The Celtics rest Paul George and bring a five-game win streak to 6-1 Houston

The Boston Celtics will play without Paul George tonight at the Houston Rockets. The team listed him out for rest and Devin Carter out with an illness, and ESPN's injury report shows the same. Tipoff at Toyota Center is 8:30 p.m. ET on NBA League Pass, per ESPN.

Resting George would draw more grumbling against a lesser team. Boston is 5-1 and has won five straight, most recently 108-97 at Orlando. Houston is 6-1, has won three in a row at home, and sits first in The Athletic's latest NBA power rankings, with the Celtics fifth.

How they match up

1. Scoring. Houston averages 120.7 points and shoots 39% from 3. Boston averages 118.7 and allows 109.2.
2. The stars. Jayson Tatum leads Boston at 28.3 points and 7.7 assists a game. Alperen Sengun leads Houston in all three main columns at 22.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
3. The glass. The Rockets average 45.1 rebounds to Boston's 43.2, and they block 5.7 shots a game.
4. Last season. Boston went 56-26. Houston went 52-30 and 30-11 at home, per the AP preview.

Houston's own injuries

The Rockets are thin up front. Steven Adams is out with a calf injury, Clint Capela has an ankle injury and Reed Sheppard is day to day with a back problem, per ESPN. Without two of their big men, Sengun may have to carry the rebounding load himself.

The take

This game will tell us more about Houston than Boston. The Celtics are playing without George and have already shown they can win close, including a 125-124 overtime win over Brooklyn. If the Rockets can't beat a team missing George at home, the No. 1 ranking will look early. If Boston wins anyway, the five-game streak starts to look like more than a soft schedule.

Watch Tatum against Houston's wings, and watch the boards. With Adams out, Boston has a real chance to win the rebounding fight for once.