NBA: Boston Celtics tremble to beat Trail Blazers

What a thriller! The Boston Celtics defeated the Portland Trail Blazers for a 128: 124 win despite an intermittent 24-point lead (BOXSCORE) trembled. For long stretches of the game, the Celts looked like the sure winner, but then Damian Lillard caught fire. In the end, Boston has the upper hand in a high-class and exciting final phase.

Boston Celtics (44-22) – Portland Trail Blazers (30-38) 128:124 (BOXSCORE)

After his weak bubble start against the Bucks with only 2/18 from the field, Jayson Tatum came back with a new hairstyle and a hot hand. After a spectacular first half, the 22-year-old became 34 points (11/22 FG, 5/8 threes) and 8 assists as the top scorer of the Celtics in Boston’s first win at Disney World.

Especially in the first 24 minutes the Celts appeared dominant and already looked like the sure winner at half-time. In addition to Tatum, Gordon Hayward (22 points, 8 rebounds), Kemba Walker (14) and Enes Kanter (11 and 8) also performed well. Jaylon Brown didn’t really catch fire until the fourth quarter, when he put on 16 of his 30 points (10/18 FG, 6/8 threes).

That was sorely needed. Previously, two outstanding Damian Lillard had led the Trail Blazers back into the game with 30 points and 16 assists. Jusuf Nurkic also scored 30 points, while CJ McCollum (17, 7/17 FG) was only on hand at times. The trio actually gave the Blazers the lead again in the final section, but in a wild final phase Boston trembled to win.

Even before the tip-off of the game, Celtics coach Brad Stevens warned of the “guests”. “We are not playing against the ninth-placed Portland. We are playing against the conference finals team from last year,” said Stevens, referring to the long-term injuries Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins, who have been back on the court since the restart.

Stevens was supposed to be right at the beginning, the Trail Blazers continuously attacked the basket with the two Big Men in the early minutes. Portland played out the economies of scale initially, but Boston held against from Downtown.

Boston Celtics: Dominant start thanks to triple fireworks

The Celtics offense was hot from the start, the Celts welded 6 of the first 8 triple attempts through the trap. Boston had already accumulated 37 points and a 13-point lead at the end of the first quarter, and the Celts did not cool off in the second round either. Led by Tatum (15 points in the second quarter), they increased their lead to 24 points.

Giving up was out of the question for the Blazers, who are still fighting for participation in the play-in tournament for the last playoff spot in the west. Nurkic more or less kept Portland in the game, and in the course of the third quarter the defense of the Blazers was now accessible.

More stops on the one hand and a hot Lillard on the other made it really exciting again. The point guard scored just 8 points in half one, in the third section alone he scored 11 points from the scoreboard, including a four-point game followed by a block against Tatum. Gary Trent Jr. (21, 7/11 threes) also sprinkled a few triples and suddenly Portland was back on the line.

Blazers fight back thanks to Lillard – Brown turns up late

Even more: at the start of the last round, McCollum and Lillard actually put their team back in the lead with several threes, for the first time since the opening minutes of the game. Then both teams delivered a high-class exchange of blows until the final minutes.

Lillard was unlucky about 50 seconds before the end. A deep threesome looked into the ring, but fell out again. On the other hand, Brown punished this icy cold. The 23-year-old sank the three from the right corner to the 6-point lead – his points 14, 15 and 16 in the fourth quarter!

That was still not the decision. Carmelo Anthony (13) shortened again from downtown, then the Celtics did a controversial backcourt violation. Lillard got the ball, saw the immediate double team and served the wide-open Nurkic under the basket, which set to 124: 125 3.4 seconds before the end. Hayward showed no nakedness from the line, with the inbounds play Nurkic threw the ball out – victory for Boston.

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