Preview – Boston Celtics (13-26) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (31-12)
Here it is, Boston Celtics fans. From the moment the 2014-2015 schedule came out, many marked this upcoming six game stretch as possibly the most critical point in the Celtics season. While Boston is a bit worse than many had hoped for, this stretch of games can still potentially either right the ship or put the nail in the coffin for the Celtics.
Tonight, when the Celtics take on the Trail Blazers, it will be the second game of a six game Western Conference road trip. If you have been following the Celtics this season, this should make you scared, for the Celtics have posted a whopping 0 wins on the road against the West this season.
A major bright spot for the Celtics is the Trail Blazers will be without LaMarcus Aldridge. This should give the Celtics a little bit of breathing room as they face the league’s sixth best offense in terms of points per game.
Can the Celtics Pull off the Upset Tonight?
Both teams are slumping as of late. The Celtics have dropped three straight and haven’t shown much consistency on either end of the court since the departures of Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green. Still, the Blazers have been off their game too as of late, losing four of their last five. Maybe, just maybe, Boston can exploit the fact that the Blazers are on the second night of a back to back and will be without arguably their best player in Aldridge.
Which Offense Can Stay Hot the Longest?
Tonight is going to be a high scoring battle, featuring two of the league’s top ten offenses. However, it may not be fair to still call this Celtics offense even above average anymore given its abysmal month of January, averaging nearly four points lower than its season average.
The winner of this game will have to hit three pointers, and a lot of them. This may bode well for the Celtics, whose top three guards have all been efficient from beyond the arc this month. These guards include Evan Turner, Marcus Smart, and Avery Bradley, who is leading the bunch with an impressive 43.6% three point percentage this month. As the longest tenured Celtic at the moment, Bradley will really have to step up and provide some leadership by example against the efficient guards on the Blazers in Lillard and Mathews, who trail only Aldridge in terms of points per game on the team.
My Prediction
107-103- Celtics
Alright, I may be a bit overly optimistic, but this just feels like a trap game for the Blazers. Playing their third game in four nights, the Blazers will be hosting a well-rested Boston Celtics team without their top big man. The Celtics will also have some added motivation to start out the road trip strong and take it to one of the Western Conference’s finest teams.
Tune in tonight @ 10 pm Eastern for tipoff in Portland.