Boston Celtics (32-18) at Houston Rockets (31-17)
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
8:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #51, Road Game #27
TV: NBCSB, Space City Home Network, NBA-LP
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 790 AM, Sirius XM
Toyota Center
The Celtics visit the Houston Rockets for the 2nd and final meeting between these two teams this season. The Rockets won the first meeting 128-101 in Boston on November 1. They split the series 1-1 last season, with each team winning on the road. The Celtics are 98-58 against
the Rockets overall, all time. They are 42-34 in games played in Houston. The Celtics are playing in the 2nd of back to back games. They are 5-3 this year on the second night of back to back games.
The Rockets made some significant changes since last season. Their biggest change was a trade that brought Kevin Durant and Clint Capela to Houston in exchange for Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and the 10th pick in the draft. They also signed Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie as free agents. They also brought in JD Davison as a 2-way player.
The Celtics are 3rd in the East, 5.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are tied with 2nd place New York, 2.5 games ahead of 4th place Toronto and 5th place Cleveland, 3.5 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 6 games ahead of 7th place Miami. The Celtics are 10-6 against Western Conference opponents. They are 16-10 on the road and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 3 games.
The Rockets are 4th in the West, 7 games behind first place OKC, 1.5 games behind 2nd place San Antonio, 1 game behind 3rd place Denver, 1.5 games ahead of 5th place Minnesota, 2 games ahead of 6th place Los Angeles Lakers, and 7th place Phoenix. They are 14-2 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 17-9 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 3 games.
The Celtics complete a 2 game road trip with a game at Houston on Wednesday. After this trip they will host Miami, New York, and Chicago for a 3 game home stand, which will take them into the All Star Break. After the break, they will head out on a 4 game Western road trip through Golden State, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix, and Denver.
The Rockets are playing in the first of 2 home games. They will host Charlotte on Thursday in back to back games. They then play one game at Oklahoma City before hosting the Clippers for 2 straight games. Then they break for the All Star break before playing at Charlotte and at New York. They then host Utah and Sacramento.
The Celtics are still without Jayson Tatum as he rehabs from the Achilles tear. Chris Boucher is out for personal reasons. Anfernee Simons was traded to Chicago for Nikola Vucevic and neither player will be available since the trade is not official as yet. Jaylen Brown is doubtful with knee and hamstring soreness. Sam Hauser is out due to a thumb injury. I’m just making a wild guess that Pritchard, Scheierman and Walsh will get the start. With Joe Mazzulla you never know.
For the Rockets, Steven Adams is out for the season after undergoing season-ending left ankle surgery. Fred VanVleet is also out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in late September. Dorian Finney-Smith is out due to left ankle injury management. Kevin Durant missed Monday’s game against the Pacers due to a left ankle sprain. He is expected to return for this game and is listed as probable.
Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Amen Thompson
SG: Baylor Scheierman vs Tari Eason
SF: Baylor Scheierman vs Kevin Durant
PF: Jordan Walsh vs Jabari Smith, Jr
C: Neemias Queta vs Alperen Sengun
Celtics Reserves
Xavier Tillman
Hugo Gonzalez
Luka Garza
Josh Minott
2-Way Players
Ron Harper, Jr
Max Shulga
Amari Williams
Injuries/Out
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out
Chris Boucher (personal) out
Sam Hauser (thumb) out
Anfernee Simons (personal) out
Nikola Vucevic (traded) out
Jaylen Brown (hamstring/knee) doubtful
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Rockets Reserves
Aaron Holiday
Jae’sean Tate
Steven Adams
Reed Sheppard
Josh Okogie
Clint Capela
Jeff Green
Two Way Players
JD Davison
Isaiah Crawford
Injuries/Out
Fred VanVleet (ACL) out
Steven Adams (ankle) out
Kevin Durant (ankle) probable
Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) out
Head Coach
Ime Udoka
Key Matchups
Jaylen Brown vs Kevin Durant
This should be a good matchup. Durant is averaging 26.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He is shooting 51.0% from the field and 40.5% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, Durant finished with 26 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 2 steals while shooting 72.7% from the field and 66.7% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to do a better job of defending him in this game.
Neemias Queta vs Alperen Sengun
Sengun is averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 50.1% from the field and 29.3% on threes. In the first game against the Celtics he finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal while shooting 38.5% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him well and box out on rebounds if they want to win this game.
Honorable Mention
Derrick White vs Amen Thompson
Thompson is averaging 17.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He is shooting 50.7% from the field and 18.6% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 100% from beyond the arc.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always a key to winning. Players struggle on offense in some games, but they can always play defense. The Rockets have an offensive rating of 117.9 (5th). The Celtics have an offensive rating of 120.7 (2nd). The Rockets are 4th with a defensive rating of 111.9 while the Celtics are 11th with a defensive rating of 113.1. The Celtics have to stick to their defensive identity in this one because the Rockets play tough defense and the Celtics can’t depend on a shoot out to win. In the first game between these two teams, the Celtics allowed the Rockets to shoot 54.5% from the field and 65.5% from beyond the arc. They have to defend better in this game if they hope to win it.
Rebound – In order to score, the Celtics need the ball and to get the ball, they will need to crash the boards as a team. The Celtics average 45.0 rebounds per game (11th) while the Rockets average 49.4 rebounds per game (1st). Much of rebounding is effort and when the Celtics put out extra effort on the boards, it usually carries over into the rest of their game. The Rockets are 1st in the league with 18.8 second chance points per game. The Rockets are a very good rebounding team and so the Celtics must come into the game determined to put out extra effort and to hustle for every rebound to limit 2nd chance points for the Rockets. In the first game against the Rockets the Celtics were out-rebounded 53-36. They must rebound better in this game.
Be Aggressive and Stay Focused – The Celtics have to be aggressive in taking the ball to the basket and not settling for 3 pointers on every possession, especially if the 3s aren’t falling. They also have to be aggressive in hustling for rebounds and for loose balls. And they have to be aggressive on defense. They have to play harder than the Rockets and play like the team that wants this game more. They also need to carry that aggressiveness through all 4 quarters with no let up. They also need to stay focused on taking good shots and making them. They have to keep their focus on playing team ball.
Be Consistent – The Celtics have been up and down this season so far. One game they lose to a team that they clearly should have beat. The next game they win in a blowout over a contender. One game they give up a big lead and lose down the stretch. The next game they come from behind to get a win. The Celtics need to get back to giving consistent effort every game and every quarter. No let up and no easy easy shots for their opponent.
X-Factors
Back to Back Road Game – The Celtics are on the road where they have a 15-10 record. The Celtics are playing on the second night of back to back games while the Rockets at home and in the first of back to back games. The Celtics had to travel, stay in a hotel, play in front of a hostile crowd and on an unfamiliar court while the Rockets should get a boost from being on their home court. The Celtics also will be short handed as they wait for the trade to be finalized.
Coaching – The Rockets are led by former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who left Boston under less than desirable circumstances. He was suspended for violating team rules and assistant coach Joe Mazzulla was made interim coach. Eventually, Udoka was officially released and Mazzulla was made head coach. I am sure that Udoka would love nothing more than to once again beat the team that let him go after he led that team to the Finals.
Officiating – The officiating is always an x-factor. Some referees call the game tight and others let them play. Some favor the home team and others call it evenly. Recently the officiating has been getting some scrutiny for being visibly bad. The Celtics have to play through whatever calls go against them and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus on playing the game the right way.
