Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points to help the Boston Celtics beat the Houston Rockets 116–107 on Sunday. But the Rockets were missing some key players. Jaylen Brown had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists for the Celtics. Derrick White also had a triple-double with 21 points and 12 boards.

Boston kept control of the game even though Jrue Holiday (elbow) wasn’t playing and Al Horford was resting.

Even though starting guards Fred VanVleet (back) and Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) were out, the Rockets put up a good fight with youngsters Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.

When Dillon Brooks scored with 9:13 left in the fourth quarter, Houston was only down 93–90. But Boston made some big plays to take back control. Porzingis made a jump shot from mid-range, and Payton Pritchard made a corner 3-pointer that made the Celtics’ lead bigger.

Alperen Sengun had a great triple-double for the Rockets. He scored 24 points, grabbed 12 boards, and passed the ball 10 times. Houston came back after falling behind by 17 points in the first half. In the third quarter, they were only 85–80 behind.

But the Celtics were able to get their lead back to ten points, so they went into the fourth quarter with a big lead. Boston’s scoring skills, like Porzingis’s three-point hitting and White’s efforts, were key in winning the win.

Porzingis played great in the first quarter, getting 15 points to help the Celtics take a 35-25 lead. Aside from missing some players, Houston kept competing, and Jalen Green helped the Rockets do so. In the second half, however, three-pointers from Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Porzingis gave Boston a 17-point lead.

Offensive rebounds helped the Celtics score 19 second-chance points in the first half, thanks to nine offensive boards. Before the break, Porzingis and White scored a total of 36 points, which set the tone for Boston’s win over the Rockets.