Boston 88, Portland 78

[recap] [box score]

The Celtics kicked off a four-game road trip with a chippy, sloppy win over injury-depleted Portland.

The Blazers, playing without Brandon Roy, Marcus Camby, and (of course) Greg Oden decided from the opening tip that they weren't going to be intimidated or pushed around by Boston, and Boston, for its part, seems to relish the opportunity. The result was a physical, ugly contest for three quarters. But some solid work on both ends of the floor from the second unit gave the Celtics a 15-point lead with 4:22 remaining, which proved to be enough of a cushion to protect against missed free throws and Portland suddenly getting hot from three-point range.

Things actually got really dicey when Marquis Daniels stepped to the line with Boston up 82-77 with 42 seconds left and promptly missed both free throws. But Kevin Garnett simply outworked LaMarcus Aldridge for the rebound, and Glen Davis was able to knock down a pair from the line to seal the victory. It was the final stamp on a terrific all-around night from KG, who put up a Rondo-esque ten points, nine boards, and nine assists.

Kendrick Perkins looked great again, with ten points and nine boards in nearly 21 minutes, a little bit more floor time than what we've been told Perk will be playing at this stage. Von Wafer also had a strong game off the bench, and I have to admit I'm starting to talk myself into him. He replaced Nate Robinson in the rotation in the second half and had a couple of nice buckets and a steal. I still think Nate's our guy at the backup 2 when Delonte West returns, but for now, as Nate continues to struggle to define his role, we may see more Wafer.

Boston 99, Portland 95

They say basketball is a game of runs.

[recap] [box score]

On Wednesday night, then, Boston started the game on a 96-80 run, which is about the time I stopped paying close attention to the broadcast I was watching on my computer at school. Portland reeled of the next 15 points, however, and it took a Ray Allen three-pointer -- his first make in six attempts -- to seal the victory.

Allen's game-long struggles aside, Boston won by shooting extremely well, something that's becoming a trend. The Celtics' team field goal percentage of 50.7 percent leads the league, and by a lot: Atlanta's second at just under 48 percent. While it's nice to see this kind of execution on the offensive end, you do have to wonder what happens when the team's shooting comes back down to earth a bit, assuming it does. (It's not unheard of for a team to make half its shots on the season, and Boston's been in the top five in the category throughout the Big Three era, but have never shot better than 48.6 percent over a season during that time.) The defense is still pretty good, though not as good as it has been -- though to be fair, the extended absences of Jermaine O'Neal and Kendrick Perkins surely have something to do with that. It will be interesting to see how well Boston does moving forward on nights when the offense doesn't come easily.

I don't have time for a lot of notes on the game, but I do want to note that if I were a Portland fan, I'd be awfully frustrated at what a good look Ray got at the game-clincher. Allen was just hanging out in the corner, and Paul Pierce had the ball at the top of the key. The Blazers were in a zone, and Kevin Garnett (I think it was KG, anyway) came up to set a high screen. The entire Portland team reacted, and Pierce didn't even use the screen -- he fired a pass to a now-open Allen in the corner before the screener even got to the top of the key. I know Allen had been struggling, and Pierce was having a magnificent game, but Allen's about to become the most prolific three-point shooter in the history of the game. You can't lose him in that spot.

Next game is Friday on ESPN. I'm sorry for the short post -- this is the way it'll be for the next few weeks, until exams wrap up.

The Next Lamb: The Portland Trailblazers

Game 17: Portland (8-9) at Boston (13-4)

December 1, 2010

7:30 p. m. Eastern

TV: NBA TV

You really can't talk about Portland without talking about injuries. Greg Oden is the most well-publicized absent Blazer, done for the year with yet another knee problem. But he's not the only one. Joel Przybilla is also out and the team had to cut promising young big Jeff Pendergraph in the preseason because of injuries, so the team is really thin up front. (Of course, the Celtics have their own frontcourt problems, being -- as they are -- without Kendrick Perkins and Jermaine O'Neal). The bigs left standing are Marcus Camby and LaMarcus Aldridge. At 36, Camby is still an elite shotblocker and rebounder, but he's no longer much of an offensive threat. At the same time, he has the capability to hit jumpers if he's given the opportunity. If he's going to do any damage offensively, then, it will either be on the glass or in the pick and pop. Aldridge is a versatile big who has more or less consistently had his average game in six meetings with Boston over the past three seasons.

The other big injury to Portland is to Brandon Roy, who has now played the last three games after missing the previous three. He returned with two strong games against the Hornets and Nets (both losses), but was rather quiet in Tuesday night's defeat in Philadelphia. As he's struggled, second-year player Wes Matthews has emerged as a legitimate scorer on the wing. Matthews -- who went undrafted out of Marquette but started 48 games as a rookie in Utah before coming to Portland in the offseason -- is going to give Ray Allen a bit of trouble on both ends of the floor. Allen will need to show up ready to work, which isn't usually a problem for him.

