Houston Rockets vs Boston Celtics Box Score on Apr 02, 2021

Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Jaylen Brown added 22 with 11 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the visiting Houston Rockets 118-102 Friday night.

Robert Williams III scored a career-high 20 points on 9-of-9 shooting in his return from a game missed due to a non-COVID illness as the Celtics snapped a two-game losing streak.

Williams added nine rebounds and a career-high eight assists in his fourth start of the season. New addition Evan Fournier scored 23 points and sank seven 3-pointers. Marcus Smart had 10 of Boston's 35 assists on the night.

Christian Wood amassed 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets, who have lost three straight and 5 of 6 since snapping a 20-game skid.

The Celtics upped an eight-point advantage at halftime to double digits, 59-49, on a Tatum breakaway dunk with 8:39 remaining in the third quarter. The slam kicked off a 16-6 stretch in which Brown scored eight consecutive Boston points. He picked up a technical foul along the way for waving his arm at the referee after a layup.

The Celtics' lead reached 77-59 before the Rockets ripped off an 8-0 run. Boston ended the third up 82-70.

Tatum and Brown scored 13 points apiece in the period.

Fournier made four consecutive 3-point attempts early in the fourth, the last producing a 100-81 advantage with 8:06 to go. He sank two more threes in the quarter as Boston led by as much as 24 down the stretch.

Brown exited with a left knee contusion with 6:39 remaining and did not return.

The Celtics entered the second quarter up 33-25 but couldn't shake off the Rockets. Houston used a 9-0 run to take a 38-37 edge and led again 44-43 with 3:37 left before Boston ended the half with a 9-0 spurt for a 52-44 lead at the break.

Tatum topped the Celtics with 13 first-half points. Wood paced the Rockets with 14 before intermission.

--Field Level Media