By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Despite already clinching the best record in the NBA and the no. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs, the Boston Celtics had no plans of slowing down after decimating the Portland Trailblazers, 124-107, on April 8, 2024.
With the win, the Celtics just boosted its preparations for the first round of the NBA post-season while also racking up its fifth straight win in two weeks.
The Trailblazers were still within reach after the first half as their consistent offense only allowed Boston to build a seven-point lead heading into the final two quarters.
Boston then kicked off its surge in the second half as their signature ball movement helped them knock down several wide-open shots from the three-point line, a department of their game that went missing in the first two quarters.
In the final 12 minutes of the game, the Celtics’ defensive adjustments began to bug the Trailblazers and allowed them to swell their cushion to as much as 20 points.
With Portland having trouble buying a bucket in the first five minutes of the fourth, the Celtics then capitalized on the short window and pummeled them with their aggressive drives to the basket.
Jaylen Brown led the charge for the rolling Boston squad after top-scoring the Celtics with 26 points built from an efficient 10/17 shooting from the field.
Brown shot 3/5 from the three-point line and wrapped up his trip to the charity stripe with a perfect 3/3 shooting.
Payton Pritchard, Boston’s instant spark off the bench, also delivered a huge scoring night after dropping 20 points, eight assists, and three rebounds.
On the other hand, Portland received a stellar outing from their young guard Dalano Banton who tallied 28 points, nine assists, and three rebounds, but Boston’s more balanced attack spoiled his career performance.
The Celtics will look to extend its NBA winning streak on April 10, 2024, as they face the struggling Milwaukee Bucks who now lost four in a row.
