The Boston Celtics certainly had their chances, but they couldn't capitalize on any of them on their way to a 109-93 loss in Houston. The Celtics never led in this game, though they had five chances to move ahead and missed all five shots. They even managed to get the game within one in the third, but that was as close as it would get. 

WHAT THE BOX SCORE TELLS YOU

- Too many guys couldn't buy a bucket: Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard were both 0-5 from three. Jayson Tatum was 1-7. Derrick White was 1-5. But beyond that, the Celtics shot 38.6% overall. Alperin Sengun made 12 baskets, which is more than any two Celtics starters combined. 

- Sengun feasted: 26 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds for the Rockets center, who just crushed Mitchell Robinson and anyone else who got thrown at him. 

- Tatum tried: There was a stretch where Tatum was doing everything he could to get the Celtics the lead, but Boston couldn't cash in. Getting nine assists on a night his teammates couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn is not easy. 

- Luka Garza and Baylor Scheierman were good: They combined to shoot 7-13 from three, making them the only guys who were effective from deep on any kind of volume. Scheierman had a couple of nice defensive plays as well.

WHAT THE BOX SCORE WON’T TELL YOU

- Mitchell Robinson got worn down guarding Alperin Sengun: Robinson needs to spend practices on a treadmill, because his cardio is not great. The Celtics are already asking a lot of him in the offense by having him work so far away from the rim, but this defensive assignment was like driving one of Robinson’s Trucks 90 miles per hour … it drained his gas tank in a hurry. 

Robinson looked terrible in this game. Just awful. And he sprained his left thumb. 

- Marcus Smart did Marcus Smart things: He drew a couple of charges to get Tatum in foul trouble, then he tried to draw a couple more and those ended up putting the Celtics at the line, and then he hit a couple of three-pointers after missing a bunch of them, which put the Celtics away. Bonus Smart points: He chucked double birds after each of those threes, which will almost certainly lead to a big fine from the league, considering his history. 

- Mazzulla tried to tap into his depth, and it didn’t work: I liked him going to Mike Conley in the second quarter and Ron Harper in the fourth, but neither guy could take advantage of his fresh legs to make a big difference. I think he should have gone to Harper earlier in the game to see if he could catch a rhythm. 

- Schedule loss: This never felt like a game the Celtics were going to win, and they struggled in a lot of the ways we expected them to struggle. 

FACT CHECKING THE PREVIEW

Let’s go back and look at what I said pregame and see how that went. 

“Bigs Battle: The Celtics are bringing a fully healthy frontcourt to this battle while the Rockets will be lacking some depth. I expect Jordan Walsh to pick up Jabari Smith Jr. and Mitchell Robinson to handle the Alperin Sengun assignment. Robinson’s mobility will be tested, but I expect the Celtics to help a bunch on Sengun to try to force some turnovers.”

Yeah, that mobility was tested alright. Again, he looked terrible. Walsh didn’t start in the game, which now makes me think Mazzulla has moved on from that idea. This is giving me last season vibes where none of the young forwards could rise up and grab the role full time. 

“Shots falling: This is a tough back-to-back, so I’m watching to see if Boston’s shots are missing short for extended stretches. Not only are front-rim shots a sign of being tired, they tend to bounce back towards the middle of the floor, which could get the Rockets out and running. The Rockets are sixth in the NBA in fastbreak points, so this could be a recipe for some big Rockets runs.”

Easiest prediction in the world, honestly. 

“Getting Tatum some help: Amen Thompson leads a group of long, rangy defenders who will give anyone trouble. Tatum will need his teammate to not only hit shots, but set good screens and make good reads to break through the Rockets defense. It will take a lot of work.”

Scheierman had some good minutes, but mostly, Tatum didn't get the kind of help they needed. If he did, they might have won this game. If there's any silver lining here, it’s that they were close most of this game despite all the messiness. An average shooting night would have made this a much different game. 

“The prediction: “The Celtics are a creative group, though, so I expect them to make this a tough one. I think Boston’s bench can help keep them in it, especially with the Rockets lacking depth at center. Still, I just think the Rockets are too good, and will pull away late 116-107.”

So-so on the prediction, though the “pull away late” did happen. I gave Boston too much credit on the shot-making though.