Aaron Brooks finishes with a game-high 24 points for Houston, making five of eight attempts from 3-point range. The Rockets, as a team, finish 10-for-20 from deep, and seven Rockets finish in double figures.
Ray Allen and Marquis Daniels each throw down 19 for the Celtics, who have now lost home games to the Rockets in three straight seasons.
The Celtics can't get Kevin Garnett back soon enough. Perhaps he returns Wednesday night, when the C's take on the Sacramento Kings at the TD Garden.
Fourth quarter, 27.2 seconds, Rockets 106-102: Paul Pierce quickly drains a 3 from the top of the key, right out of the timeout.
Nice work, Paul.
Nice work, Doc.
But will it matter?
Fourth quarter, 38.3 seconds, Rockets 106-99: Sign of maturity from Glen Davis — rather than take that 3 from the top of the key, he called a timeout instead so Doc Rivers could call a play.
Not sure how many X's or O's Doc has left at this point. The Celtics' comeback effort is on its last legs.
Fourth quarter, 1:35, Rockets 106-99: At the very least, Ray Allen isn't giving up yet. First Ray comes up with a big play to tip an offensive board out to Paul Pierce, saving a possession, and then later he knocks down a 3 from the top of the key. The C's slice the lead from 10 to seven.
They've got the ball back, and Doc Rivers has called for a timeout. He's got to tell his guys that it ain't over 'til it's over. Solid execution and a couple more stops might help them salvage this one.
Fourth quarter, 3:11, Rockets 106-94: Aaron Brooks just impressed even himself, draining another 3 to give the Rockets a 12-point lead. Unbelievable, the way he's shooting. The Rockets just can't be stopped.
Now the Celtics are really getting desperate.
Fourth quarter, 4:26, Rockets 101-90: Paul Pierce just missed a layup, and then Aaron Brooks turned around seconds later and drained a wing 3-pointer in Glen Davis' face. Instead of only being down six, the Celtics are 11 points back and fading fast.
This game's not over yet, but it's mighty close. The C's need to string together a boatload of stops, starting right now.
Fourth quarter, 5:40, Rockets 98-88: You can tell the Celtics are getting desperate — Paul Pierce just made an uncharacteristic move to rush a 3-pointer early in the shot clock. Clang.
The C's need to keep the efficient offense going, not rush things. It's the other end of the floor where they need to change.
Fourth quarter, 6:33, Rockets 94-86: Paul Pierce finally makes his return, and he schools Chase Budinger on a drive to the basket. Two of the captain's 13 points.
The C's need to pick up the intensity now. They need stops. They can't keep trading baskets, watching the lead swing back and forth between eight and 10.
When will they take a stand?
Fourth quarter, 8:14, Rockets 90-80: Marquis Daniels gets a steal and turns it into a Von Wafer fast break; Wafer gets to the basket and draws a foul. Two shots.
It's time for Wafer to rise to the occasion and torch the Rockets, his old team.
Back in Houston, he was a fourth-quarter killer off the bench. Wouldn't it be interesting if he could do the same thing against his old squad?
Fourth quarter, 9:57, Rockets 86-76: Courtney Lee gets a chance to give the Rockets a double-digit lead, but he misses a free throw.
The Rockets get another chance, though: Jermaine O'Neal gets T'd up for clashing with Jared Jeffries, and Aaron Brooks makes good on the technical free throw.
We're looking at a 10-point ballgame now. The Celtics are in trouble.
End of third quarter, Rockets 80-74: Another flat third quarter for the Celtics. So far, 2011 looks just like 2010.
Kevin Garnett can't come back soon enough. The Celtics need more energy and more intensity to win games like this. They're not getting it in this one.
Ray Allen has 16 points and three other Celtics are in double figures, but the C's need defense and unselfish ball movement.
Third quarter, 2:26, Rockets 75-72: Here's a suggestion, Jermaine O'Neal: Instead of fouling guys on the other team as they get rebounds, why don't you get rebounds yourself?
