For The First Time This Season, Celts Had Their Full Roster But They Lost 110-106 To The Spurs

 

    It only took 17 games (nearly 1/3 of this abbreviated regular season) but tonight the Celtics (10-7 overall, 5-5 away) finally got to see what their team looks like when it is at full strength (ie. nobody out with injuries and/or Covid-19). They had a chance to tie it late but guard Marcus Smart (14 points) missed a wide-open 3-pointer from the corner and Boston fell 110-106 to San Antonio (10-8 overall, 4-5 home) at the AT&T Center. Ever since superstar Kawhi Leonard left town, the Spurs have been mediocre at best. However, with tonight's win, the Spurs are 16-2 in their last 18 meetings with the C's. Boston also dropped to 2-4 in its last six games. Small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals) and guard Jaylen Brown (24 points, 5 assists, 2 blocks) were the best players on the floor but in old school San Antonio style, they had six guys score in double-figures compared to only four by the Celts. 

    Small forward DeMar DeRozan (team-high 21 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds) and point guard Dejounte Murray (11 points, 11 rebounds) turned in the two biggest plays of the night, both for the Spurs. DeRozan hit a mid-range jumper that broke the late 103-103 tie then Murray converted a huge steal into a dunk and a four-point lead (107-103) that Boston was never able to recover from. Drafting and developing talent is kind of a lost art in the NBA but not when it comes to San Antonio who is always getting the most out of its young players many of whom were mid-to-late first round, second round or even undrafted picks. With that in mind, forward Keldon Johnson posted a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) and shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV added 14 points. Center LaMarcus Aldridge (20 points, 2 blocks) can still get it done as proven by his effectiveness this evening against an opponent that he usually owns. Backup point guard Patty Mills also notched 12 points and two steals off the bench. Celtics point guard Kemba Walker had essentially the same offensive numbers as Smart (14 points, 6-of-15 shooting from the field) which is not what they're looking for. 

I have no complaints about Boston's start because they jumped out to a 30-25 lead after the first quarter. Things completely changed in the second quarter as the home team flexed their muscles and basically ran the Celtics out of Texas. The Spurs more than doubled (36-17) up Boston in that frame and went into halftime with a gift turnover and floater at the buzzer by Walker for a 14-point advantage (61-47). The break treated the C's well as they came out and put together one of their best quarters of this season. They outscored the Spurs by 16 points (37-21) which allowed them to carry a slim two-point lead (84-82) into the fourth quarter. Sadly, that just set the stage for San Antonio to execute down the stretch while the Celtics (surprise!) looked like a team that needed some more practice time let alone games to build further chemistry. 

    When you examine the box score, it's tough to explain how this contest was so tight since the Spurs shot 13.2% better from the field (56.1%-42.9) and they grabbed seven more rebounds (46-39) including 11 more offensive boards (37-26). From what I can tell, besides Tatum and Brown, the only thing that kept this close down to the last possession was the fact that Boston had twice as many steals (10-5) and nine less turnovers (19-10). As it says above, the road has not been kind to the Celtics but they better find a way to change that soon since they host the Lakers (14-5) on Saturday night (8:30, ABC) before departing for a season-long five-game West Coast road trip. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers are a half-game behind the Jazz (14-4) for the best record in the league but is there any doubt that the defending champions are still the team to beat? Saturday Night Live finally returns with a new show this weekend so what better prelude to that than a showdown of the NBA's most storied rivals?

While You Were Falling Asleep Watching The Oscars, The Celtics Lost In Portland 92-86

I wish I could tell you that you missed a classic Celtics game tonight (assuming you didn't tune in) but like The Oscars, it left me with an unsettled feeling as Boston (29-27, 9-18 away) lost 92-86 to Portland (26-30, 18-9 home) at the Rose Garden. PS the Blazers had come in with a seven-game losing streak, ugh.

