Boston puts a five-game win streak against a Rockets team that is 6-1 and has outscored opponents by more per possession, 12.3 to 10.1. Tatum's scoring is running well ahead of his three-point shooting, and tonight is a hard test of that gap.
Houston is the first opponent to carry a bigger margin than Boston.
Boston is 5-1, third in the East, and has won five straight. The Rockets are 6-1. Their scoring mark is 121.2 and their defensive mark is 108.9, which leaves a net of 12.3 against Boston's 10.1 (117.7 and 107.6). Houston has played seven games and Boston six, so the gap shows a direction and settles nothing. Kevin Durant averages 22.0 points and Alperen Sengun 22.8 over five games. Steven Adams is out, and Reed Sheppard and Clint Capela are day-to-day.
Tatum's scoring is outrunning his three-point shot.
Jayson Tatum averages 28.3 points and 7.7 assists in 35.6 minutes over six games, while shooting 24.4 percent from three. At Orlando he went 8-of-19 from the field and 1-of-5 from deep, yet reached 32 points because he made 15 of 17 free throws. The line has covered for the arc, which is a fine arrangement until the whistles go quiet. Six games is a small sample, and it does not show that the shot is broken.
The bench protected the lead, and the closing minutes were not tidy.
Boston led by as many as 15 in a 108-97 win, then let Orlando cut it to 69-66 in the third quarter with a 12-0 run. A later 8-0 run made it 97-93 before the Celtics closed. Luka Garza had 12 points and a plus-11 in 21 minutes, and Baylor Scheierman added 10 on 4-of-5 shooting. Payton Pritchard went 0-of-7 from three, though he took seven rebounds. The bench scored 32 points to the starters' 76.
Robinson's status decides how much size Boston has tonight.
Mitchell Robinson is listed out for rest with an estimated return of today, and Devin Carter is out until about November 8. By our count, the two account for 38 minutes of absence at their usual workloads. The schedule gives little room: Milwaukee comes Wednesday, then Charlotte on Friday. The open question is whether Boston can hold a lead against a better-rated team without the margin for error it had in Orlando.
Who do the Celtics play tonight?
Boston visits the Houston Rockets, who are 6-1 this season. The Celtics are 5-1 and have won five straight.
Is Jayson Tatum healthy for the Rockets game?
Tatum's day-to-day listing was cleared on November 1, and he scored 32 points at Orlando in 34 minutes. Mitchell Robinson is listed out for rest with an estimated return of today.
