The Celtics were able to bounce back after a tough loss against the Milwaukee Bucks and beat a hungry Portland Trail Blazers team 128-124. It looked like it was going to be an easy win for the C’s, as they dominated the first half and led by 19 at halftime. However, Damian Lillard and Co. woke up in the second half as the Blazers come roaring back. His effort wasn’t enough though, as the Celtics were able to hang on after a clutch fourth-quarter effort from Jaylen Brown.
New Haircut, New Tatum
After a disappointing 2-18 effort against the Bucks, Tatum bounced back in a big way. He looked like the Tatum we saw during his February surge, as he finished with 34 points on 11-12 shooting and 5-8 from three. Tatum also collected a career-high eight assists on the night. More importantly, he played confident and was decisive on the offensive end, which had been lacking since arriving in Orlando.
Blazers Red-Hot From Three
Portland used the three pointer to surge back from a 19-point halftime deficit. They shot 19-42 from deep, good for 45.2 percent. There were times in the second half where it seemed the Blazers could not miss. Lillard and Gary Trent Jr. led the charge from three as they combined for 12 of the Blazers’ 19 made three’s.
Mr. Fourth Quarter
The Celtics used to have a player who went by “Mr. Fourth Quarter” in Isaiah Thomas. After this game, Jaylen Brown may have earned himself that title. Brown put up 16 points on a perfect 6-6 from the field. He made everything from step-in three-pointers to heavily contested shots from the mid-range. Eventually, Brown hit the dagger over Carmelo Anthony with 32.3 seconds left.
Nurkic Eats Inside
It’s no secret that the one area you can attack the Celtics’ defense is inside. Jusuf Nurkic had a field day, dropping 30 points on 12-20 shooting while adding nine rebounds and five assists. While it’s nice to see Nurkic back on the court making a difference– it is concerning that the Celtics struggled to stop him.
Another Encouraging Kemba Game
With Walker looking healthy against the Bucks, it was important for him to come out with another good performance. He put up 14 points on 5-6 from the floor and 2-2 from three in just 22 minutes. Once again, the important thing is that the knee looks completely healthy and he’s shown zero signs on the court that he is still being affected by the injury.
Another Heart Pounder
Would it really be a Celtics game without fans having to sweat it out? What seemed like an easy win turned into nearly every fan having a heart attack. It had everything from backcourt violations to turnovers on inbound passes in key moments.
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The Celtics are back in action Tuesday against the Heat.
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