One of the reasons, besides the Western Conference being loaded, that Portland will likely miss out on the playoffs this season is that their bench is horrid. On the other hand, their starters are very underrated. Against the Celts, all they needed was double-figures from all five starters to get the win. Wesley Matthews led Portland with a game-high 24 points (five 3-pointers), Nicolas Batum added 18 points and six rebounds, LaMarcus Aldridge scored his typical soft 16 points, rookie sensation Damian Lillard put up 12 points, six rebounds and six assists while J.J. Hickson had the game's lone double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds).

Paul Pierce (23 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (20 points, 9 rebounds) played great, the issue was that the rest of Boston's team was nowhere to be seen for the most part. Brandon Bass had 11 points and five rebounds while Jeff Green scored 11 points off the bench. The rest of the squad combined for 21 points.

Portland was in control the whole way, leading 27-21 after the first quarter and 49-42 at halftime. The only good quarter by the Celtics (25-22) got them back in it in the third but the Blazers made enough plays in the fourth (21-19) to break that ugly losing streak.

When you look at the box score, it's easy to realize why the Blazers came out on top in the end. They hit five more 3-pointers (7-2), three more free throws (15-12), grabbed 11 more rebounds (47-36) and dished out five more assists (21-16). The Celtics made five more steals (9-4) and scored 12 more fast break points (19-7) which seems to be the only reason it was so close.

The C's knew they had to have this game because it's hard to see them winning tomorrow night (9 p.m., CSN) in Utah since the Jazz (31-25, 3rd in Northwest Division) are a good team that always enjoys a distinct advantage at good old EnergySolutions Arena (part of me just died typing that). The Jazz are 21-6 at home this season.

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Who Needs Rajon Rondo Anyway (Ducks)?

It happens so rarely these days that you have to enjoy it when the Celtics throw somebody a good old fashioned beating. Tonight's victim was the Trailblazers as Portland (6-10, 2-7 away) came to TD Garden and was humbled 96-78 by Boston (9-7, 5-4 home).

The funny parts about this blowout is that A) Rajon Rondo was serving his first game of the two-game suspension for his melee with Kris Humphries on Wednesday and B) the Blazers had lost to the Wizards (their first win of the season) on Wednesday. With those facts, we can deduce that Rondo is not important to the Celtics anymore and Portland is by far the worst team in the NBA. Haha just kidding.

The two players that have been the biggest disappointments through 15 games stepped up for one night at least. Jeff Green had a season-high 19 points off the bench while Courtney Lee took over point guard duties and turned in 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Jason Terry scored 17 points while Paul Pierce (12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) and Kevin Garnett (10 points, 5 rebounds) played 27 and 23 minutes respectively-the most important number of the game. Jared Sullinger added nine points and eight rebounds while Leandro Barbosa scored nine as well. Boston's bench took advantage of the extra garbage time, outscoring Portland 41-22.

I have a feeling it's going to be a long season for the Blazers and their superb fans. Portland has LaMarcus Aldridge (23 points, 8 rebounds) and who else? That is no way to survive in the Western Conference. J.J. Hickson and rookie Meyers Leonard were the only other Blazers in double figures, they both scored 11.

For the third time in a month, the C's will face the Bucks (7-7, 3-4 home), tomorrow night (8:30 p.m., CSN) at the Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 99-88 on November 2 in Boston's home opener then the Celts returned the favor on November 10 (96-92) in Milwaukee. Without Rondo, on the road, in the second game of a back-to-back means that the Celtics will have their hands full.

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Sam Bowie Must Be Rolling Over In His Grave

If you were lucky enough to score a ticket to tonight's Harlem Globetrotters vs. Washington Generals game at TD Garden, you must have had a blast.

Wait, that was an NBA game? After getting brutally pummeled in Philadelphia on Wednesday, the Boston Celtics (21-18) returned the favor by embarrassing the Portland Trail Blazers (19-21) 104-86.

The final score doesn't do it justice since the C's led by 43 (!) points midway through the third quarter (81-38). Boston scored its most first half points of the season (65) while holding an opponent to its lowest total (30).

It was the perfect way to send the Green out on their marathon eight-game road trip with a game that featured their most steals in a game (14) this season thanks to an NBA-high 28 turnovers by the Blazers.

