Celtics final score: Celtics flop in Houston

Well, at least the Celtics showed up for the 2nd quarter. Sadly they were well off the pace in all three other quarters.

Here's Chris Forsberg's analysis of what to watch for headed into this game.

W2W4: Celtics vs. Rockets (Game 22 of 82) - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

Boston's defensive philosophy has long been to limit the leader of the gang, but shut down his supporting cast. One player is unlikely to beat you (barring a LeBron James Game 6 type effort), so the Celtics will likely be more focused on limiting the damage done by a supporting cast that includes Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin (though Lin has struggled to carve out his role with the ball going through Harden). Houston's younger players like Patrick Patterson and Marcus Morris have taken on expanded roles as well.

Well, Harden got his 21 points, Greg Smith added 20 points, and Chandler Parsons nearly had a triple double. Yeah.

I just can't figure out the defense on this team. Someone smarter than me is going to have to explain what is going on and who is to blame. The plus minus doesn't make sense to me because the bench was actually a net plus while the starters were a huge negative. I'm lost.

A lot of missed shots early in this game (especially by KG) that might have made a big difference later on.

Very frustrating to lose to a young team like the Rockets.

With all that said, the embrace that Kevin Garnett and Kevin McHale had at the end of the game was a tearful reminder of what is really important in this life. Prayers to Kevin and all the families impacted with today's tragedy.

For Rockets coverage, check out The Dream Shake.