Celtics demolish Rockets

The outcome of Tuesday's game between the Celtics and the Rockets really surprised me. I thought the Rockets would beat the Celtics in a close game. The Celtics were tired; they expended a lot of energy in the win against the Spurs less than 24 hours before the Rockets game. I also thought that the Rockets being at home would be helpful. They would have their loud home crowd behind them the whole way and that can be a little intimidating. The Celtics were also without Ray Allen, which I believed would be the main reason why the Celtics would lose. Ray Allen is a consistent three point threat. Without him, they really don't have that dangerous sharp shooter lurking. They couldn't really drive to the hoop then kick it out like usual. After it was all said and done, however, the Celtics ended the 22 game winning streak of the Houston Rockets.

The Celtics were able to defeat the Rockets because of their defense. In the first half, the Celtics looked like a tired team. However, after halftime, they came out and clamped down. This is when they distanced themselves from the Rockets. They always had a hand in the shooter's face, never gave up a wide open shot, and got some luck when the Rockets missed some easy inside shots. T-Mac stated that their defense was one of the best he's played against ever. Another reason that the Celtics won was because the Rockets had no inside presence. There was no one to defend KG on the block. They had to drop and double him, which allowed for kick outs. Also, on the offensive side, they were always settling for jumpers. There was no one that they could pass the ball to that could control the paint for the offense. If they had someone, they would have more close shots and more uncontested shots. A big man makes the shooters life easier because he draws all the defenders. Lastly, the Rockets didn't shoot well. It was an off night and the Celtics took advantage of them. I hope that this win for the Celtics legitimizes their team. People have said they are good because they play in the weak conference. They just beat the defending champs and the hottest team and have a 22-4 (I believe) record against the West. They are beating the cream of the crop and deserved to be called one of the best teams, if not the best, in the NBA.