Only the Memphis Grizzlies have had a better first two weeks of the season than Houston. The Rockets enter tonight's matchup against the Celtics at 6-1, second in the West. Saturday's 119-98 win over a suddenly injury-depleted Oklahoma City gives them 48 hours of rest at home. Boston arrives on the second night of a back-to-back after a double-digit win in Orlando on Sunday. Add in Ime Udoka against his former team and this should be a really entertaining game.
The Rockets are 3-0 at home and have won by 18, 10 and 21. With KD and Sengun running the show, they lead the league in offensive efficiency. In the second year of the Durant era, they look ready to build on a 52-win season that ended in the first round against a Luka-less Lakers team.
In his first season without Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum is fully in control of the offense, scoring 32 in Orlando, 40 against Brooklyn and 36 against the defending-champion Knicks. After a franchise-record 38 points in his Celtics debut, Paul George has cooled off but settled in as the second option. Boston has won five straight, but a closer look tells you three of those wins came against teams that missed last year's playoffs, and the Celtics have yet to play a Western Conference team. Tonight is just their third road game of the season.
Udoka is 2-4 against Boston since they let him go in 2023. Both wins came in Boston, and tonight sets up as the perfect spot for his first win in Houston against his former team. He has the rested side, the better offense and the home floor against a Celtics group that has not played a road back-to-back yet this season. I like the Rockets to cover.
Celtics vs Rockets prediction: Rockets -4.5 (-109) available at time of publishing. Playable to 5 (-110).