Portland is really struggling, having lost four in a row now, including most recently to lowly New Jersey and Philadelphia. Boston will be the third game of a four-game road trip, and on the second night of a back-to-back, with a presumably easier task ahead of them on Friday at Washington, some teams might be tempted to take the night off, especially if things don't go their way early. I wouldn't expect that out of the Blazers, but I do think Boston are heavy favorites.

Boston 96, Portland 76

[recap] [box score]

In one of the more surprising results of the season, a should-have-been-worn-down Celtics team went into Portland and ran a should-have-been-fresh Blazers team out of their own building. Portland was complicit in the whole thing, not really putting up a fight until the end of the third quarter, but it certainly a nice change of pace to sit through a Boston game in which the good guys put forth a consistent effort and won comfortably.

Things got a little dicey at the start of the fourth quarter, as the Blazers cut what had been a 21-point lead to just nine. But Glen Davis drew charges on Rudy Fernandez on consecutive possessions, Ray Allen scored eight straight points, and Boston was never threatened again.

Allen was the hero of the evening, leading all scorers with 21 points. As important, he remained in the game with the second team to start the fourth quarter and led that unit as it salted the game away. As a result, Boston's four other starters didn't have to get off the bench in the final period. That meant a lot to Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce, who played more than 44 and 41 minutes, respectively, in Thursday's win over Los Angeles. With a tough game coming up at Denver on Sunday, that rest is invaluable. Of course, playing 75 minutes over the course of a back-to-back isn't ideal for the 34-year-old Allen, but hopefully, second-team steward will be a role he no longer has to play once Nate Robinson -- who isn't expected to play until Tuesday as he battles a stomach virus -- makes his debut in green.

The Denver game in on national TV, at a time that should be palatable for East Coast viewers: 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

Boston 98, Portland 95 (Overtime)

We'll take it.

[recap] [box score]

Friday's win was not the kind of win after which you'd say that things were back to normal. Not against a Blazers team that was without it's two best players: Brandon Roy (out for four games with a hamstring injury) and Greg Oden (gone for at least the regular season with a busted kneecap). Not when Portland lost Roy's replacement in the starting lineup, dynamic second-year guard Jerryd Bayless, to a sprained ankle in the third quarter. Given those injuries, a three-point win, in overtime, at home, doesn't seem all that impressive. But there are sayings like "you make your own luck," and if you believe in them, and you're a Celtics fan, the way the final few possessions of the extra period unfolded portend well for the team's fortunes:

• With a minute remaining in overtime and the Blazers leading by two, Juwan Howard corralled his team's 15th offensive rebound of the game. Portland had a fresh shotclock and a chance to all but ice the game with a bucket. But Howard subsequently made a play NBA players don't generally make; triple-teamed in the corner, he weakly tried to kick the ball out to the perimeter. The pass went into the arms of Kendrick Perkins. (I haven't seen a replay to confirm, but watching live, it appeared to me that Rajon Rondo dislodged the ball from behind as Howard started to pass.)
• On the ensuing Celtics possession, Ray Allen -- who to that point had made just two of 12 shots and missed several looks that are usually automatic for him -- knocked down a three-pointer. It was a good time for Ray, who shot just 3-for-10 on Wednesday against Detroit -- to break out of his slump.
• After Allen's three, 41 seconds remained, plenty of time for a two for one. After advancing the ball with a timeout, Portland isolated LaMarcus Aldridge in the post, working against Kendrick Perkins. Just as Aldridge made his move, Perkins swatted the ball away. He was whistled for a foul, and while Perk was upset about it, Boston had one to give. The subsequent time it took to inbound the ball again probably cost the Blazers the opportunity for the two for one.
• The Blazers managed only a long jumper by Aldridge as the shot clock ran down, but after a scramble, it looked as though Portland would grab yet another offensive rebound -- and with it, another shot to win the game. Aldridge and Tony Allen raced after the ball on the far sideline near midcourt, and Aldridge looked like he was going to reach it first. But Tony closed very quickly, and his presence spooked Aldridge, who did the worst thing he could do -- blindly flip the ball over his shoulder. It went directly to Ray Allen, who found Tony streaking toward the bucket on the other end. Tony caught the pass in stride, and despite my fears, managed to lay the ball in without traveling or kicking it out of bounds.
• Portland got two very difficult looks from deep from Rudy Fernandez (on the first of which he may have been fouled by Ray Allen). Both missed, and Boston survived.

Far from a perfect victory. But a win nonetheless. Even better, Kevin Garnett returned and showed no real ill effects from the knee injury that kept him out for ten games. KG turned in a modest stat line (13 points, four rebounds, three assists in 30 foul-plagued minutes) but he ran the floor well and went up for a couple of dunks without any problem. He looked much better than he did during the season's first few games, returning from the injury to the same knee that kept him out of last spring's playoffs. I feel confident in saying that it appears that the team was telling us the truth this time; this most recent injury was just a minor setback.

More good injury news, courtesy of Greg Dickerson: Marquis Daniels got his cast off and may return to action before the All-Star break.

Boston 105, Miami 98

The Celtics were once again a little shaky in the fourth, but made the necessary plays in the final minutes and won their sixth straight.

