Sengun had 26 points and 10 assists as the Rockets snapped Boston's five-game streak

Alperen Sengun had 26 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and the Houston Rockets beat the Boston Celtics 109-93 on Monday night to move into first place in the Western Conference.

Houston is 7-1 and 4-0 at home. Boston is 5-2, and its five-game winning streak is over.

The quarter scores were close for one period and then not close at all: 29-29 after the first, then Houston outscored Boston 28-21, 25-23 and 27-20.

The Rockets' offense ran through Sengun at the elbow, and Boston's defense never found a way to take that away.

Boston's night started with a rotation decision. The Celtics rested veteran Paul George after their road win in Orlando on Sunday.

That put Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez in the starting lineup alongside Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta.

The shooting was the bigger problem. Boston missed 32 of 44 3-pointers in Orlando the night before, and it started this game 1-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Tatum, fresh off an Eastern Conference player of the week award, spent the first quarter trying to get others involved rather than hunting his own shot.

The Celtics also lost Mitchell Robinson in the first quarter. The center went to the locker room with a thumb sprain after playing only a few minutes.

That removed Boston's starting center from a game in which Houston's offensive rebounding and interior passing were already the central problem.

Robinson's absence is the kind of thing that matters beyond one night. Boston has been managing his minutes carefully all season, and a hand injury changes what he can do on both ends.

The Celtics will evaluate him before their next game.

Houston's supporting pieces did the rest. Tari Eason made two 3-pointers off the bench, Amen Thompson attacked the basket for six quick points, and Kevin Durant hit turnaround jumpers early.

Luka Garza gave Boston a brief lift with two 3-pointers in three minutes, but Houston answered every run.

The Rockets' defense was the quieter story. Boston finished with 93 points, its lowest total of the season, and never found a rhythm after the first quarter.

Houston has now won six of seven and looks like the deepest team in the West.

The result matters for the standings and for the way the two teams are built. Houston is winning with size, passing and depth; Boston is winning with shooting and a short rotation.

On a night when Boston's shooting abandoned it, the structural difference showed.

The Celtics' schedule does not get easier. They play again this week, and the rotation decisions will get more complicated if Robinson is out.

Houston's next test is a road game against a team with a real center, which will be a better measure of the Sengun-led offense.

Houston's 7-1 start is the best in the West, and the schedule has been a factor. The Rockets have played most of their games at home.

The next stretch will test the same things: half-court offense against a set defense, and rebounding against bigger front lines.

Boston's five-game winning streak was built on shooting. On Monday the shooting left, and the Celtics' offense had no second gear.

That is the adjustment Boston has to make before the schedule gets harder.

Houston's defense has been the quiet constant, and it held Boston to a season-low 93 points.

Both teams play again this week, and both will be watched for different reasons.

One game in November does not decide a conference. It does show what each team looks like when its preferred method fails.

Boston's method failed because the shots did not go in. Houston's method held because it does not depend on shots going in.

That is the difference between a 7-1 team and a 5-2 team on this particular night.

Both teams will be in the playoff conversation in April, and this game is a data point for how each one gets there.

Houston's next game is on the road, which is where the 7-1 record will get its first real test.

Boston's next game is at home, and the Celtics will want a better shooting night before the road trip.

The Celtics' rotation is the other question. Resting George in November is a choice that will be judged in April.

Sengun's passing is what makes Houston's offense different from a typical post-up team.

Boston shot poorly from 3-point range across the two games, which is the clearest explanation for the streak ending.

Houston's 4-0 home record is the foundation of the 7-1 start.

The Rockets' next three opponents all have winning records.

The Rockets' rebounding advantage was the other half of the win, and it kept Boston from second chances.

Boston's next game is against a team that also struggles to shoot, which should help.

Houston's half-court offense still depends on Sengun's passing, which is why his 10 assists mattered more than the 26 points.

The Rockets' next game is on the road against a Western Conference contender.