Ray Allen and Paul Pierce each had 22 points in 26 minutes. Kevin Garnett had 10 points and eight rebounds. Avery Bradley had 12 points and five assists off the bench and Sasha Pavlovic had what has to be a season-high with 10 points. Did I mention that Boston's two top substitutes Mickael Pietrus and Chris Wilcox didn't even suit up?

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 22 points. Wesley Matthews and Luke Babbitt both scored 10 points off the bench.

When it comes to NBA teams, it's hard to top the Blazers' misfortune: drafting Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan, likely career-ending injuries to Greg Oden and Brandon Roy, etc. The biggest shame of all is that their fan base is probably the most dedicated in the NBA and they have the best home court advantage mostly due to them.

For the second game in a row, the C's ensured that we didn't have to watch much to know exactly what would happen. During championship week, I can't thank them enough for that.

I promise to come out of my NCAA Basketball cocoon for a few hours on Sunday as the Celtics begin their West Coast portion of their trip in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 88-87 Feb. 9 in overtime at the Garden so the Celts will be looking for revenge in their only other regular season meeting. Yes it's certainly not what it was a few years ago but Celtics-Lakers still means plenty.

Anything .500 or better on this trip, which overlaps with the trade deadline (March 15), would be a dream. The Celtics face the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Kings, Nuggets, Hawks, Bucks and Sixers. Their next home game isn't until March 25 vs. Washington. This could get very ugly, especially because Boston is 5-10 so far on the road.

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Do they still call traveling in the NBA?

On the surface, with Trailblazers star Brandon Roy out following double knee surgery (yikes) and a 10:30 p.m. start on a Thursday night, there weren't many reasons to watch the Boston Celtics begin their four-game West Coast trip last night in Portland.

However judging by Twitter, I know I wasn't the only one interested since former Celtic and ESPN announcer Bill Walton took over for Tommy Heinsohn the next few games. I was never a huge Walton fan when he was on all the time for ESPN but like a crazy relative or ex-girlfriend, he is great in small doses.

It definitely added some spice to an otherwise pedestrian 88-78 Celtics (35-10) win at the Rose Garden.

Ray Allen led Boston with 18 points, Paul Pierce had 17 points (before leaving late with a knee bruise), Rajon Rondo scored 11 points with six rebounds and five assists while Kevin Garnett was the story with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Kendrick Perkins also looked really good in only his second game back with 10 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes.

Without Roy, Portland (25-22) is simply overmatched in the Western Conference. LaMarcus Aldridge (17 points, 16 rebounds) is a nice player but a fringe All-Star in his best possible season. Ageless and underrated Andre Miller had 14 points and seven assists and Wesley Matthews scored 12 points with seven rebounds.

Off the bench for the Blazers, Rudy Fernandez (who could have been a Celtic this summer) put up 11 points with five assists and three steals.

It's too bad this game was a dull one since it was also on TNT and the Rose Garden is quietly one of the best arenas in the NBA. The hipsters of Oregon deserved better damn it!

The Celts won every quarter which always helps. They were up 21-18 after one quarter and 41-37 at halftime. Boston outscored Portland 23-21 in the third quarter and 24-20 in the fourth.

For the game, the Cs shot 46.9& to the Blazers' 36.7%. Boston made one more 3-pointer (5-4) and a whopping 15 more free throws (23-8). Portland pulled down seven more rebounds (49-42), I'll never understand why the Celtics are such a bad rebounding team these days. Maybe that'll improve as Perk gets more minutes.

The Celts had five more assists (21-16) but the Trailblazers made six more steals (13-7) thanks to Boston's six more turnovers (21-15). The Cs had two more blocks (4-2) but Portland outscored them 48-34 in the paint which is hard to explain.

Boston travels to Phoenix tonight to take on the Suns, a team they typically have no problems with. Other than fatigue from last night (always a factor with these old guys), I expect nothing different tonight since these Suns aren't nearly as good as they've been in the last five or six seasons. Shaq is expected to play tonight while Pierce is apparently a game-time decision.

Fourth quarters are never dull with this team

You have to give the Celtics credit, when you come to the TD Garden, they want you to get your money's worth.

