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HOUSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 24 points and Jayson Tatum added 23 as the Boston Celtics coasted to a 134-107 win over the struggling Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
It’s the 16th straight loss for Houston, which was playing without John Wall and several others because of injuries. The losing streak is the second-longest in franchise history behind a 17-game skid in 1968.
It’s the fifth win in six games for the Celtics, who overwhelmed a team playing with only one of its regular starters in Victor Oladipo. He led Houston with 26 points on a night the Rockets made 16 of 50 3-pointers.
The Rockets, who haven’t won since Feb. 4, have lost seven straight home games for the first time since 2006.
Boston was only up by four after one period, but pulled away by halftime. The Celtics had a 13-point lead early in the third quarter before using an 11-2 run, with nine points by Kemba Walker, to make it 79-57 with about 10 minutes left in the period.
A 12-3 spurt later in the third left the Celtics up 104-72 entering the fourth. Tatum stood out in that stretch, starting the run with a step-back shot before getting a steal and finishing on the other end with a nifty behind-the-back move. He wrapped up the scoring in that quarter with a 35-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Brown and Tatum didn’t play after that and Boston coach Brad Stevens cleared his bench with about nine minutes remaining and his team up 112-80.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Robert Williams III had 16 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. … Walker finished with 16 points, five assists and six rebounds. … Tristan Thompson had 13 rebounds.
Rockets: Danuel House missed his fourth straight game with a bruised right knee. … Eric Gordon sat out for the second game in a row with a strained groin. … Wall missed a third straight game with a bruised left knee. … Rookie Kenyon Martin Jr. had a season-high 21 points.
UP NEXT
Celtics: Host Utah on Tuesday night.
Rockets: Play the second of seven straight home games on Tuesday night when they host the Hawks.
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