BOSTON — Tested with battling out a three-game losing streak, the Boston Celtics succeeded in getting a dominant home win over the Portland Trail Blazers that even left room for starters rest in the fourth quarter.
Unlike their previous three, the Celtics proved their capability of holding a late-game lead, which has haunted them on several occasions since the end of the NBA All-Star break. The C’s were able to find their rhythm from beyond the arc, secure rebounds and play an overall consistent four quarters of basketball that brought them right back to the win column.
Putting what was an ugly losing streak in the rearview mirror held a level of importance for the Celtics, who lost their standing as the league-best record holder as a result of their shortcomings against the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers this week. Thus, gaining a win over Portland at TD Garden felt good to several members of the Celtics, especially with a six-game road trip ahead afterward.
Al Horford, who finished the night with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, emphasized what bouncing back from a rough week meant.
“I guess you could say it’s a breath of fresh air,” Horford said. “I don’t like to lose. But it was important. Before hitting the road, we had a couple of losses here at home, in a couple of games that I felt like we controlled. So, just happy with our group. Despite everything, we held onto the lead which was important. And now we get to go on the road and continue to build on that.”
This Celtics win, above all from their post-All-Star break second half, showcased most of what they were able to do in the first half, which placed them atop the league at 42-17 at the break. They didn’t take their foot off the gas and constantly kept the Trail Blazers beyond reach throughout the night. The C’s even ensured that Portland would pay for its mistakes, scoring 16 points off 15 Trail Blazer turnovers.
Even when the Trail Blazers cut the lead down to 13, the Celtics didn’t allow them to go any further.
“I think in general, just for our group, it was important for us to come out and respond,” Horford said. “… It’s important. It’s what we needed. It’s what we’ve been talking about. Coach (Joe Mazzulla) has been on us about finishing the quarters a little bit better.”
The added sweetener came in the fourth quarter when head coach Joe Mazzulla was able to pull his starters — Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Derrick White and Horford — off the floor and give rookie JD Davidson a few minutes alongside Luke Kornet and Mike Muscala in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter.
