Rockets End Celtics 14-Game Home Winning Streak
BOSTON – Five days after ending the Toronto Raptors' 12-game home winning streak, the Houston Rockets ended the Boston Celtics' 14-game streak on Friday night.
James Harden scored 32 points, including nine in the final 3:09 to ice the game, to lead the Rockets to their third straight road victory, a 102-98 win over the Celtics.
Boston's home winning streak was the franchise's longest since an 18-game run in 1990-91 -- it's longest at TD Garden.
The Celtics, playing a four-guard offense after losing forward Jae Crowder to a right ankle sprain in the third quarter, used an 8-0 run to cut a 10-point deficit to two with 6:17 left. The Rockets (33-32) then used a 10-4 spurt to maintain control, but needed Harden's free-throw shooting to put the game away.
The Celtics thought they had cut their deficit to four when Avery Bradley stole the ball and laid it in. but he touched the ball on the rim, leaving the Houston lead at six with 30.2 seconds remaining.
The loss was only the sixth in the last 23 games for the Celtics (39-27), who hold down the third spot in the East. The Rockets are sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference.
Houston forward Michael Beasley scored 10 of his 18 points in the first 3:44 of the fourth quarter to give the Rockets a 10-point lead.
Beasley also had eight rebounds despite playing just under 15 minutes.
Center Dwight Howard added 12 points and 12 rebounds and 6-foot-1 point guard Patrick Beverley matched his career high with 12 rebounds and also had four assists to go with eight points.
Guard Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with 30 points, forward Jared Sullinger, the only bigger player working with the four guards, had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Evan Turner came off the bench and recorded nine assists and seven boards.
Thomas, who had just one turnover over the previous four games, was guilty of six and had only two assists in the game.
Houston took a 34-32 lead with 6:17 left in the first half and never trailed after that.
NOTES: Teammates are starting to push G Evan Turner for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award. F Jared Sullinger sent out a tweet Wednesday night lauding Turner. "I try my best to be efficient and play the right way," said Turner, who was averaging 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. ... G Andrew Goudelock, back from China with a two-year contract and once nicknamed "Mini Mamba" by then-Lakers teammate Kobe "Black Mamba" Bryant, was in uniform for the first time with the Rockets. ... Boston F Kelly Olynyk's injured right shoulder still wasn't ready and he missed his 11th straight game. ... Former Bulls head coach and Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau was at Boston's Thursday practice. ... The Rockets came in leading the league in forced turnovers since the All-Star break. The Celtics had committed the fewest turnovers during the same span. ... Houston F/C Donatas Motiejunas, kicked in the shin on Wednesday night in Philadelphia, was able to play.
