If one was looking for an axe to grind against the C's after yesterdays game, it would be that they took their time getting their act together and dispatching the lowly Rockets. They were up by 1 after 1 and by 5 after 2, before blasting the Rockets 34-16 in the third.
Tatum struggled from 3 (1-9), but had as high efficiency a game as one could possibly have while bricking 8 of 9 threes. he shot 10-22 overall and was a perfect 9-9 from the line for 30 points.
Brown came back, looked out of sorts at the start of the game, hit a couple of baskets in the second, and then exploded in the third. 6-13 overall, 3-6 from three, 4-4 at the line, and 19 points in 23 minutes. The bad news with Brown: after the game he said he felt tightness in the hamstring. So this is looking like it is going to be a long-term issue Brown needs to deal with.
Also coming back is Rob, who only scored 2 points (a Smart lob) in 28 minutes, but ripped down 15 boards, 3 offensive. Added an assist and a block. The assists was a great one in the 4th where he grabbed a rebound and quickly swung it to a wide open Langford for a three.
Al was Al: double double (11-11), 4 assists, 2 steals.
Smart and Schroder (who didn;t start) were not at the level they had been over the previous 7 games or so. Smart was 7 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal, and 2 turnovers in 33 minutes. Schroder had 18 off the bench, but did not shoot well (6-15) and had no assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal against 4 turnovers. At one point it looked like Ime might have pulled him out for a talking to before quickly getting him back in.
Grant had 25 off the bench, during which he shot 1-2 and missed his only three. Added 5 rebounds and 4 assists. (The Celtics had only 19 assists today, Smart leading the way with 5, followed by Al and Grant with 4, and Tatum with 3).
Langford had a decent game. 10 points in 20 minutes, on 4-9 from the field, 2-4 from three, both makes in the 4th protecting the big lead. One could call this garbage time, except that the Celtics have let some of these big 4th quater leads vanish. Also 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. He is clearly working on driving more but not finding great success.
Nesmith came in midway through the 4th with Houston looking like it might make a run and quickly buried 2 threes.