NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from Houston Rockets vs Boston Celtics

#2 Celtics lack aggression

The Rockets lead the league in three-pointers attempted and made.

Although their conversion rate from distance is 22nd, the Rockets are a bunch that does not hesitate from pulling the trigger from deep, averaging almost 45 three-point attempts per game.

For this one, Mike D'Antoni and his squad pulled up 51 times beyond the arc, finishing with a decent 21-51(41.2%). Harden and Gordon made 14 threes between them while Paul and Tucker added six more. In contrast, the Celtics were 1-13 from the three-point line in the first half and finished the game 8-28 (28.6%).

The Rockets showed intensity from the tip-off and raced to 65 points in the first half itself, scoring 16 of their first 31 points in the paint. The Celtics relied on isolation plays as well as jump shots to score at irregular intervals and were slow to get back in transition throughout the game, exhibiting a clear lack of commitment.

"It is a commitment to winning, and being consistent with it," Celtics center Al Horford said. "That has been our biggest problem."