(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum once again showed why they are the best duo in the league on Tuesday night in Boston. The pair combined for 77 points, with 42 coming in the second half.
Houston came into this matchup high off a big win in Chicago last night. The Rockets possess a team full of young, high-energy players, a group that will play with confidence if you allow them to. This had the makings of a potential letdown game for the best team in the league. Houston jumped out to a quick 13-5 lead as Boston started off 0/5 from the floor. Kevin Porter Jr. was an early problem for the Celtic defense as he routinely found his way into the paint. Jaylen Brown kept Boston afloat with 15 first quarter points while the rest of the team struggled in the opening quarter. The second quarter saw the two teams go back-and-forth with the lead. Kevin Porter Jr was carrying Houston on his back for the majority of the half, as he finished with 17 first half points. For Boston, the Jays combined for 35 of the 56 first half points. Robert Williams came off the bench in this game, but did not miss a beat. He made an immediate impact on this game, with 4 points and 7 rebounds in less than ten first half minutes. Boston would take a 56-49 lead to the locker room.
The Rockets held on for as long as they could, but Boston slowly ran away in the second half of this one. Towards the end of the third quarter, Houston had cut the lead to five, thanks to a 15 point quarter from sophomore Jalen Green. Green put on a display of impressive shot-making and finishing. The Jay theme continued in the third quarter for Boston as Brown and Tatum combined for 24 points in the frame. Boston would take a 9 point lead to the final quarter of play. The fourth quarter turned into a 3 point shootout, as the teams combined to attempts the most three's in an NBA game this season (101). That was a welcoming sight for Boston as they currently are second in the league in three's made per game. Boston rode their star's hot hands and ran away with this one in the fourth. A stress-free win moves Boston to 25-10, and keeps them atop the Eastern Conference standings.
STATS:
Jayson Tatum 38p/8r/4a
Jaylen Brown 39p/2r/1a
Robert Williams 11p/15r/2a
Jalen Green 28p/4r/2a
Kevin Porter Jr 22p/5r/9a
KJ Martin 17p/3r/2a
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