that in a minute). 

The Rockets completely received Saturday’s sport, they usually have the personnel to completely win a sport towards the Celtics on an evening when each groups had been absolutely rested. 

However the truth stays that the Celtics had been removed from their greatest, and the Rockets pummeled them slightly additional in consequence. 

“Possibly we made fatigued selections on the courtroom and stuff like that,” Payton Pritchard mentioned. “We got here able to play, however we received popped tonight. Transfer on and prepare for the following one.”

Joe Mazzulla felt equally.

“Clearly it wasn’t our evening,” he mentioned. “Rockets performed nicely, good staff, well-coached, They had been ready, and this wasn’t our evening tonight. 

“So to me, that occurs over the course of the season, and so it’ll be extra vital about how we reply on Monday at shootaround and within the sport on Monday evening.”

Baylor Scheierman has put collectively a few good video games.

Scheierman had a regarding preseason – the second-year ahead is already 25, so questions had been already brewing about his sensible upside, and he appeared like he was attempting to do an excessive amount of to show himself as a troublesome shot maker. 

In the previous couple of video games, nevertheless, Scheierman has gotten a chance to show he can play inside a system, and he has availed his future alternatives properly. 

Apparently, Scheierman has proven actual flashes on the defensive finish. Powerfully constructed with good measurement, he defended Tyrese Maxey nicely on a number of possessions Friday evening, and he was strong defensively towards the Rockets as nicely – defending nicely 1-on-1 and drawing two offensive fouls. 

Offensively, Scheierman isn’t attempting to run the present as a lot, and that advantages him. He led the Celtics in scoring with 17 on 6-for-7 capturing and was 4-for-5 from 3-point vary, flattening a number of spot-up alternatives. He additionally cooked Steven Adams with a nasty hesitation transfer for a layup and completed a formidable tip-in late. 

“Simply play exhausting, attempt to impression the sport in a constructive means,” Scheierman advised reporters afterward. “Simply attempt to make profitable performs, whether or not that’s making photographs or diving on the bottom or getting unlawful screens. That’s sort of my mindset coming into each sport.”

Mazzulla mentioned Scheierman has been doing what’s requested of him. 

“We’ve simply received to string collectively possessions of what we want and achieve these and execute on these,” he mentioned. “That simply builds belief, it builds self-discipline, it builds a behavior. So he’s purchased into that, of ‘These are the issues we want you to do.’ The factors are a bonus, however the different stuff is far more vital, and he’s continued to work at doing it.”

Chris Boucher performed however didn’t add a lot.

Boucher didn’t play towards the Cavaliers or the 76ers, and whereas he obtained 13 minutes towards the Rockets, he didn’t add a lot – scoring 4 factors and recording a steal with no rebounds. He additionally picked up a weird flopping technical name after taking successful from Sengun which left the Celtics furious. 

The Celtics have managed to get contributions from up and down their lineup, and whereas the rotation would possibly by no means be absolutely cemented at any level this season, we’re beginning to get a greater concept of who Mazzulla trusts and who he doesn’t. Thus far, Boucher appears to be nearer to the latter group.

“What issues is: Do they string collectively possessions, no matter if it’s at first of the sport, the tip of the sport, it actually doesn’t matter,” Mazzulla mentioned.

The Celtics’ free-throw disparity is slightly wild.

The Celtics dedicated plenty of fouls attempting to decelerate a Rockets staff that was killing them offensively, and replays repeatedly confirmed them committing fouls that drew pissed off reactions from followers however had been objectively appropriate. 

Nonetheless, the free-throw disparity was slightly eyebrow-raising – 35-7 – particularly at the side of Friday’s 29-12 disparity towards the Sixers. Over the past two video games, the Celtics have seen a 64-19 disparity. 

Mazzulla advised reporters afterward that free-throw fee is at all times correlated to turnover share.

“All we will coach is the free-throw fee to the turnover share, as a result of it’s such a high-value alternative of getting these, and also you power 20 in a sport, that’s actually good,” Mazzulla mentioned. “However you must coach those that you must do higher at. To me, it comes again to those if you foul in tendencies, you foul on leap shooters, you foul due to a person defensive breakdown.”

The Derrick White/Payton Pritchard droop continued.

White and Pritchard had been removed from alone – no person within the rotation appeared notably good on Saturday, apart from Scheierman – however they had been 1-for-9 mixed. White is now capturing 25 p.c from deep this season, whereas Pritchard is capturing a putrid 18 p.c. Neither quantity, in fact, is prone to maintain, however the Celtics are caught in a little bit of a holding sample as they look ahead to the dam to interrupt. 

This sport is why the Sixers win mattered.

The Celtics’ first seven video games had been at all times going to be a nasty gauntlet, and rising from them close to .500 could be a win. Beating the Sixers meant that the Celtics would wrap up this stretch at worst 3-4.

Now the Celtics get a few lighter opponents after they face the Jazz on Monday and Wizards on Wednesday, which will probably be an fascinating check of this roster’s consideration span. If they’ll maintain their effort degree excessive and win each dwelling video games, they are going to be above .500 once more, which might really feel like a pleasant accomplishment after shedding their first three.