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.

Amid the frustrations of watching a genuine, if bored, championship contender has been Boston's 7-foot-3 cheat code returning to what he can be.

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.

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

After Kristaps Porzingis' bizarre 'meat' statement, he had to go on social media and explain himself the next day.

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.

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.

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.

Welcome to The Playlist: my weekly column that lets you know who and what to play — when it comes to music or other things in my rotation — for the upcoming week in fantasy basketball. Each week, you'll see a compilation of the pickups you need to make and a quick look at the schedule and lineup notes (who's in and out of rotations).