Houston Rockets Game 65 of 2015-16 Season vs Celtics

Houston Rockets Game 65 of 2015-16  found H-Town tipping off against the Boston Celtics.

Continuing SCS series of all 82 games from last season next up is the Houston Rockets Game 65 of 2015-16 versus the Boston Celtics.

The Houston Rockets added draft picks and signed free agents to improve upon an especially mediocre 41-41 campaign. Big man Dwight Howard left for Atlanta while free agents Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Nene Hilario and Pablo Prigioni joined Houston in free agency.

Mar 11, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Houston Rockets forward Michael Beasley (left) and guard Patrick Beverley (2) celebrate against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Hopes are these additions and the growth of existing assets will translate into a season similar to 2014-15. While fans wait for opening night on October 26th versus the Lakers hopefully this series will appease your cravings.

To that end, this series showcases the Rockets 82 games noting the pregame analysis, post game grades, and relevant video. Furthermore, SCS will highlight significant changes made by their opponents this summer. So, here it is – – enjoy all 82 posts as SCS takes you back over the 2015-16 season.

Game 65 – Boston Celtics

Pregame Analysis:

Sunday night the Houston Rockets ended Toronto’s 12 game home court win streak. Tonight they look to replicate that feat versus a Celtics team who haven’t lost at home since January 6th for a win streak of 14 and counting.  And although the Rockets lost to this squad on their home court in November this is not the same Celtics team – –  they are infinity better!

It’s funny how drastically different these two teams are in terms of what was expected pre season, what their future holds and how they’ve performed this season. At season start the Rockets returned having finished second in the brutal West having made it to the Western Conference Finals. Though they lost to the eventual champions it was thought with the core returning, some quality rookies and free agents added they would be competing atop the Conference. Conversely the Celtics were considered a team of solid players without any stars and were predicted to finish either outside the playoffs or at the bottom of the ladder.

The fact the team who’ll likely finish with home court in the first round is the Celtics only serves to showcase how impressive young head coach Brad Stevens is. It also points to  the deft handiwork of Danny Ainge whose added the exact right grouping of players to form the perfect chemistry. Even more impressive is this Boston team may also end up with the top draft pick given they own Brooklyn’s unprotected pick.

It’s a rare position to be in and only serves to underline the fact these Celtics won’t ever leave the upper echelon for very long. Unlike some markets considered “smaller” the Celtics are a franchise with a rich history of winning who can draw stars to their market.  Factoring in Brad Stevens is locked in for the long term and the copious draft picks Danny Ainge already has in hand plus the anticipated active summer coming  anything Boston accomplishes this season is purely gravy.

The full pregame analysis Houston Rockets Game 65 can be viewed here.

Post Game Analysis:

Just call the Houston Rockets streak breakers! After ending the Raptors 12-game home win streak they replicated it by ending the Celtics 14 game home win streak. 

Who would have imagined a heroic third quarter from Michael Beasley would be enough to beat what is arguably this season’s most surprising team? The Houston Rockets (33-32) are once again back over .500 as the beat the Boston Celtics (39-27) on their home court.

The Rockets had their best defensive performance of the season. As they held the Celtics to 37.4% from the field. On a night where they shot 19 percent from downtown, Houston dominated the paint. They outscored the Celtics 60-46 on the inside.

By far one of the best games I’ve seen all season from the Rockets. If they can keep this style of play up, perhaps they are bound for a first round upset!- Coty Davis

The full post game analysis Houston Rockets Game 65 can be viewed here.

Stat Leaders:

As per Davis’ post game he felt Harden (Harden. 32 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds) and Isaiah Thomas (30 points, 2 assists, 2 rebound) were especially relevant to the outcome.

NBA.com box score can be reviewed via this link.

Rockets Games vs Celtics in 2016-17

• December 5th at home
• January 25th in Boston at the Garden

Draft Picks and Free Agents

The team who beat out the Rockets for the services of Al Horford suddenly finds themselves being ranked second by almost every major pundit. Funny how Horford’s stock has risen so much he’s being credited as being an x factor to propel the Celtics ahead of other incumbents.

Though Jaylen Brown is somewhat of an enigma Guerschon Yabusele may end up being the prospect who turns into a quality producer.

Draft Picks:

Round 1: Jaylen Brown (3), Guerschon Yabusele (16), Ante Zizic (23)

Round 2: Demetrius Jackson (45), Ben Bentil (51), Abdel Nader (58)

Incoming Free Agents/trade:

• Al Horford  4-year, $113M with Boston Celtics
• Gerald Green on a 1-year deal reported $1.5M deal exits Miami

Exiting Free Agents/traded: 

• Evan Turner  4-year, $70M with Trail Blazers
• Jared Sullinger exits for Raptors on 1-year, $6M deal.

Re-upping:

• Evan Turner  4-year, $70M with Trail Blazers
• Jared Sullinger exits for Raptors on 1-year, $6M deal.

More Free Agent News

Next: Updated Free Agency Report

Next: Free Agency Profiles for all 30 Teams

Due to the large Houston Rockets fan base, SCS is always looking to add new talent to our writing team. To that end, we’re looking for individuals with a specialized focus.  Specifically, the first area  is perfect for someone who constantly surfs for breaking news on injuries, trades, insider info. Consequently this individual would select top news items providing timely quick hits to keep SCS readers in the loop.

The other writer would possess an especially strong social media background and would like to interact with Clutch City Fans. Therefore this person will promote SCS team content on facebook and twitter. As a result the successful candidate will  make sure to promote the best content coming from H-Town fans. In conclusion, if you’re a budding writer who possesses these qualities vist the SCS link, and fill out an application