Alperen Sengun had 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting with 10 assists and seven rebounds, and the Houston Rockets beat the Boston Celtics 109-93 on Monday night at Toyota Center.
The Rockets improved to 7-1 and moved into first place in the Western Conference after the Memphis Grizzlies (6-1) lost for the first time, per The Associated Press. Houston also snapped Boston’s five-game winning streak. The Celtics fell to 5-2 on the second night of a back-to-back. Read our Rockets-Celtics preview.
How It Happened
- First quarter: Tied 29-29.
- Halftime: Houston won the second quarter by seven and led 57-50. Sengun had 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting at the break.
- Third quarter: Boston cut the lead to one, but Houston took an 82-73 lead into the fourth.
- Fourth quarter: Marcus Smart hit 3s on back-to-back possessions and Reed Sheppard added another to make it 93-79 with 7:56 left. Boston never got closer.
Sengun Runs the Show
Sengun finished +21 in 37 minutes with only one turnover. He went 1-of-2 from 3 and 1-of-2 at the line, and added two steals and two blocks, per NBC Sports Boston, including a chase-down block on Hugo Gonzalez in the third quarter.
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Rockets Box Score Leaders
- Alperen Sengun: 26 points (12-15 FG), 10 assists, 7 rebounds, +21
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 14 points (5-10 FG, 4-5 3PT), 10 rebounds
- Amen Thompson: 14 points (5-9 FG, 4-5 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists
- Tari Eason: 13 points (5-8 FG, 3-6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists off the bench
- Kevin Durant: 12 points (5-6 FG), 3 rebounds, 3 assists
- Fred VanVleet: 8 points, 9 assists in his return from rest
- Marcus Smart: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
- Reed Sheppard: 8 points (2-4 3PT) in his return from a back injury
By the Numbers
- Rockets shot 43-of-79 (54.4%) from the field and 14-of-35 from 3
- 34 assists on 43 baskets
- Outscored Boston 18-2 on the fast break
- Outscored Boston 50-34 in the paint
- Celtics shot 39% overall and 12-of-42 from 3
Celtics Side
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 19 points, and Neemias Queta added 16. The Celtics rested Paul George on the back-to-back after winning at Orlando on Sunday, per NBC Sports Boston. Luka Garza hit three 3-pointers in the first half.
What’s Next
The Rockets stay home to host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. CT. Boston hosts Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Follow all of LFG Houston’s Rockets coverage.
Rockets stats via the official box score. Game details via The Associated Press, NBC Sports Boston and CelticsBlog.
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