Boston has endorsed the Blazers with 145 points at the Moda Center… The Celtics, one of the most irregular teams this season, has toured Oregon; no longer to get the victory, but because he literally shattered the Blazers defense until the 117-145 final.
The beginning of the clash was a sample of what would end up happening, since Boston got to be 21 points up in the first quarter; however, the Blazers also had an excellent reaction to come back and get to a single point (53-54 late in the second quarter). They had done the most difficult. They were back in the game … but the joy was short-lived. As soon as the second half began, Boston was 10 up; then there were 20 and they became more than 30. The Blazers dissolved like sugar in coffee.
While the Oregonians kept getting hit, in Boston it was all smiles. Jayson Tatum went to 31 points and 10 rebounds, Dennis Schröder also achieved 31 points to which he added 8 assists, Payton Pritchard signed 19 points from the bench … The attack flowed like never before, and they went to an excellent 21 of 37 in triples (56.8%) to leave the rim of his rival – and more the network – fuming.
The truth is that for the Blazers it has become almost customary to receive irrevocable points. This season they are the worst defense in the NBA, receiving 113.3 points per 100 possessions. Last season they were the second worst, and in the previous one they were fourth down the tail… Right in this section they have been wanting to improve for a long time, but for now they are far from it.
Regarding the team’s latest results – five losses in six games – Damian Lillard’s loss is not helping either. The point guard has suffered an abdominal injury and still has a week ahead of him before being evaluated again. Without him on the court, the offensive weight of the team falls on CJ McCollum, who against the greens got 24 points. It was not bad, and he also had the help of Dennis Smith Jr., who as a starter had 21 points. The point is, Oregonians need a lot more to be competitive.
The defeat leaves Chauncey Billups’ boys in 10th place in the Western Conference with a balance of 11-13, Boston for its part rises to 7th position in the Eastern Conference with 13-11, thus touching the positions that give access straight to playoffs.
(Photograph by Maddie Malhotra / Getty Images)