J.O. just picked up a loose-ball foul under the basket trying to snatch an offensive board away from Jordan Hill. Quick whistle, and J.O. isn't happy.
The Celtics are still trailing by three, as they seemingly have all quarter. They need a little more energy from somewhere.
Third quarter, 5:21, Rockets 67-64: Glen Davis is doing a nice job on Luis Scola, keeping a body on him to hold him in check. Scola has only nine points on 4-of-10 shooting.
The Rockets have been hitting jumpers nonstop, but the Celtics remain in hot pursuit. If they keep executing well, they've got a chance to go on a run here.
Third quarter, 6:31, Rockets 65-64: Paul Pierce just got to the line and knocked down two crucial free throws.
The C's need every point they can get to keep pace with the hot-shooting Rockets. This isn't going to be easy down the stretch.
Pierce now has 11 points. He's perfect from the line, 4-for-4.
Third quarter, 9:14, 55-55: Shaquille O'Neal is having an understated, but solid night offensively. He's yet to miss a shot of any kind — he's 2-for-2 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line for eight points.
It's surprising the C's don't go to Shaq more in this matchup. He's got the potential to crush the Rockets.
Halftime, Rockets 50-49: The Celtics have survived a veritable blizzard of outside shots from the visiting Houston Rockets, and they only trail by just one measly point at the break. They'll take it.
The Rockets are 6-for-11 from 3-point range in this ballgame, including three long jumpers from Celtic-killer Chase Budinger. Budinger and Kyle Lowry each have 11 points, and the Rockets go into the locker room at halftime with the edge.
Marquis Daniels gives the Celtics a solid first half off the bench with seven points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist. Paul Pierce also has seven.
The Celtics need to contest a few jumpers in the second half. Can they do it?
Second quarter, 2:05, 47-47: After seemingly so many games having the opposite problem, the Celtics are finally benefiting from a healthy number of free throws.
The C's are drawing contact in this one — they're 14-for-16 from the line as a team tonight, an incredibly solid first half. Shaq is 4-for-4, Daniels is 3-for-3, a few guys are 2-for-2. It's been a good night.
The Rockets are only 5-for-7 from the line so far.
Second quarter, 3:38, Celtics 45-43: Marquis Daniels is turning in a solid performance for the Celtics off the bench — he's got seven points and three rebounds.
Daniels' contributions often go so overlooked because he goes about his business so quietly. But he's been a very efficient bench guy lately.
The C's have taken a two-point lead late in the second quarter.
Second quarter, 5:17, 43-43: Uh oh, here we go again. Chase Budinger was 6-for-8 from 3-point range last time he faced the Celtics, and he's about to do it again.
The redhead steps up and makes back-to-back treys to put the Rockets back in this game.
It's always a bumpy ride when that guy's hitting shots.
Second quarter, 8:57, Rockets 33-31: Early in the second quarter, the Celtics are starting to make their push.
It's a 7-0 Celtic run with the reserves on the floor, as Von Wafer and Marquis Daniels have given the C's all the offense they need.
The bigger question, though, is can the bench guys keep defending well? That's no easy task against the sharp-shooting Rockets.
Second quarter, 10:03, Rockets 33-26: Von Wafer has checked in, and he'll face his former team for the first time since leaving in 2009.
So far he hasn't done much, besides get to the line and promptly knock down two free throws. Solid start for the shooting guard.
Wafer just has to play his usual game, trying not to do too much despite the chip on his shoulder against the Rockets.
End of first quarter, Rockets 27-22: The Celtics might be in trouble here — even without Kevin Martin, the Rockets still have three dominating guards that can score the basketball.
Kyle Lowry, Aaron Brooks and Courtney Lee have combined for 19 points in the first quarter, with Lowry's nine leading the way. The C's guards, most notably Nate Robinson, have been totally clueless about contesting jump shots. It's showing.
