Four takeaways as Celtics lose to Rockets 111-109 despite Jaylen Brown erupting for 43 points

The Celtics late rally fell short despite 43 points from Jaylen Brown on Monday night as they fell to the Rockets in the final game for assistant coach Damon Stoudamire with Boston before he leaves for Georgia Tech

Jaylen Brown (43 points, 5 rebounds) led the way for the visitors who trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter before making things interesting late. Jayson Tatum also shook off a slow start to finish with 22 points but missed a potential game-tying layup as time expired. Jabari Smith Jr. (24 points, 12 rebounds) had his best game as a pro to lead five different Rockets in double figures against a lethargic Boston defense. Jalen Green also added a team-high 28 points for the hosts.

The setback snapped a two-game winning streak for Boston and dropped them to 1-1 overall on their six-game road trip. The Celtics now drop back two full games behind the Bucks for the top seed and are just a game up on the 76ers for the No. 2 seed.

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Here are four takeaways from Monday’s loss in Houston:

First half stinker for Jayson Tatum leads to ugly finish: The All-Star had a strong start to Boston’s road trip in Atlanta but couldn’t find his rhythm at all early against a young Rockets squad. Tatum went just 3-of-12 from the field in the first half and was putrid from beyond the arc (1-of-7), mangling just nine points overall despite a team-high 22 minutes. He also turned over the ball three early which helped the visitors dig a seven-point halftime hole against the worst team in the NBA. Tatum has had his ups and downs of late but this was a rough stretch against one of the NBA’s worst defense as Tatum couldn’t find his shooting stroke and even misfired on a wide-open dunk attempt. He was a team-worst -9 among starters before intermission. Tatum bounced back with 13 points in the third quarter as he finally started getting into the paint consistently against the Rockets’ lack of rim protection but his shooting struggles came back to haunt Boston late as he failed to force overtime on Boston’s final possession. A crucial turnover with 23 seconds left by Tatum was also costly for Boston.

Foul trouble slows down guards: The Celtics have one of the deepest backcourts in the NBA but Joe Mazzulla found himself benching Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White at the end of the first half as all three guards piled up three fouls. Those struggles were reflective of a Boston defense that seemed a step slow for much of the first two quarters against a Rockets team that elected to play small with Alperen Seguin out due to injury. Boston allowed the Rockets to shoot 18 free throws in the fist half as the entire team struggled to keep pace with a more athletic Houston squad. A lack of ball pressure and work on the defensive glass (13 second chance points for Houston) forced the Celtics to play catch up for the entire second half, failing to keep them afloat.

Jaylen Brown keeps Boston afloat offense with little help: While his teammates were struggling with foul trouble or their jumpshot, Brown made sure that the Celtics stayed in the game amid struggles from 3-point range (30 percent in the first half). Brow scored a game-high 21 points before the break on 9-of-13 shooting as he punished Houston wing shooters from the midrange and on drives to the paint. Malcolm Brogdon (10 points) was the only other Celtic to score in double figures before the break. Brown finished with a game-high 43 points and did so efficiently, shooting 64 percent from the field despite the team shooting 44 percent on hte night.

No energy for the final game for Damon Stoudamire in Green: The top Celtics assistant landed the head coaching job for Georgia Tech on Monday afternoon, making Saturday’s game in Houston his swan song. Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla only had words of praise for Stoudamire as Georgia Tech officially announced his hiring but Boston will now be left in a tough spot with a key voice on the bench heading out the door. The Celtics have no immediate plans to add another assistant at this point of the year per sources. The occasion would seem to be a chance for Boston to rally to send out one of their coaches on a winning note but a lack of energy and discipline for the better part of four quarters left the Celtics with a head-scratching loss.