Game Thread GAME# 59: CELTICS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 25, 2020 - TUESDAY, 7:00 PM, NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

2019-20 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
BOSTON CELTICS
39 - 17
(16-12 Road)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
26 - 32
(16-12 Home)

______________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

PG

MARCUS SMART VS C.J. McCOLLUM

SG

JAYLEN BROWN VS GARY TRENT Jr.

SF

GORDON HAYWARD VS TREVOR ARIZA

PF

JAYSON TATUM VS CARMELO ANTHONY

C

DANIEL THEIS VS HASSAN WHITESIDE

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------- JERSEYS -------

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WHEN: 7:00 PM (PST), TUESDAY, 2/25/2020

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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--------------BENCH--------------

-- BOSTON CELTICS --

WATERS , EDWARDS , WANAMAKER

GREEN , LANGFORD , WILLIAMS

OJELEYE , KANTER

POIRIER , FALL



---- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ----

SIMONS , LITTLE , HOARD

GABRIEL , SWANIGAN , BROWN



INJURIES
CELTICS
Marcus Smart (left knee): PROBABLE
Kemba Walker (sore left knee): QUESTIONABLE
Robert Williams (left hip bone edema): OUT
TRAIL BLAZERS
Damian Lillard (right groin strain): OUT
Rodney Hood (torn Achilles): OUT
Zach Collins (dislocated left shoulder): OUT
Jusuf Nurkic (left leg): OUT




HEAD COACHES

- VS –

BRAD STEVENS --- TERRY STOTTS



OFFICIAL CELTICS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Tuesday's meeting will be the first of two games between the Trail Blazers and Celtics during the 2019-20 season.

• LAST SEASON: Portland swept the 2018-19 season series with Boston, 2-0.

• CJ McCollum averaged 14.0 points (35.3% FG, 14.3% 3-PT, 66.7% FT), 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two games against the Celtics last season.

• Hassan Whiteside averaged 9.0 points (60.7% FG, 22.2% FT), 10.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.00 blocks in four games against Boston with Miami last season.

• Trevor Ariza averaged 8.5 points (29.4% FG, 25.0% 3-PT, 100% FT), 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two games against Boston with both Washington and Phoenix last season.

• Kemba Walker averaged 18.0 points (25.0% FG, 33.3% 3-PT, 90.9% FT), 1.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in two games against the Trail Blazers with the Hornets last season.

• Jayson Tatum averaged 20.5 points (51.7% FG, 45.5% 3-PT, 100% FT), 6.0 rebounds and 1.00 blocks in two games against Portland last season, including a 27 point outing at Moda Center.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Celtics lead, 67-47
IN PORTLAND: Celtics lead, 30-27
AT THE CELTICS: Celtics lead, 37-20

 

[Darkwebs]

The Blazers have won 4 straight against Eastern Conference foes, and now they will have 5 more games in a row against the East. Let's see how many more wins they can rack up and maybe make one last push towards the 8th seed.

Race for the 8th

​

 

[Scalma]

I don’t miss Barrett but I do miss mike rice. I miss having a color guy that isn’t completely sober.

 

[Labinot41]

Celtics 122
Blazers 95

 

[BonesJones]

I don’t miss Barrett but I do miss mike rice. I miss having a color guy that isn’t completely sober.

I love Hurd though. Hurd is great.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I don’t miss Barrett but I do miss mike rice. I miss having a color guy that isn’t completely sober.

Rice probably cost MB his job. They knew they had to move on from Rice who was getting old but didn't feel comfortable splitting up a team so they made a clean break. Just speculation of course. I love Hurd the most out of the 4 though. Hurd is great.

 

[James lamphear]

This game will be tough for us to win.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

This game will be tough for us to win.

Literally every game is a tough one for them right now. Just the name of the game when you have 1 starter left.

 

[BlazerBeav]

I need a drink just thinking about the bench we are forced to play right now. It's almost impossible to see a win tomorrow, but we've blown games like this against garbage rosters over the years, so Boston could too.

 

[royo]

Literally every game is a tough one for them right now. Just the name of the game when you have 1 starter left.

Following your logic we have 0 starters since Drexler went to Houston.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Following your logic we have 0 starters since Drexler went to Houston.

No my logic is, if the roster was healthy our starters would be Dame, CJ, Hood, Zach and Nurk. It's not so we have CJ, Trent, Ariza, Melo and Whiteside. It's not that hard to figure out. Only one of those is the same, and four our different.

 

[stampedehero]

BOSTON CELTICS
39 - 17
(16-12 Road)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
26 - 32
(16-12 Home)
I hope we get that 17th home win.

