Post Game - Celtics vs. Portland Trail Blazers - Sunday, April 07 (W)

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401585762

Celtics-Blazers takeaways: Jaylen leads C's to 13th straight home win

https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-blazers-takeaways-jaylen-leads-001917888.html

Justin Leger
Sun, Apr 7, 2024, 8:25 PM EDT·3 min read

Celtics-Blazers takeaways: Jaylen leads C's to 13th straight home win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics held off the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday for their fifth consecutive win -- their 13th straight at TD Garden.

Boston's hot shooting was the difference in its 124-107 victory as it was a scorching 56.3 percent from the floor, including 16-for-38 (42.1 percent) from 3-point range. Portland dominated in the offensive rebounding department (22-5) but couldn't keep up offensively, shooting just 39.2 percent.

Jaylen Brown returned to the Celtics lineup after missing Friday's win over Sacramento. With Jayson Tatum (knee) out, he led the way with 26 points. Payton Pritchard stayed hot with 20 points in 25 minutes.

Ex-Celtic Dalano Banton led the Blazers with 28 points off the bench. Deandre Ayton chipped in 22.

The Celtics (62-16) have four games left on their regular-season schedule. They'll visit the second-place Milwaukee Bucks (47-30) on Tuesday.

First, here are three takeaways from Sunday's game.

A memorable night for Jaylen Brown

Brown returned to the Celtics' lineup in style. After missing Friday's win over Sacramento, he propelled the Tatum-less C's to victory with a game-high 26 points on an efficient 10-of-17 shooting (3-5 3-PT).

In the third quarter, Brown tallied his 17th point of the game to become the 15th Celtics player ever to reach 10,000 career points. He fittingly accomplished the feat with a left-handed layup.

You can watch the historic highlight below:

Brown has dealt with a hand issue since Wednesday, but it appears to be a non-factor. That's great news for a C's team that will need Brown to continue to play the way he has since the All-Star break when the playoffs begin.

Hot shooting outweighs poor rebounding

With six players scoring in double figures and a sizzling 56.3 percent shooting from the field, the final score should have been even more lopsided. Boston could have dominated throughout had it not been for its poor offensive rebounding.

The Blazers had a 22-5 advantage on the offensive glass, resulting in 21 second-chance points to the Celtics' seven. They dominated Boston on the boards, 53-40.

Sixteen of Portland's offensive rebounds came in the first half, its highest total in any half this season and the most allowed by the C's in any half this year.

It took a dominant shooting performance to overshadow those rebounding woes. Along with Brown, Pritchard helped the C's pull away with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Sam Hauser bounced back from his woeful 1-18 performance with a 4-of-6 night from the field (2-4 3-PT). Jrue Holiday hit five of his eight shots.

Old friend Dalano Banton shines in return to Garden

Banton began the season with the Celtics but was traded to the Blazers for a top-55 protected 2027 second-round pick. While this wasn't quite a "revenge game" due to the final result, it was an impressive performance by the 24-year-old guard.

Banton got off to a fast start with 15 first-half points. He continued to make an impact off the Blazers bench in the final two frames, finishing with a game-high 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting (3-9 3-PT). He made more 3-pointers in this game than he did in 24 games with the Celtics this season (two).

C's head coach Joe Mazzulla heaped praise on Banton prior to the matchup.

“He was here and did a great job," Mazzulla said. "He’s getting much more of an opportunity there and he’s taking advantage of that. Just a credit to his work ethic and I’m happy for him.”

Banton added nine assists, three rebounds, and a steal to the stat sheet against his former team. He's averaging 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 27 games for Portland.

During Sunday's game, Banton was recognized on the TD Garden jumbotron alongside fellow ex-Celtics Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon.

Good game.  Here's what I saw.  

1.  Russell Tapping - Someone (KP) has been watching old Celtic tapes, in particular Russell.  Russell may have been the first one to "tap" rebounds to his teammates.  I'll need the verification from the Rosalie's and dboss's on site that actually witnessed it but when he was in position to rebound but could not 100% guarantee he could bring down the rebound himself, he'd tap it out to one of his guys that was open.  KP has been doing that plus he's taken it to the offensive side and done some quick tap passes to throw the offense off guard when KP is surrounded and gets to the open guy for three.  Saw that a couple of times last night at the least.  I wouldn't be surprised if Coach has tapes of those 60's games out not only for the history lesson but for teaching moments.  All part of film watching sessions.  Can you imagine our current team all on the edges of their seats waiting to see how those 17 banners got up in the rafters.  It's like Christmas time.  Oh well, something like that.

2.  Those rebounds were offensive!!  Yes they were and for a while almost got us in trouble!  Would have had more of a lead.  Mathematically, in the end POR would have had about 8 points less had we just tied them in OR's.  BTW, we just barely hit the spread, BOS (-16.5).  So no biggie.  
 
3.  Pritchard is really looking good and stepping up, but we all know what's coming in the playoffs ("picking" on the vertically challenged) and his performances have to crossover coming off the bench in the second season.  

4.  Until someone can prove me wrong, Derrick White is the glue.  We cannot win without him.  Not a 7-game series.  He's everyman.  And does everything.  

5.  Bench Separation - Hey, this game the bench increased the lead at the end of the game!  That's a great sign that they feel completely comfortable playing together.  Those guys looked like they were having a blast out there!  Good for them!!  Remember these times when those sphincter-tightening episodes will be coming around the corner in a couple of weeks!

6.  POR hung in there until things caved in early in the 4th.  It kept looking like they made 40+ more 3's than we did, but in the end we won 16-14 there.  Yeah, their injury list is as long as ATL's.  Can we play POR in the first round, please?!!
   
