Dillon Brooks may be one of the most vilified players in the association — to the point that he has embraced the nickname “The Villain” — but make no mistake about it, he is a player who contributes to winning at every stop.

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

Dillon Brooks appeared to take a subtle shot at Kristaps Porzingis following his stellar performance in the Houston Rockets’ thrilling 114-112 victory over the Boston Celtics. The Boston Celtics couldn’t hold off the Houston Rockets,

Kristaps Porzingis tied a career high hitting eight threes against the Bulls after the Celtics star made his voice heard again, stressing communication.

Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porziņģis feels the team has lacked the same sharpness it displayed last year, when it conquered the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. "We were a lion last season ...

The NBA rescinded a technical foul called on Porzingis following the incident vs. the Rockets. “Honestly, as I got the putback, I didn’t even see him,” he said.

Brooks smashed his career high with 36 points, while Thompson had a career-high 33, including the winning shot in the final second.

James Harden (24), Norman Powell (23) and Ivica Zubac (25) all scored 20+ points in the loss, snapping LA’s two-game win streak. Kawhi Leonard played a season-high 28 minutes and finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block.

The Boston Celtics learned the hard way on Monday. The Celtics and Rockets battled in a hard-fought game at Boston's TD Garden. In the end, Thompson sunk the Celtics with a last-second bucket to secure a 114-112 Rockets win.

BOSTON — Minutes after Amen Thompson sank a game-winning floater, sending thousands of dumbfounded Boston Celtics fans heading for the exits, the Houston Rockets second-year forward made a tiny but loud gesture at his locker.

After one of the more interesting and exciting games of the season, the Celtics fell apart defensively on the final two possessions as Dillon Brooks and the Rockets claimed a 114-112 victory.