BOSTON — The Boston Celtics showed a lot of encouraging signs Sunday night, especially on the defensive end, but it wasn’t enough to earn them a victory over a very talented Portland Trail Blazers team.
Join us as we recap some tidbits from Portland’s 94-88 win.
— Kelly Olynyk arguably is the best shooter on the Celtics’ roster, but he finished with exactly zero points in the loss and attempted just three shots. Olynyk also went scoreless last Monday against the Phoenix Suns, but he played just 13 minutes in that contest.
“They didn’t allow him a lot of opportunities on the outside,” head coach Brad Stevens said after the game. “They decided to guard him. There’s different ways to then become effective, and we just need to continue to help him find those ways. I think he’s going to be frustrated by that, but I think that’s part of the curve for him as a starting forward.”
— Much of the talk about the Blazers entering this season centered around improvements they made to their bench. Longtime Los Angeles Clipper Chris Kaman and journeyman sharpshooter Steve Blake were two of Portland’s notable additions, and both came through against the Celtics. Kaman finished with 16 points and eight rebounds in just 18 minutes, and Blake chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and one huge dose of embarrassment for Evan Turner.
— Vitor Faverani will be on the shelf for longer than originally anticipated. Stevens said before the game that the second-year center, who underwent knee surgery last month, might not play until January.
“I don’t know, to be honest,” Stevens said before the game. “When he initially had that surgery, I heard six to eight weeks just like you did. I’ve been told it’s going to go longer than that, probably well into December, maybe first of (January). I hate standing up here and acting like I know medically what’s going on. But I know that he’s frustrated, and I know that he’s working every day. And they’re working with him.”
Faverani spoke to reporters Saturday for the first time since his surgery. He declared himself “100 percent better” but did not offer a timetable for his return.
— Marcus Smart, meanwhile, is much farther along in his recovery from a high ankle sprain. The rookie is expected to be a full participant at practice by mid-week and could play Friday against the Chicago Bulls, per Stevens.
— James Young was not at TD Garden on Sunday, as he had been assigned to the D-League for a one-game stint with the Maine Red Claws.
“He’s got some work to do,” Stevens said. “I really thought he was really on his way and maybe even ahead of where we thought he’d be before he got hurt in the preseason. And that clearly hurt him. …Â But that’s why these nights are so important because it gives him a chance to be playing and kind of get that stuff that he missed, the opportunity to do that. I think it’s a good idea for him.”
Young, who rejoins the Celtics on Monday, turned in his second quality performance for the Red Claws, finishing with 22 points and eight rebounds in a 120-102 win over the Delaware 87ers. He also flashed some of the athleticism he was known for at Kentucky with this emphatic dunk:
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
