Celts maul Rockets in Ime’s Boston return
BOSTON—Jaylen Brown scored 32 points and Jayson Tatum added 27 as the Boston Celtics remained unbeaten at home after a 145-113 ripping of Houston on Saturday in former Celtics coach Ime Udoka’s return to Boston.
The Celtics improved to an NBA-best 30-9 overall and 19-0 at home, the league’s only undefeated club at home stretching its team-record home win streak to start a season.
Brown, who scored 21 points in the third quarter when the Celtics pulled away to stay, hit 11-of-15 shots from the floor, 4-of-6 from three-point range, and added six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
“Being aggressive. A lot of times defense gets you going,” Brown said of his third-period success. “I get it on the run and when we play like that in transition we’re tough to beat.”
Udoka guided the Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost to Golden State, but he was suspended just before the start of the 2022-23 season training camp over an improper relationship with a team staffer.
Udoka ultimately was dropped and replaced by former assistant Joe Mazzulla on a permanent basis last February.
“I’m glad to see Ime back coaching on the sidelines,” Brown said. “I’m glad to see a lot of the staff we spent time with over there in Houston. I wish those guys the best of luck.”—AFP
