The Celtics dropped a lackluster loss to the Rockets on Monday, falling 111-109 in the second contest of their six-game road trip.
Here are the takeaways.
1. If the Celtics’ run of blown double-digit leads brought fans five minutes from midnight on the panic meter, Monday’s loss to a team firmly lodged in the lottery did nothing to resolve tensions.
The Rockets looked like themselves — a high-ceiling team in roughly 2026 or 2027 — but the Celtics made a number of costly mistakes. On one play in the third quarter, Marcus Smart thought he got hit on the arm while shooting a 3-pointer, and he opted not to get back quickly, which allowed Kenyon Martin Jr.