The Celtics knew this six-game road trip – with several beatable opponents – was important as they try to build good habits and fix some of their glaring issues as the playoffs loom.
But if Saturday’s win over the Hawks was an encouraging sign, Monday was a major step in the opposite direction.
The Celtics have suffered some puzzling losses to inferior opponents this season and Monday’s defeat is easily among the worst of the season, especially at this stage of the year. The C’s didn’t start the night with the right energy and their bad habits and deficiencies were on display in ugly fashion in a costly, inexcusable 111-109 loss to the Houston Rockets, who are dead last in the Western Conference with 52 losses and already officially eliminated from the playoff picture, and who the Celtics pummeled by 24 back in December.
