Boston Celtics visit in-form Houston Rockets at Toyota Center
Watch Boston Celtics @ Houston Rockets live on Sky Sports Action in the early hours of Friday morning (1am)
Friday 28 December 2018 04:27, UK
The in-form Houston Rockets host Eastern Conference contenders the Boston Celtics, live on Sky Sports in the early hours of Friday morning.
Live NBA: Boston @ Houston
The Celtics (20-13) have emerged from a three-game slump, winning back-to-back contests, including a 121-114 overtime victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day.
Kyrie Irving delivered a tour-de-force performance, dropping a team-high 40 points, adding 10 rebounds for the double-double while shooting 17-of-33 from field goal range and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Irving scored the second-most points ever by a Celtics on Christmas Day, and through 31 starts is averaging 23.3 points and 6.3 assists.
Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum each contributed 23 points, with Morris going 8-of-13 from the paint and 3-of-5 from long range, and Tatum grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double of his own Terry Rozier came off the bench with 10 points, five boards and a pair of triples for a Celtics unit that remains in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the Sixers.
Christmas Day also saw the Houston Rockets (18-15) win their seventh game in their last eight, as they appear to have set right a ship that seemed rudderless heading into December, defeating the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder 113-109.
James Harden once again led the team offensively, posting 41 points, facilitating seven assists and taking in six rebounds on a 5-of-16 shooting night from beyond the arc.
Clint Capela had a monster night off the glass, grabbing 23 rebounds to add to his 16 points, while Eric Gordon produced 17 points and three triples.
PJ Tucker finished with 11 points and seven rebounds for a Rockets squad that has clawed its way to seventh place in the West, now just a half game behind the sixth-place Portland Trail Blazers.
Key Battle: Al Horford v Clint Capela
A duel of centers that pits the veteran savvy and finesse of Horford against the athleticism and strength of Capela.
The Rockets big man has been corralling rebounds at an incredible rate of late, averaging 20 per game in his last three outings. Will Horford, who recently returned from a seven-game injury absence, be able to stop him? The Celtics center, now in his 12th NBA season, has the experience to stop his opposite number dominating the glass and can utilise his outside shooting to draw Capela away from the hoop.
Last time out
Numbers game
20.0 - That's the number of free throw attempts the Boston Celtics earn per game. It's the second-worst figure in the league.
For a roster that boasts Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier - all of whom are have proven the ability to drive to the basket and finish - that number is astonishing. It reflects a team too willing to settle for inefficient mid-range and long-range jump shots and explains the drop off in offensive output endured by Brown and Tatum following their successful 2017/18 campaigns.
One to watch (Celtics): Marcus Morris
While Irving has routinely wowed the league with his scoring eruptions this season, Morris has quietly been putting together an excellent campaign.
He's averaging a career-high 15.1 points per game, hitting 49.7 per cent of his shots and shooting at 43.1 per cent from beyond the three-point arc. He has also proven strong in crunch time, delivering clutch three-pointers to support Irving in closing out games.
One to watch (Rockets): Austin Rivers
Traded away by Washington then waived by Phoenix, Rivers signed with the Rockets and delivered on debut on Christmas Day, draining two clutch three-pointers as Houston held off a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Rivers played 31 minutes in that game, bringing depth to Houston's top-heavy roster and giving James Harden in particular time to rest during the game. Will we see Rivers ease some of the offensive burden on the Rockets' franchise star against Boston?
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