7.  KP missed 3 FT's?!!  (and that was all of our misses!) What's this world coming to?!!  He had a Double/Double so he gets a pass!

The hapless Bucks are up next.  Everyone is beating up on them.  Good Bye, Doc.  Hope ESPN kept your contract open. If we go in there and lay an egg, I'm going to be pissed because it will give them life.  The air tube and oxygen tank need to be removed.  MIL is going to draw either a rejuvenated PHI team (what everyone should want to see) or dreaded MIA.  If they draw MIA, they will have the exact same result as last year, IMHBAO.  We'll see.  

db

Eddie House kept saying last night that something is not right in that locker room. Who could he be pointing to without saying it? Let's face it, 4 in a row is a nightmare for that team. Giannis insinuating that that is Lillard's team????? Which door is he looking to slip out of? Watch out Milwaukee, early exit and you will be getting a trade request from your big guy

We are now 35-3 @ home this season.  I think the only year with a better home court record was the Championship year of 85-86.  This is why that last Magic Number was SO important.  Da Gahden crowd is liking having 6 players on the floor all game.

Congrats to Jaylen on reaching 10,000 points.

Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
about 7 hours ago
By crossing over 10,000 points Sunday, Jaylen Brown and his partner in basketball crime, have now doubled the roll call in this club... NBA – BY AGE 27 10,000 points 2,500 rebounds 500 steals 1,000 3’s Kevin Durant James Harden JAYSON TATUM JAYLEN BROWN End of list.


Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
Jaylen Brown just reached 10,000 career points.

He’s the 15th man to score 10,000 as a Boston Celtic.

Turning 27 last October, he's the 61st in NBA history to reach 10,000 at his age.



What's impressive about this is that Jaylen played about 1100 fewer minutes in his rookie season than Jayson did. Remember, Jaylen came off the bench for 58 of the 78 games he played? Jayson averaged 30mpg his rookie season, Jaylen only averaged 17mpg, and yet despite that Jaylen is within shouting distance of almost conscience-less gunner Jayson Tatum. Jayson has never seen a shot he doesn't like, Jaylen is much more discriminating.


Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
The Celtics in their last 29 games?

25-4.

The final 29 games of the 2008 title team's regular season?

25-4.

Live long enough, you see everything.

Really live long enough, you see everything twice.




Remember last year, how we always seemed to need a rally to come back from a deficit to win?  Not this year...

Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
yesterday
The Celtics led by as many as 19 in their 13th straight home win Sunday night. Boston has now had a 19-point lead in 21 of the last 24 games. They've trailed by 19 three times all year. 2023-24 BOSTON CELTICS 19-point leads: 42 19-point deficits: 3









Bobby Manning @RealBobManning
yesterday
Svi Mykhailiuk shooting 11/24 3PT since he started getting some depth wing minutes in mid-March. Has shown well after not playing for much of this year. Svi-Brissett-Pritchard-Tillman-Hauser on in the 4Q.


Payton is in playoff mode already.  20 points on 9-13, 2-4 from 3, 8 assists and 2 turnovers.  He's still in 7th place in the league for assist-to-turnover ratio.

Sam showing that the last game was an aberration.  4-6, 2-4 from 3.  He's still shooting 42.8% from 3 despite that game.

Another 5 block game for Z.  He's 9th in the NBA in blocks/game @ 1.9 (Wemby is an eye-popping 3.6.  Derrick is #18)


On to a meaningless road game in Milwaukee, who just lost their 4th straight.


Bob


.

win #62 in the books, and  everyone contributed.

How is it even possible that Banton balled out all game long?  Did the Celtics really give him an opportunity?  I am happy he is getting a chance to play.  

I watched he Bucks lose again.  

They may fall out of he 2nd seed as they are now just one game ahead of both Orlando and NY.  There are obvious chemistry issues with this team.   This is what can happen when your superstar rattles a cage or two.  The milk went sour when GA complained about staying there only if the Bucks added more talent around him.  They decided to trade the defensive soul of the team and an ultimate glue guy for a player that thinks it's his time whenever he makes a 3 point shot.  Maybe a trade out to the West gave the Bucks the false impression that there would be no blow back.

But then along comes Brad Stevens an inexperienced but deadly player in the game of roster building.  He scoops up Jrue Holiday faster than you can say jack rabbit.  The psychological impact continues to reverberate throughout the Bucks organization including the players.

Then the Bucks decide to fire first year head coach AG even though the team was playing well enough to keep him.  No one says who pushed AG out the door.  We are not stupid.  When asked about this Giannis played the part of the cat who ate the canary.  It should be clear to everyone.  If your superstar supports the coach that coach will not be fired.

Then they decide to give the job to Doc the yoyo master rivers, as though he is going to take them to the promise land.   I was hoping the do not fear the deer team would remain in the 2nd spot so that I can watch them get knocked TF out by the 7th seed.

That team has a few too many products in their inventory with expiration dates that have already passed.

.

Obviously these games are meaningless, but I really enjoyed how the bench performed in the fourth quarter. I think we had a lineup of PP, Sam, Tillman, Brissett, and Svi. These guys really clicked. They turned a relatively close game into an easy victory. Look I know we weren't playing the 96 Bulls, but still a nice effort to see.

The fun thing was watching guys like Brissette and Svi play defense, rebound at times, and hit their shots. This only makes this team stronger as they feel better and better about themselves. What are the chances Banton would have found the playing time here? Who was going to get booted further down the bench? Certainly not Sam & Pritchard. I wonder about that 15th spot, what will Brad do? Another center or another shooter, he certainly has some players in Maine to bring down, but is it fair if that team is still involved in a run for a title? What a problem to be stuck with!