Rockets stun Celtics

BOSTON (AP):

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers watched his team lose to the undermanned Houston Rockets and saw trouble coming from far down the road.

Playing without leading scorer Kevin Martin, the Rockets beat Boston 108-102 on Monday night to snap a five-game losing streak. Afterward, Rivers lamented his players' lack of effort and warned them to take these regular season games more seriously or risk having a long summer to think about them.

"I've got to somehow figure out a way of getting them to see the urgency of the whole season and not the single game," Rivers told reporters. "Playing Game Seven on the road ... and not just in the finals, if you make it there, but in the play-offs, in the East, which is going to be difficult."

With the loss, Boston (28-9) fell behind the Miami Heat (30-9) for the best record in the Eastern Conference and the potential home court advantage in the play-offs.

Home court was crucial in Boston's 2008 championship, but last year the aging Celtics opted to rest up for the post-season instead of chasing the best record. They overcame the disadvantage in beating Cleveland and Orlando in the play-offs before losing Game Seven of the NBA finals to the Lakers in Los Angeles.

With LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining Dwayne Wade in Miami, this season the Celtics can count on more of a struggle within the conference.

In other games on Monday night, Charlotte Hornets beat Memphis Grizzlies 96-82 and Chicago Bulls defeated Detroit Pistons 95-82.