Alperen Şengün delivered another all-around effort, but it wasn’t enough to lift the Houston Rockets as the Boston Celtics pulled away for a 114-93 road win Tuesday night.
The Turkish center finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in 31 minutes, working hard inside against a deep and disciplined Boston lineup.
Houston struggled to keep pace offensively, however, especially after halftime, as the Celtics seized control with a dominant third quarter to snap any hopes of a late push.
Houston absorbed its 18th loss of the season as Boston’s depth and shooting proved decisive.
Derrick White led the Celtics with 28 points, drilling six 3-pointers, while Payton Pritchard poured in 27 points off the bench and Luka Garza added 19.
The visitors extended their winning streak to four games and improved to 33 victories on the season.
Kevin Durant added 15 points for Houston, but the Rockets were unable to match Boston’s efficiency on either end.
Missed opportunities and stalled possessions allowed the Celtics to stretch the margin and close the night comfortably.
Elsewhere in the NBA, the New York Knicks extended their winning streak to eight games with a dramatic 134-127 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson erupted for 42 points to lead New York, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 24.
Denver got 39 points from Jamal Murray and a triple-double from Nikola Jokic, 30 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, but came up short in extra time.
NBA results from the night:
New York Knicks 134, Denver Nuggets 127 (OT)
Toronto Raptors 126, Minnesota Timberwolves 128
Milwaukee Bucks 141, New Orleans Pelicans 137
Houston Rockets 93, Boston Celtics 114
San Antonio Spurs 116, Oklahoma City Thunder 106
Memphis Grizzlies 129, Sacramento Kings 125
Cleveland Cavaliers 124, Los Angeles Clippers 91