That's nearly impossible with the overpriced tickets and lame atmosphere (most of the time) but the Celts do their best to never let opposing teams out of the game.

Take last night for example. Boston was up 16 points on the Portland Trailblazers in the fourth quarter and moments later, the Blazers were only down one point.

Thankfully we still have one of the best pure shooters in NBA history - Ray Allen - and he came through with a clutch 3-pointer that gave Boston (14-4) a 99-95 win over Portland (8-10).

Allen's greatness was illustrated by the fact that he was having a terrible night, he was 3 of 12 for nine points.

Paul Pierce carried the team with a game-high 28 points and seven rebounds. Kevin Garnett added 17 points and eight rebounds despite getting stitches in his chin during the third quarter. For the second night in a row, Glen Davis was great off the bench with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Shaquille O'Neal had 14 points and Rajon Rondo added 10 points and 10 assists.

The Blazers are floundering right now having lost five in a row while the Celtics won their fifth straight.

Wesley Matthews shot lights out early on his way to a team-high 23 points for Portland. Andre Miller added 20 points and six assists while LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy both scored 18.

Boston shot 57.1% to Portland's 45.9%. The Celtics kept the Blazers in the game with six more turnovers (17-11).

The Celtics welcome the Chicago Bulls (and Carlos Boozer, who debuted last night) back to the TD Garden tomorrow night. In the first matchup this season, Boston won a tight one in overtime.

Tales from the Crypt, starring the Boston Celtics

Remember when we had buried the Boston Celtics before the All-Star break? They weren't going anywhere and they had to trade Ray Allen. It's funny how much of a difference three games make since the Celts have won three straight coming out of the break, including an impressive 96-76 victory last night in Portland.

It was one of Boston's (35-18) best defensive performances of the season. Kendrick Perkins (7 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks in 25 minutes) and Kevin Garnett (16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks in 22 minutes) seem re energized the last two games, particularly on the defensive end where they're much more active and mobile.

The other theme of the last two nights has been the comeback of Ray Allen. He had a game-high 21 points and five assists last night and shot 9 of 14 from the floor.

Rajon Rondo added 10 points, 11 assists and three steals while Glen Davis scored 10 off the bench.

For a team desperately clinging onto the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Blazers (32-25) were just lifeless.

Injured star Brandon Roy surprisingly played but he was held to nine points. Andre Miller led Portland with 16 points and LaMarcus Aldridge notched 15 points.

Boston led 32-25 after the first quarter and 56-38 at the half. Portland (23-17) made a slight run in the third quarter but even with the bench in for most of the fourth, the C's (23-15) not only held on but increased the lead.

The Celtics shot 53.4% for the game and Portland shot a pathetic 33.8%. Portland had 18 more made free throws (30-12) but Boston had an incredible 20 assist advantage (27-7). The C's also took advantage inside with 44 points in the paint.

The West Coast trip concludes tomorrow afternoon in Denver, against the high-scoring, thugtastic Nuggets. 4-0 would be pretty sweet for the Celtics but this is going to be a really tough one to get.

Wanted: a big guy that can score off the bench

Heading into this four-game West Coast swing, I think most people expected the Celts to go 3-1, maybe even 4-0.

Can't say anyone was guessing 1-3 but that's the way it turned out as the Celts had another fourth quarter meltdown (though it certainly wasn't as drastic as the Warriors game) in a 91-86 loss to the underrated Portland Trailblazers at the Rose Garden last night.

Playing without star Brandon Roy, the Blazers (20-12) used a fired up home crowd to pull off the upset.

Steve Blake led Portland with 21 points while LaMarcus Aldridge notched 20 points and seven rebounds. Travis Outlaw (one of the best sixth men in the NBA) had 17 off the bench while Greg Oden had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

For the Celts (28-5), Paul Pierce scored a game-high 28 points, including 14-of-15 from the free throw line. Kevin Garnett added 17 points and eight rebounds and Rajon Rondo filled the stat sheet with 13 points, eight boards, seven assists and three steals.

Ray Allen managed to get 12 points but he shot a Larry Hughes-esque 2-of-11 from the floor.

