5 takeaways: Celtics outmatched in blowout loss to Rockets

BOSTON – For the first time since Opening Night, the Celtics had an opportunity to achieve a record above .500. It would have also increased their winning streak to four games, a mark that seemed unthinkable after losing their first three games to begin the season.

Standing in their way were the Rockets.

Houston brought serious star power with it in its final game of an East Coast road trip. Kevin Durant headlined the unit with Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün serving as Durant’s supporting cast of young stars. Boston was severely outgunned, facing a lineup that featured five players who were 6-foot-10 or taller. It had only three.

The Celtics failed to provide much reasoning that they could stand up against such a formidable opponent, quickly finding themselves in a double-digit deficit early in a 128-101 loss to the Rockets to fall to 3-4 on their young season. It was the third-largest margin of defeat since Joe Mazzulla became the Celtics' head coach in 2022.

"Obviously, it wasn't our night," Mazzulla said. "Rockets played well, good team, well-coached. They were prepared, and this wasn't our night tonight. So to me, that happens over the course of the season, and so it'll be more important about how we respond on Monday at shoot around and into the game on Monday night."

Here are five takeaways from the Celtics’ loss.

The Rockets average a league-best 127.8 points per game. They showed the Celtics why.

Durant scored 26 points on a hyperefficient 8-of-11 shooting performance, making two of his three 3-pointers. Most of his production occurred near the elbow, making his only shot under the basket. Even with a lack of a 3-point showing, it didn't matter for the 6-foot-11 star.

That is where his teammates got involved.

Houston made 19 of its 29 shots from behind the arc, allowing it to build a lead it first received when Durant drilled a 17-foot jumper on its opening possession of the game. Boston couldn’t limit — or match — its opposition’s offensive success, eventually resulting in a 36-point second-half deficit. The Rockets’ 1.32 points per possession were the 13th most in the last 30 years, according to Sean Grande.

So what can the Celtics do next time?

“I think you're looking for ways to change the momentum of that,” Mazzulla said. “Whether it's putting together a couple stops in a row. Whether it's offensive rebounds. I felt like they did a good job of not allowing those momentum run opportunities. I think the one small one that we did, they kind of nip it in the bud right there. So they managed that well, and that's what you're looking for. Can you string together a 6-0 run, an 8-0 run? Can you get a couple of those to kind of shift the momentum?”

Even with an offensive approach that suffocated the Celtics, the Rockets still showed their flaws.

The Celtics forced 18 turnovers and nine steals, sparking transition opportunities and easier scoring chances. They were unable to maximize those situations, scoring 13 fastbreak points on nine steals.

Trailing by 15 points midway through the second quarter, the Celtics leveraged the Rockets’ turnovers to generate a 10-3 scoring run that closed the gap to 53-41 with four minutes remaining in the first half. Cutting their deficit to single digits before halftime was within reason, until Houston responded with its own 10-2 scoring run to reestablish its lead.

The Rockets accomplished a feat no NBA team has done during a regulation game in the 2025-26 season.

Secure 60 or more rebounds.

Two teams have reached at least 60 boards in a game, needing at least one period of overtime to surpass the mark. Houston did not need any extra time, grabbing 64 rebounds against a Celtics squad that played three players who were 6-foot-10 or taller.

The Rockets had five.

Of those rebounds, the Rockets grabbed only 12 on their offensive glass to score 15 second-chance points. Most of their boards occurred on their defensive end, where the Celtics missed 63 field goals — their most this season — and 30 3-pointers.

Josh Minott led all Celtics with six rebounds and Baylor Scheierman had five rebounds. No other player posted five or more rebounds in the game, a feat six Rockets accomplished. Their length even helped reject 11 shots, tied for the most blocks against the Celtics since 2022.

The Celtics lost by 27 points against the Rockets, who made 25 free throws.

In total, the Rockets nailed 25 of their 35 chances at the line. Had Boston limited its 25 personal fouls, it likely would have stayed within striking distance of its opponent. Instead, it watched as Houston repeatedly piled onto its already large lead at the charity stripe.

It was the third time the Celtics allowed 30 free throw attempts in a game this season, one short of the Pistons’ high of 36 shots. In each of those games, Boston forced 16 and 14 turnovers and Saturday marked 18 takeaways. Mazzulla explained that there is a connection between free throws and turnovers, citing how lots of turnovers can impact free throw opportunities.

“I think it's a combination of coaching the ones that you have to get better at,” Mazzulla said. “Whether it's taking away an individual tendency. Whether it's a bonus foul at the end of a quarter. Whether it's because we had a breakdown in our individual defense, and we're going to protect the rim. You have to define those. So there's always going to be that correlation between your free throws and your turnovers with the way that you want to play from a physicality standpoint.

“I think it's the one you can control more offensively is going offensively, is getting to the line more, and combating it that way.”

Despite being suspended before his eventual dismissal, it appears Ime Udoka’s relationship with his players is in a good place.

Even if his tenure as Celtics head coach ended awkwardly and unexpectedly.

In his pregame press conference, Udoka said he reached out to Tatum when his former player ruptured his Achilles to offer support. He noted his experience of dealing with such gruesome injuries, relating it to the two ACL tears he suffered.

“I hit him immediately and have stayed in contact throughout,” Udoka said. “You see the progress. Just try to encourage him to look at these benchmarks that you're going to have after a month, two months, and you can see him on the court and doing some things already, so he's kind of past that point. But yeah, we talk regularly and encourage him anyway, I could. I know he's reached out to a lot of people with Achilles injuries, so he's in good hands.”

Durant was one such player Tatum reached out to about Achilles injuries, as Durant succumbed to the same misfortune during the 2019 NBA Finals. His rehab is notable from other players as he is one of the few to return to his previous form post-injury. However, it took him an entire season of rehab before he played an NBA game again.

Tatum is trying to skip the latter part.

It has been reported that Tatum’s rehab is going well, perhaps enough for him to return this season. The star has documented the process himself, even posting a video of himself dunking. The Celtics have remained optimistic that Tatum could return later this season. An important distinction of Tatum’s injury is that he had surgery immediately after the incident, increasing the odds of a faster recovery time.

"Jayson looks like he's just killing the rehab, and he looks great," Durant told CLNS Media. "I don't see a limp. For somebody that just had an Achilles surgery in the playoffs, he looks amazing. So hopefully, continue to progress, he gets better and get back on the court soon. The game misses him. The NBA misses him. Just all world talent, man. So, looking forward to having him back on the floor."