Because they’re in different conferences, the Houston Rockets (33-20) and Boston Celtics (37-15) only play twice each NBA season.
But in an odd scheduling quirk, both 2019-20 meetings happen within a six-game span for the Rockets — with the first Tuesday night in Houston. Tip-off from Toyota Center is set for 8:30 p.m. Central.
The Rockets then make a return visit to Boston on Feb. 29, in what will serve as ABC’s Saturday primetime game for that weekend.
There’s plenty of history between the franchises, who met in both the 1981 and 1986 NBA Finals and have often been among the league’s best. This season, both squads are in the top five of the West and East.
This season, the Celtics have the league’s No. 3 defense in net rating, while the Rockets have the No. 3 offense. But one reason the Celtics are several games ahead in the standings is because they’re more balanced on the other side of the ball. Whereas Boston is No. 5 in net rating on offense, Houston is just No. 15 on defense.
While more than half of Houston’s average per-game point total (118.2) is accounted for by the All-Star backcourt of former MVPs James Harden (35.2) and Russell Westbrook (27.0), the Celtics and head coach Brad Stevens have a more balanced approach.
Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, and Gordon Hayward all average at least 17 points per game, but none above 22.2.
To get some outside perspective on the matchup, we caught up with Justin Quinn — managing editor of our sister site, Celtics Wire — to see what’s been going on in Boston so far this year.
1.) What should Houston Rockets fans know about the Boston Celtics’ season so far?
Boston has become one of the hottest teams in the NBA, owning the league’s second-longest winning streak (seven games) as they strengthen their hold on third place in the East. The recent success has come in spite of a litany of injuries keeping several key players out of action for extended stretches.
Still, on this chemistry-fueled iteration of the Celtics, there’s been a tendency to come out slow until it’s clear who’s got their shot going. The successful outings have been mostly egalitarian endeavors, and the flops egalitarian as well, as the tendency of Boston to defer to the hot hand has opened windows for teams to punch first.
2.) What will it take for each team to win?
For the Rockets, the formula is a simple one. Many a lesser team have punched the Celtics in the mouth early and come away with the win, so a team of Houston’s talent should be capable of doing the same on their own floor.
However, while the formula may be simple, the execution will be the problem. Boston currently owns the league’s third-best offense, and is especially suited to disrupting passing lanes and defending the perimeter. Having modeled their own approach to modern basketball on the same template as Houston — albeit a less extreme version of the “small ball” the Rockets have recently gone all in on — and could represent a unique challenge for Houston, unlike any of the other 28 teams in the association.
3.) Is there anything else we should know about the Celtics?
They have one of the worst benches in the league when it comes to scoring, coming in 28th out of 30 teams. To almost any team in the NBA, that’d be an easy weakness to exploit, but the Rockets happen to be one of the two teams that had a worse bench on offense.
However, the astute reader will note the past tense used in that last sentence. After dealing away starting center Clint Capela and two players who were injured yet still occupying roster spots in Gerald Green and Nene, Houston has taken baby steps towards having a bench. While that’s never been a priority of Daryl Morey in the past, it could very well be the difference between these two closely-matched teams.
(For Houston perspective on the matchup for Boston readers, check out the Celtics Wire preview.)
The Rockets defeated the Celtics by double digits in both of their 2018-19 meetings, including Dec. 27 in Houston and March 3 in Boston.
It could be a much tougher matchup this time, though, with the Rockets entering on a two-game losing streak and the Celtics on a seven-game winning streak. The game can be watched nationwide on TNT.
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