The Celtics fell apart defensively on the final two possessions as Dillon Brooks and the Rockets claimed a 114-112 victory.

The Celtics accomplished that, holding the Rockets’ top three leading scorers to 30 total points on 9-of-32 shooting (3-for-14 on 3-pointers). But their decision to force Houston to play through Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson backfired.

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks is known for his ability to irritate opponents. Doing this regularly during his six seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, Brooks led the NBA with 18 technical fouls during the 2022-23 season ( via Fox Sports ).

Kristaps Porzingis was whistled for a technical foul after bumping Rockets guard Dillon Brooks in the first quarter on Monday night. Ultimately, it was Brooks that got the last laugh though in a 114-112 comeback win over the Celtics at TD Garden.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the rest of the Celtics were surprised by the 3-point barrage from Rockets forward Dillon Brooks.

Houston's January surge continued as they overcame a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to sink the Celtics in Boston

Amen Thompson had the clutch go-ahead bucket and Dillon Brooks made a franchise record-tying 10 3-pointers in the Rockets' win over the Celtics on Monday.

The Boston Celtics' rocky midseason stretch continued on Monday with a last-second loss to the Houston Rockets, who got 10 3-pointers from Dillon Brooks and a game-winner from Amen Thompson. With that latest defeat,

The Celtics need to execute better, especially during fourth-quarter possessions. They also need to sharpen up on offense and defense.

Thompson talks to Kelly Iko about his mindset, his impact and what he's learning from Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet.

The Rockets won't have to wait until their young players get older to compete in the postseason. Houston looks ready to match up with any opponent as currently constructed.