Boston Celtics’ Derrick White (9) drives to the basket as Houston Rockets’ Fred VanVleet (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in Houston. The Celtics won 109-86. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Derrick White and Jayson Tatum combined for 43 points and the visiting Boston Celtics put together a brilliant first half offensively to beat the injury-depleted Houston Rockets 109-86 on Friday in the NBA.
White scored 23 points and made six 3-pointers, while Tatum scored 10 of his 20 points late in the first half to help the Celtics, who played without Jaylen Brown (shoulder), to the victory.
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Payton Pritchard and Jrue Vacation added six 3-pointers and contributed 20 and 14 points, respectively, as Boston made 19 of 39 3-point attempts and overwhelmed the Rockets with offensive precision.
Houston couldn’t keep up as it fell to 1-3 in its five-game homestand. Jalen Inexperienced led the Rockets with 27 points, while Alperen Sengun added 14 points and seven rebounds. But Houston couldn’t overcome the absences of Amen Thompson (suspension), Tari Eason (leg) and Jabari Smith Jr., who broke his non-shooting hand during shootaround on Friday.
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January 3, 2025; Houston, Texas, United States; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) during the third quarter of an NBA game at Toyota Middle. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Pictures
Smith is scheduled to undergo surgery and is expected to be sidelined for four to eight weeks.
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Both teams were on fire from the start, shooting a combined 11 of 16, while Houston took a 15-12 lead at the 7:29 mark of the first quarter. But the Celtics took control with a 10-0 run after a timeout, with Vacation hitting two 3-pointers and Luke Kornet adding a pair of dunks.
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Boston extended it to a 17-4 run and Houston cut its double-digit lead to 37-31 entering the second. Vacation scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, while Pritchard scored 10 points off the bench in the first quarter. The Celtics shot 62.5 percent on frame and made 7 of 12 three-pointers.
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Inexperienced scored 11 points during a 14-6 run that cut another double-digit deficit to 53-51. That’s when Tatum took control, recording two dunks and two triples in the final 2:53 of the half.
Boston led 65-56 at halftime. Pritchard, Tatum, White and Vacation combined for 51 points on 20-of-34 shooting, including 11-of-20 from behind the arc. Boston committed a turnover in the first half. When Pitcher hit a three-pointer with 8:43 left in the game, the Celtics led 93-72. Boston led by as many as 28 points in the fourth quarter. –Media at field level
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