The Boston Celtics were able to hang on for their first win, 128-124, against the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA restart bubble, but it didn't come without a fight. After building up a 24-point lead at one point in the game, Portland stormed back in the fourth quarter to make it a thrilling finish. In the end, though, it was Boston who came out on top, after Jusuf Nurkic threw the ball away with three seconds left after Portland had a chance to tie the game.
Per usual, Boston's depth proved to be too much for Portland, as four of five of the Celtics starters scored in double figures. It also didn't help that the Trail Blazers allowed Boston to go off from 3-point range, shooting 60 percent from deep. However, in the fourth quarter, Damian Lillard came alive and led the comeback for Portland, but it wasn't enough in the end. The hot shooting and depth of Boston was the difference in this game, and with the loss, Portland is now tied for the ninth spot in the West with the San Antonio Spurs.
Here are the main takeaways from Boston's win.
Jayson Tatum knocked off the rust
In the Celtics' first game in the bubble on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks, Tatum put up just five points on 2 of 18 from the field in Boston's loss. A haircut and two days later, and Tatum looked like his pre-hiatus self against Portland. The third-year forward put up 21 points in the first half of Boston's win, getting anything he wanted anywhere on the floor. He went 4 of 6 from long range, and Portland absolutely didn't have an answer for him. While he started the second half a bit quiet, Tatum still put up 13 points, to finish the game with a team-leading 34 points.
Tatum was on a tear before the hiatus, and luckily for Boston, that poor shooting performance against the Bucks on Friday night seems like a fluke as his versatility was on full display against the Blazers today. Tatum's first half performance is really what got Boston out to such a big lead early in the game, and his teammates finished the game out for him. Speaking of which...
Jaylen Brown in the clutch
It's no secret that Boston has a wide array of players who can get buckets. Tatum more than proved that again today, Kemba Walker -- who was on a minutes restriction again -- looked loose and efficient in the limited time he was out there and Gordon Hayward can get you a bucket when needed. But with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Jaylen Brown is the one who took over for Boston. Brown put up 16 fourth-quarter points, including a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range to help trade blows with Lillard. His final, 3-pointer, which came with 32 seconds left, increased the Celtics' lead to six points and served as the dagger for Boston to win the game.
Brown often doesn't receive as much attention or praise as Tatum or Walker. In fact, he probably should've made the All-Star team this season, but his efforts on both ends of the floor are unmatched. Even in the first half, when he only put up eight points and shot 25 percent from the field, he was still active on defense, stifling Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum on the wing. Then, when Portland was focusing on locking down Tatum in the second half, Brown took over and carried the team down the stretch. He finished the game with 30 points after his monster fourth-quarter performance and sank the shot that put the game out of reach for the Trail Blazers. If Brown continues this play, coupled with Tatum's prolific offense, Boston will be a problem in the postseason.
Portland is a different team when its fully healthy, but that defense...
Leading up to the hiatus, there was a lot of fanfare around being able to see the Trail Blazers at full health for the first time this season. In their first game against the Memphis Grizzlies, where they came out with a much-needed win for playoff purposes, it was exciting to see Nurkic and Zach Collins back in the fold. The same applied to today's game, as Nurkic got going early in the first half when Lillard and McCollum were struggling to get their shots off. Boston didn't really have an answer to match up against Nurkic in the post, as Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis both couldn't contain the Bosnian big man.
When Lillard started to get it going in the second half, and Gary Trent Jr. was drilling 3s at a ridiculous rate, it appeared that Portland might will itself to a win in this game, and it also looked like they would be a dangerous matchup in the postseason if they got there. However, the defense the Blazers displayed throughout the game was horrific. In the first half, Boston felt no resistance on any shot it took out on the perimeter, leading to the team shooting a ridiculous 61 percent from beyond the arc. It's not surprising considering Portland ranks 27th in the league in defensive rating this season (113.9), and allows its opponents to shoot 37.8 percent from 3-point range, which ranks 28th in the league. But if the Trail Blazers want a shot at not only making the playoffs but putting up a fight against a team like the Lakers, then they will need to get tighter out on the perimeter and not allow as many easy shots.
It was good to see that when this team is healthy its offense is more dynamic with Nurkic and Collins down in the post, but defensively there are still several questions that remain for Portland.
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August 03, 2020 at 06:04AM
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Trail Blazers vs. Celtics score, takeaways: Boston escapes with a win, fights off Portland's comeback attempt - CBSSports.com
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