The Celtics pushed their lead to as many as 12 points early in the fourth quarter Rockets did not go down without a fight late, answering with a 13-0 run to retake the lead. It was a back-and-forth battle down the stretch with the two sides trading baskets before Thompson hit the game-winner with 0.7 seconds left in regulation.

Jaylen Brown scored 28 points but Amen Thompson had a career-high 33 points, including the winning shot in the final second, as the Celtics marked their return from a four-game road trip with a 114-112 loss to the Rockets Monday night at TD Garden.

To open a road back-to-back, the Rockets are underdogs Monday at Boston. The defending champion Celtics (-6.5) enter with three wins in four games.

Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun (28) goes up for a shot as Boston Celtics' Derrick White (9) and Luke Kornet defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) AP

After four games on the road, the Celtics are heading back home. They will welcome the Houston Rockets at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday at TD Garden. Both have allowed few points on average, (the Celtics: 108.3, the Rockets: 108.4) so any points scored will be well earned.

Analyzing Monday’s Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

The Houston Rockets head to TD Garden to face the Boston Celtics in a non-conference matchup. The Rockets are 29-14, which puts them in second place in the Western Conference. The Celtics are 31-14, which puts them in second place in the Eastern Conference.

Down two at the end of the second quarter, the Celtics now have the lead. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Rockets 96-85. If the Celtics keep playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 33-14 in no time.

The Rockets lost to the Celtics on Jan. 3 and are 8-2 since then. Monday's rematch is a chance for Ime Udoka's Houston team to show how much they've improved.

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Ahead of the primetime matchup, the Celtics and Rockets revealed their official injury reports for Monday night's game. Boston star Derrick White will miss the game due to a shin injury. He was added to the injury report on Sunday and will now miss his third game of the regular season.