Rockets Host the Celtics on Monday Night at Toyota Center, Carrying a 6-1 Start Into November
Houston comes off a 119-98 rout of Oklahoma City - 30 points from Jabari Smith Jr., a near triple-double from Alperen Sengun in his return - and gets Boston at home Monday at 7:30 p.m. CT in the second game of the homestand.
HOUSTON - The Rockets' homestand continues Monday night, when the Boston Celtics visit Toyota Center for a 7:30 p.m. CT tipoff - and Houston brings one of the league's best early records into the game at 6-1.
The Rockets earned that mark Saturday night, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-98 in Houston behind 30 points and nine rebounds from Jabari Smith Jr., who hit a season-high six three-pointers. Marcus Smart added 24 points, and Alperen Sengun, back after missing two games with lower back soreness, finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Durant scored 14. Houston led 62-51 at halftime, opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run, and never let the lead fall below 12 the rest of the way.
The health questions travel into Monday. Fred VanVleet sat Saturday for right knee injury management and Reed Sheppard missed his second straight game with low back soreness, and neither player's status for Boston was announced in the reports read this cycle. Oklahoma City, for its part, played without Chet Holmgren, who will miss at least two months with a right knee injury, the Thunder announced Friday.
Boston arrives for the middle game of a road swing - the Celtics play at Orlando on Sunday before the Houston stop - while the Rockets stay home: Minnesota follows Boston into Toyota Center on Wednesday night. Monday's game is the first meeting of the season between Houston and Boston, with the return game in Boston scheduled for January 11.