 

[RipCityDSCPL]

Celtics 122
Blazers 95

Add 10 more points to the Celtics score and you are right on.

 

[kjironman1]

Over under-
Portland bench 10 points

 

[DDolla]

Celtics 133
Blazers 90

CJ and Melo combined for 60 points
Bench 10 points

 

[BonesJones]

No my logic is, if the roster was healthy our starters would be Dame, CJ, Hood, Zach and Nurk. It's not so we have CJ, Trent, Ariza, Melo and Whiteside. It's not that hard to figure out. Only one of those is the same, and four our different.

Its not like we dont have starter-level players though.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Its not like we dont have starter-level players though.

CJ and WS is really it. Not many teams would start Gary Trent. No body wanted Melo (and statiscally he’s proven why), and Ariza couldn't get off the bench in Sacramento.

 

[BonesJones]

CJ and WS is really it. Not many teams would start Gary Trent. No body wanted Melo (and statiscally he’s proven why), and Ariza couldn't get off the bench in Sacramento.

Ariza is playing like a starter in Portland. Look at his numbers. Sacramento is a mess.

 

[Bruno_Sabino]

CJ and Melo both needs to come strong. Everybody needs to step up, CJ is getting his rythim and he’s capable of lead us. Whiteside, Simons and Ariza all need to step up big on this. Let’s go Blazers

 

[kjironman1]

So Mario's Birthday today?

 

[Mediocre Man]

I don’t miss Barrett but I do miss mike rice. I miss having a color guy that isn’t completely sober.

Man, you can't throw softballs out like that.

 

[royo]

I don't know how, but 98:94 W

 

[kjironman1]

I don't know how, but 98:94 W

So CJ comes out with hammer to actually break ankles?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Ariza is playing like a starter in Portland. Look at his numbers. Sacramento is a mess.

It's eerie how closely many of his "holistic" advanced numbers (PER, TS%, WS/48, BPM, VORP) line up with what Hood provided in the 21 games he played.

 

[wizenheimer]

It's eerie how closely many of his "holistic" advanced numbers (PER, TS%, WS/48, BPM, VORP) line up with what Hood provided in the 21 games he played.

View attachment 29974

so then, Blazers essentially have 3 starters, not 1. So far, Ariza has matched Hood's offense, but has been a better rebounder and a much better defender

 

[PtldPlatypus]

so then, Blazers essentially have 3 starters, not 1. So far, Ariza has matched Hood's offense, but has been a better rebounder and a much better defender

Ariza's also turned the ball over 50% more often than Hood, and is definitely doesn't get the same defensive attention Hood did, so his overall offensive impact has been less than Hood's. Their cumulative impact, however, has been essentially identical.

 

[illmatic99]

It's eerie how closely many of his "holistic" advanced numbers (PER, TS%, WS/48, BPM, VORP) line up with what Hood provided in the 21 games he played.

View attachment 29974

I hate these stats.

It's apples to oranges. Hood is a guy you could throw the ball to to create offense, and he was an elite shooter this year from three. Ariza is good in transition and is serviceable as a corner catch and shoot player. But he's so much more limited than Hood, who was one of the best iso players in the league this season before he went down. We are a worse team without him because of the defensive attention he drew away from Dame/CJ. You think teams guard Ariza at all, much less actually plan for him?

This is yet another situation where the stats aren't exactly "holistic," and need to be taken with a massive grain of salt.

 

[royo]

Well, we had 1starter yesterday and now we got 3. That's should be enough for Celts.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Ariza is playing like a starter in Portland. Look at his numbers. Sacramento is a mess.

Sacramento is a mess but we have 3 whole wins more than they do. Ariza has played well here no complaints there but he's also very inconsistent. I'm not really sure he's a starter on many teams that we would consider championship contenders, but he's been fine.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

so then, Blazers essentially have 3 starters, not 1. So far, Ariza has matched Hood's offense, but has been a better rebounder and a much better defender

No they essentially have 1 starter or had one starter the last two games. You're smart enough to be able to figure this out. If the starting line up would be, Nurkic, Zach, Hood, CJ, and Dame, but they're playing Whiteside, Melo, Trent, CJ, and Ariza. Only one is left. Sure they're getting "something" starterish like from those guys, but it's a 48-minute game numbers will be put up, even on the worst teams (hey like the Blazers) someone will get some points/rebounds/assists. The fact is though they played two games now with 1 guy starting who would be starting if the roster was healthy. Their bench might actually be decent though if the 4 guys who are starting were coming off the bench.