[recap] [box score]

Cleveland's win over Philadelphia clinched home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs (and LA's loss at Portland gives them a leg up on securing homecourt for the Finals, should they get there). However, Boston's win combined with Orlando's surprising loss to New York in the Magic Kingdom gave the Celtics a leg up on the second seed in the East. Boston leads Orlando by two games, and if I understand my tiebreakers correctly, the "magic number" is one: Any Boston win or Orlando loss in the season's final three games gives Boston the #2.

Next game is Sunday, Cleveland, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC. I have a feeling that Doc Rivers is going to play this game down, as he has with any "big" matchup all year -- for Doc, all regular season games are worth the same. I think that's probably the smart play, particularly in this case. The Celtics likely won't need the game for seeding purposes. It's best not to over-extend this late in the season, and there's some psychological risk in going all-out in this game and not quite getting there. On the other hand, a victory, on Cleveland's home floor, without Kevin Garnett, could be damaging to the Cavs, especially if the Celtics are treating it like any other game. The Cavs have been nearly invincible at home, losing only to the Lakers so far, and realizing their own basketball mortality might have a negative impact.

Or it might not. I'm grasping at straws a bit. Cleveland's really good this year.

Speaking of Garnett, the word is that he'll play in the season finale on Wednesday.

Portland 91, Boston 86

Three in four now.

[recap] [box score]

I didn't get a chance to watch this one, but we're obviously struggling a little bit. The Blazers were without their best player, Brandon Roy, and we still couldn't get it done.

The good news is that Cleveland also lost Tuesday, so we remain percentage points ahead of them for the lead in the East (we have the same number of losses, but they've played fewer games than we have).

We'll try to right the ship Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Washington in Boston (no national TV).

Have a happy and safe New Year's celebration.

Boston 93, Portland 78

I expected more from the Portland Trailblazers.

[recap] [box score]

Rarely are you going to seen an NBA team -- never mind a team that has the second-best record in the West after 20 games -- play as poorly as Portland did last night in the last few minutes of the second quarter and then the third. Boston went on a 21-0 run at one point, as Portland went seven minutes without a point and nearly ten without a field goal. 21-0 runs and droughts of that kind just don't happen in the NBA, but they did last night, as Portland failed in transition defense and in genearting any sort of good shot on offense. Just a lot of standing around on both ends from the guys in the black jerseys.

The story of the night turned out to be Glen Davis living up to his Big Baby nickname and crying on the bench. If you weren't watching, about midway through the fourth quarter, Portland had cut a big lead to 13, in large part due to some poor play by the Boston bench. Upset at this, Kevin Garnett laid into the reserves during a timeout, and at one point, a visibly angry Davis left the huddle and went to the end of the bench, where he could be seen with tears in his eyes as he agitatedly yelled about something.

We don't know what Garnett said and as the game ended everything appeared to be okay as Davis exchanged a high-five with KG as the latter came off the court. However, Garnett said in a post-game interview that Davis was upset about some things, and that, in so many words, he needed to accept his role and stay within it. I don't think it's ultimately a big deal, but it deserves a few words.

The last several victories in this 11-game winning streak have come on the back of our starters, with very little help from the bench. I am sure this bothers Garnett, as he knows that we're going to need the bench if we want to win the title. As a team leader, part of his job is to do, essentially, what he did to hold the reserves accountable for their performance.

In Baby's defense, however, KG can be pretty abrasive and is probably prone to saying some pretty harsh things. Baby is a sensitive kid -- he's only 22 -- and he admires Garnett greatly; it's understandable that KG's criticism might grate on him a bit.

That's particularly true if Davis isn't comfortable with the role he's currently playing, which would be understandable. Despite his girth, Davis spent most of his college career at LSU playing in the high post. With Patrick O'Bryant apparently not ready to contribute yet, Davis and Powe are the only bigs off the bench. These two, who are really undersized fours, are being asked to play the four and five together.

Wednesday against Indiana, Davis missed a handful of 17-foot jumpers, a shot he had been taking (and making) recently. That's the game Davis would rather play, shooting from outside and using his footwork -- remarkable for man his size -- to move toward the basket. I think it's safe to say that KG, at least, feels that Davis should lay off those shots, and that this fact was made known between Wednesday night's game and Friday's.

I think the Boston locker room will take care of any disagreement between Garnett and Davis; KG himself said in the postgame that he'd "get real deep" with Davis to try to understand what he's going through. Davis will take some ribbing from teammates for his emotional reaction, and will probably get similar treatment in the media and from the opposition. That's not really a big deal.

The only issue will be getting or keeping Davis happy with his role on this team. Although I'm more of a Powe guy, we need Davis to play valuable minutes of the bench, even if he is playing out of position.

Next game is Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern against ... Indiana, again. This has been a ridiculously tough stretch for the Pacers, as this will be their fourth game since Tuesday against the best three teams in the NBA. No national TV for this one. No national TV for this one and I've got my contracts final to study for, but I'll watch the game on the Internet and post if anything noteworthy happens.