The misery continued Saturday night for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Two days after losing 114-83 to San Antonio at home, the Blazers were routed 145-117 by Boston at the Moda Center on Saturday night in a game that the Blazers made interesting for a half thanks to a strong second quarter, only to fall to pieces in the third.
It can’t be ignored that the Portland star Damian Lillard missed his third consecutive game with an abdomen injury. But that doesn’t fully explain how lopsided the last two defeats have been.
Portland coach Chauncey Billups said his team must show that it has some pride.
“They came out, dug deep, coming in on a back-to-back, getting in really late,” Billups said about Boston. “Scored 130 points on the road last night. I thought that was an unbelievable, astronomical number and then they come put 145 on us. Man, that was shocking but you’re going to have some of those types of nights, in all honesty. But you still got to show some pride. And when don’t have pried, you don’t have nothing in my opinion.”
CJ McCollum led the Blazers (11-13) with 24 points but shot 8 of 21 from the field. The Celtics, who were playing without Jaylen Brown, got 31 points apiece from Jayson Tatum and Dennis Schroder. Boston (13-11) shot 56.3% from the field and 56.8% on threes.
The 145 allowed were the most by a Blazers team at home in regulation. That number dropped the Blazers to last in the NBA in defensive rating (113.3).
“The defensive end is really where we should rely but we’re not,” Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic said. “They played last night. So, we know that and they came here and (kicked our butts).”
WHAT IT MEANS
The Blazers have now lost five of their last six games while being blown out four times in the process. Lillard has missed the last two of those defeats. Clearly, this team isn’t the same without him. What team is minus its best player? But the Blazers don’t simply look like a team playing without its star. They look like a team playing without a plan it can possibly execute.
GAME RECAP
The Celtics, who lost 137-130 at Utah on Friday night, came out firing, shooting 73.7% from the field and making 6 out of 8 threes in the first quarter to go up 38-23. Portland shot 33.3% and missed all five of its three-point attempts.
In the second quarter, the Celtics pushed their lead to 44-23 and appeared set to end this game early. But out of nowhere, the Blazers took off and went on a 25-6 run to trim their deficit to 50-48 with 3:24 to go in the first half. Boston ended up leading just 64-58 at halftime.
McCollum led the Blazers with 17 points at halftime. Schroder led Boston with 15.
As it turned out, the Blazers had given all that they had to offer in that second quarter. Boston dominated the third quarter as it had the first. The Celtics won the quarter 39-26 while shooting 57.1%. Tatum scored 15 in the quarter and the Celtics led 103-84 going into the fourth.
The Blazers shot 47.6% from the field but just 28.6% on threes.
CJ MCCOLLUM
Billups said McCollum suffered a rib contusion that was X-rayed after the game. He left the game about midway through the fourth quarter and went straight to the locker room.
DENNIS SMITH JR.
Smith started in place of Lillard and because Anfernee Simons was out (ankle) and put up 21 points and six assists in 31 minutes. He went 7 of 14 from the field.
PAYTON PRITCHARD
Pritchard, out of West Linn High School and the University of Oregon, scored 19 points in 18 minutes with 15 points coming in the fourth quarter. He shot 5 of 10 on threes.
NEXT UP
The Blazers host the LA Clippers on Monday, then play Wednesday at Golden State before returning home for a four-game homestand.
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).
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