The story of the game was the Portland bench which outscored Boston 29-9.

Jeff Van Gundy pointed it out during the Lakers game on Christmas and it gets more clear every night what the C's biggest hole is at this moment. They need another big guy, preferably one that can score off the bench. P.J. Brown was perfect in that role late last season and especially in the playoffs.

He seems content in retirement and the Rockets just brought back Mutombo, a name that had been floating around for a while (not that he can score at all anymore). Antonio McDyess would have been exactly what they needed but he returned to the Pistons after being traded to the Nuggets.

Boston came out strong and led 23-13 after the first quarter. The Blazers started to wake up in the second and only trailed 45-40 at the half.

Portland took the third (29-24) and fourth (22-17) both by five points as Boston came unraveled in crunch time.

The one good thing about the outcome is that it the Blazers didn't win by one or two points. Late in the first half, Portland had six men on the court (something I've never seen) and scored a hoop. Naturally, Boston stopped playing and the shot shouldn't have counted but for whatever reason, the refs allowed it to stand. Uh, Really? Somewhere Tim Doneghy nods his head in approval from his jail cell.

Eddie House had a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left but he shot an airball over Oden.

Portland shot 45.2% to Boston's 40.3%. The C's were 3-of-14 on threes but 29-of-31 at the line. The Blazers killed the Celtics on the glass (44-29) which is something that never happens to this team.

After what was no doubt a long, quiet flight home, the C's get back to action on Friday night with a gimmee when the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards limp to the Garden.

Sugar Ray Lives

As much of a dream as the Celtics season has been so far, that has not been the case for Ray Allen, the forgotten member of the new Big Three. Allen has battled through a pinched nerve in his neck and struggled to average 17 points per game (his career-low thus far) while also shooting a career-low from the floor.

One of the top shooters in the league for the last decade, Allen has been a shell of his former self for much of the season. Only time will tell if last night was a blip on the map for Ray or something to build off of. He scored a season-high 35 points as the Celtics defeated the Trailblazers, 100-90 at the Garden.

Allen had 26 points in the second half for the C's (31-6) as he helped Boston snap its two-game losing streak and also beat the hottest team in the NBA. Portland (23-15) came in having won 18 of its last 20 games.

When Boston needed it most, where its struggled the most lately-the fourth quarter-Allen was unstoppable. He hit two huge 3-pointers, a beautiful turnaround jumper and four free throws to put it on ice.

Kevin Garnett had 26 points, seven rebounds and three assists while Paul Pierce contributed 12 points, eight boards and five assists. Eddie House starting at point guard submitted 10 points, five boards and four assists as Rajon Rondo sat out the game. Kendrick Perkins had seven boards and three blocks.

Tied at 19 after the first quarter, Portland took a 45-43 lead into the half after Steve Blake hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The youngest team in the NBA (without top pick Greg Oden), Portland has a nice collection of talent headlined by Brandon Roy (team-high 22 points and 6 assists). Jarrett Jack (17 points, 5 assists), Travis Outlaw (17 points, 7 rebounds) and LaMarcus Aldridge (16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks) were the other standouts.

Boston played well in the second half, outscoring Portland 31-24 in the third and 26-21 in the final frame. Allen's threes in the fourth were both nuts. One was deflected by a Blazer, right to Allen who drilled it before the shot-clock ended. The next one was with under a minute left. You'd expect Boston to milk the clock since they were up four but Allen pulled up and drained a three, putting an exclamation point on his best game of the season. His previous high was 33 in the second game of the year (a win at Toronto).

Portland outshot Boston, 46.4%-43.6% but the Blazers turned it over 21 times which led to 23 Celtics points. The free throw line continued to be a black hole for the Celtics (25-38) but they compensated by getting there a ton. Portland was 17 of 24 from the charity stripe.

The Sixers come to Boston tomorrow night in what should be another win for the home team. When Danny Ainge traded for Ray Allen over the summer, last night was what he expected, not the single digit, invisible games that Allen has had lately. Hopefully last night is the start of something great for the classy veteran from UConn.