The Celtics have gotten seven points from Paul Pierce and six from Shaquille O'Neal, but their guards are just getting killed. The war on the perimeter is going to be key in this one.
First quarter, 2:32, Rockets 19-15: The Rockets have come out firing from 3-point range early — as a team, they're 3-for-5, with Aaron Brooks, Kyle Lowry and Courtney Lee all getting in on the act.
This Rockets team killed the C's with their long-range shooting last year, too. Remember Chase Budinger's 3-point massacre back in April? The C's don't want to see that again.
First quarter, 3:33, Rockets 16-15: Doc is letting Shaquille O'Neal play longer minutes than usual. Shaq plays the first eight and a half minutes in the first quarter, rather than just six. Definitely a step in the right direction for the big man.
Ray Allen is the other starter to leave at the 3:33 mark, with Nate Robinson getting an early entrance.
First quarter, 6:24, Celtics 13-11: Rajon Rondo just had a clear breakaway to the basket off a steal, but with no one trailing him, he slowed down and let Ray Allen catch up for a two-on-zero fast break.
Rondo clearly has more interest in padding his assist total than his points.
Ray finishes with a layup, and he's got his first two points of the ballgame. The Celtics have the lead again.
First quarter, 8:49, Celtics 6-4: Who said Rajon Rondo couldn't knock down 15-foot jump shots? He takes one here — early in the shot clock, even — and drains it.
Without Kevin Garnett as a mid-range jumper threat, Rondo is trying to fill his shoes.
That might work and it might not. But anything's better than letting Glen Davis shoot 4-for-17 again.
First quarter, 10:49, Rockets 2-0: After a couple less-than-satisfactory Celtics possessions, settling for jumpers and missing, the Rockets get on the board first with a corner jumper from Kyle Lowry.
The Celtics haven't established their ball movement at all yet. We've seen a lot of rushed plays late in the shot clock, and the C's have yet to get the passing game going.
7 p.m.: It's official — no KG on Monday night as the C's take on the Rockets. Glen Davis will start once again.
Doc Rivers says KG is out Monday, but he's expected to return soon after. The team has a Tuesday practice in Waltham and a Wednesday home game against the Sacramento Kings at the TD Garden. Garnett is likely to return by Wednesday at the latest.
5:45 p.m.: Welcome to the TD Garden, where Kevin Garnett is not on the floor warming up, and he wasn't seen at the Celtics' morning shootaround Monday, either.
That may lead you to believe that KG won't be playing Monday night about the Rockets, but let's be careful before we jump to conclusions. KG might just be back in the training room getting some last-minute touch-ups before he takes the floor.
Stay tuned — Doc Rivers addresses the media in about an hour, so updates are forthcoming.
9 a.m.: How do we know for sure that Kevin Garnett is close to returning to the Celtics? Because he's blogging about it.
No joke — during his downtime Saturday night after the Celtics' loss to the Bulls, KG wrote a blog entry for the website of his Chinese sneaker company ANTA. The C's star writes that he made the trip to Chicago on Saturday, and that he was "killing the weights and wanted to play" that night. He's "real close to getting back."
Garnett may not talk to the media while he's injured, but on this obscure blog hosted by an old sponsor, he speaks his mind plenty. Now that we know KG is nearing a return, we can only imagine how huge it would be against the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
The Rockets are led these days in the post-Yao Ming era by an energetic forward, Luis Scola, who scores with all kinds of range and grabs rebounds on both ends. The C's need a versatile power forward who can set him straight, and KG is that guy.
The Celtics have never been a team to rush players back from injury because of matchups — remember, Rajon Rondo sat out rather than face Chris Paul on New Year's Eve. But if and only if Garnett is ready to return, he'd be in for an epic clash with Scola, the highly skilled Argentinian.
With or without KG, the Celtics will get an interesting matchup out of the Rockets, their first this season. The two teams tip off at 7:30 p.m. on the TD Garden floor.
