The Rockets beat the Green Army three times. They dominated the game with two data points and started a counterattack on the wing gate.

If we put it into last season, the Rockets would go to Boston and face the Celtics in Celtics, which would definitely be the focus of the game. However, today is different from the past. As the 2024 championship, the Celtics lineup is in pieces. Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon, Holiday, Porzingis and Horford have left. Only Jaylen Brown and White are left in the former core team of champions. The Rockets originally had a strong team, but starting point guard VanVleet is likely to be reimbursed for the season. Finney-Smith, introduced this summer, was originally regarded as an important rotation, but now he has undergone surgery and cannot debut at the beginning of the season.

Of course, among the remaining players on both sides, the Rockets clearly had the upper hand, and ultimately defeated the Green Army. After the game, the Rockets were delighted. Their advantage in one or two statistics not only dominated the game, but if it continues, the Rockets' lower limit this season will be very high. The first statistic is in terms of rebounds. The Rockets grabbed 17 more rebounds than the Celtics. In this way, even if the shot fails, with rebounds as a guarantee, there will definitely be a second offensive opportunity. Two of the centers, Shen Jing and Capela, each grabbed 10 rebounds. Amen Thompson was nominally a defender, but he also grabbed 9 rebounds. Of course, because Porzingis and Horford left the team at the same time this season, the Celtics can't play core Tatum. They really seem to be at a disadvantage in terms of frontcourt strength and rebounding. The inside line composed of Keta, Garza and Boucher is not an exaggeration to say that it is the weakest in the league.

Another statistic is the Rockets' three-point shooting. It should be said that in the past few seasons, the Rockets' three-point shooting has been average. But in this game, they were uncharacteristically, shooting 19 of 29 from beyond the three-point line. The Rockets did not rely on one or two players. Except for traditional centers like Capela and Adams, the rest of the players could throw three-pointers, and they shot them well. This made the Celtics lose sight of one thing and did not know how to defend at all.

The second good news is Okogie, the wing gatekeeper. He started as the starter to complete the counterattack. In fact, although the Rockets signed Okogie this summer, the latter was not very optimistic. The main reason is that although his defense is strong, his offense is very unstable. In addition, the Rockets are a forward team and have introduced Finney Smith, so Okogie is like a spare tire. When everyone is healthy, he will not have much playing time. Unexpectedly, at the beginning of the new season, the Rockets really encountered a wave of injuries. Of course, Okogie was also motivated. He scored 12 points in this game. Compared with the past, Okogie seemed to have developed his shooting. He hit 3 three-pointers in this game, which is bound to deepen the coaching staff's trust in him.

Finally, last year's No. 3 overall pick Shepard finally performed well. After a nightmare rookie season, the Rockets still have high hopes for Shepard. It's just that even though VanVleet was injured, the Rockets gave Sheppard many opportunities, but his start was dismal, which was extremely disappointing. In this game, Shepard at least played to his strengths on the offensive end, scoring 12 points and 3 assists, and showed a perfect shot from the outside.