BOSTON — The Celtics didn’t need a hot start to take control. They needed one avalanche.

After a 18-17 first quarter that barely hinted at what was coming, Boston detonated across the middle of the game — 31 points in the second, then a game-breaking 36 in the third — to bury the Houston Rockets 114-93 on Thursday night at Toyota Center. The win moved Boston (32-18) past a Houston team that entered at 31-17, with both clubs carrying identical recent form (WWWLW) into the matchup.

The turning point: a third-quarter knockout

The Rockets hung around early, trailing by just one after the opening 12 minutes. That margin didn’t survive the next two quarters. Boston’s 31-25 second quarter created separation, but the third quarter ended the suspense: the Celtics outscored Houston 36-21 coming out of halftime, turning a manageable deficit into a deficit Houston never threatened to erase.

Houston did win the fourth quarter 30-29, but the game had already tilted decisively in Boston’s favor.

Ball movement told the story

Boston’s offensive organization showed up cleanest in the assist column. The Celtics finished with 26 assists, a stark contrast to Houston’s 16. In a game that frequently swung on execution, Boston consistently generated the extra pass and the cleaner look, while Houston struggled to match that level of connectivity.

By the numbers: quarter-by-quarter control

Quarter scores

Q1: Celtics 18, Rockets 17

Q2: Celtics 31, Rockets 25

Q3: Celtics 36, Rockets 21

Q4: Celtics 29, Rockets 30

Final: Celtics 114, Rockets 93

What it means going forward

For Boston, this was a clean road win built on structure: win the possession battle with execution, stretch the game in the third, and manage the finish. For Houston, the margin exposed how quickly a competitive start can unravel when the offense stalls and the ball stops moving — especially against a team that can turn a single quarter into a knockout.