Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston Celtics: Injuries, How to Watch

The Portland Path Blazers are staying proper right here at residence as they host the reportedly-about-to-be-sold Boston Celtics on the Moda Middle.

Late March and April within the NBA can whip up fairly a little bit of humorous enterprise from groups because the common season wraps up. Tonight will likely be no exception. Three of the Celtics’ greatest gamers – Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis – are all on the damage report, and it will likely be a shock if any of them play. And whereas the Celtics like Portland have gained 4 in a row, they’re very firmly locked into their playoff standing sitting 5 video games behind the Jap Convention-leading Cleveland Cavaliers and 7 video games forward of the third-place New York Knicks.

All to say: the Celtics have each incentive to relaxation their gamers and get them recent for what they hope is one other lengthy playoff run.

Portland Path Blazers (32-39, -2.8 Internet Score) vs. Boston Celtics (51-19, +8.9 Internet Score)

Solar. March 23 @ 3pm Pacific

Learn how to watch through antenna or cable: See your options on the Rip City Television Network

Learn how to watch through streaming: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; NBA TV elsewhere (additionally obtainable on streaming through NBA TV on League Move)

Path Blazers accidents: Anfernee Simons, Donovan Clingan, Jabari Walker, Rayan Rupert (questionable); Jerami Grant (uncertain); Robert Williams III, Deandre Ayton (out).

Celtics accidents: Jason Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Vacation, (questionable); Jaylen Brown, Xavier Tillman (out).

SBN Affiliate: Celtics Blog

For Portland, they may attempt to hold issues transferring as they discover themselves simply two video games behind each the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks for tenth within the West and a play-in spot (although Portland would wish to cross each groups to get in). That’s not solely on the desk, however for the way badly Dallas has been floundering and the discombobulation in Phoenix, it could be there for the taking if the Blazers need it badly sufficient.

Whereas he may not play immediately, Porzingis performed with Blazers history-maker Deni Avdija whereas they have been each on the Wizards, and each had a ton of respect for one another (shout out to BEdge reader Checksum23A9 for posting this video within the feedback of one other article):

Final Time They Performed…

…Jabari Walker hit six threes (!), however Payton Pritchard and Derrick White hit ten and 9 respectively, and the Celtics acquired the double digit win.

Reader Questions

Earlier than most video games, we ask you all to make our previews higher by asking us questions! Hold your eyes peeled for posts similar to this so as to add your questions and (presumably) have them answered proper right here in these very previews!

From dersuusula:

Is…. is Deni Him??? Like, the one?

He DID so one thing solely Dame, Clyde, and Sidney Wicks have ever executed… however it’s manner too quickly to inform. What Deni is doing is rad, however we have to be conscious we’re in that a part of the season the place groups are tanking or resting and issues are simply bizarre. Is it enjoyable? Does it give me some hope? Heck yeah!

From BlazerTag:

With Jrue Vacation’s manufacturing and availability waning and Payton Pritchard getting higher every season, how lengthy earlier than Vacation’s contract will likely be seen as an albatross?

It’s a little bit of a funhouse mirror scenario, as a result of sure, Vacation is having a tough yr… however even at his greatest he was going to be a cool offensive match on a group that has such a lot different expertise. Final yr and this yr his utilization charges have been at career-lows. For somebody who isn’t a deadly shooter in one of the best of occasions, the truth that his three-point try charge was at a profession excessive final yr, then even HIGHER this yr tells you that he’s getting used as a launch valve and anticipated to hit these photographs. When you’ve got by no means performed that manner and also you’re only a league common shooter from deep, that may be a bit tough.

So he could be overpaid, however I believe the Celtics are banking on Vacation developing large defensively once they want him to placed on the clamps in a detailed recreation deep within the playoffs, perhaps when different gamers are drained. To that time, Vacation averaged 38 minutes a recreation within the Finals final yr, and everyone knows how that ended: with a hoop on his finger.

From Blazerspinwheel:

Does the Blazers latest success and or the truth that the Celtics have been simply bought make it anymore seemingly that Jody Allen will promote the Blazers within the subsequent off season ?

No to the primary, sure to the second. Forbes estimated the Celtics to be price $6B; they bought (reportedly) for $6.1B. And all obtainable reporting suggests the NBA was ready for this sale earlier than deciding how and when to maneuver ahead on enlargement. If the NBA expands to 2 extra groups, ALL house owners will get a lower, Allen included. To the extent that the Celtics went for a better value, which in flip makes enlargement barely extra seemingly, which might in return line Allen’s pockets… sure, the sale of the Blazers could also be a bit nearer.

From JuiloCan2 on BlueSky:

Pritchard and White went loopy from 3 final time we matched up. How good would the Blazers be proper now, if we had two 3pt shooters like that, as an alternative of only one?

83-0.

However critically, sure: in case you like Deni Avdija’s headfirst drives to the paint and wish to see extra of the identical from Scoot Henderson, think about how a lot simpler their lives could be with one other long-range menace or two. You possibly can see the speculation of this group in case you squint, and whereas they’re nonetheless lacking a 1A star, one of the best iteration of THIS model of the Blazers may very well be a feisty playoff matchup in the event that they did have these shooters.

In regards to the Opponent:

Azad Rosay of Celtics Blog shared 10 takeaways from the Celtics’ latest win in opposition to the Utah Jazz:

Leaning into Porzingis passing

Just a few weeks in the past in January, when the Celtics’ offense was struggling somewhat, I advised in an article that Kristaps Porzingis’ passing might assist the Celtics add some versatility to their offense. Certainly, due to his dimension and gravity, the house on the ground is totally different when he has the ball on the prime or from the post-up. Final night time, via numerous actions, the Celtics designed their offense to compensate for Jaylen Brown’s absence, and Porzingis’ passing was one of many keys. Utilizing the Latvian as an offensive hub disrupts the defensive construction as a result of he both drags the rim protector away from the paint, or the mismatch causes a double group and opens issues up for his teammates.

Empty aspect pick-and-roll

Because the Celtics tried to make use of scheme, in addition they labored on their ordinary performs. Certainly one of these performs is a pick-and-roll on an empty aspect. As nobody is within the strong-side nook, the defensive assist choices are totally different. Subsequent to the decide, the Celtics like to put a participant on the prime so the ball will be swung to him earlier than he passes it to the participant down within the paint. That is the play the Celtics used to take an enormous lead in opposition to the Lakers within the third quarter a couple of weeks in the past. Final night time, the Celtics did it once more in opposition to the Jazz with Horford and Porzingis transferring in house. The construction of this play name can take totally different types, because the ball-handler may very well be anybody between Derrick White, Jrue Vacation, or Jayson Tatum right here; and the screener may very well be actually any of the gamers on the courtroom, because the Celtics love to combine the matchups. The Celtics’ half-court offense is quantity two in effectivity this season, and Joe Mazzulla’s revolutionary playbook is likely one of the the reason why.

Tim Bontemps of ESPN gave detail on the Celtics’ recent reported sale to a brand new proprietor for simply over $6B, a transfer that will present extra readability on whether or not the NBA will develop by including two extra groups:

A gaggle led by Invoice Chisholm, managing associate at Symphony Expertise Group, has agreed to buy the Boston Celtics for a valuation of $6.1 billion, sources instructed ESPN’s Shams Charania. That value would surpass the $6.05 billion value a bunch led by Josh Harris paid to purchase the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023 as essentially the most paid for a franchise in North American sports activities historical past, and it could simply surpass the report quantity for the management stake of an NBA group, which was set two years in the past when Mat Ishbia purchased the Phoenix Suns for $4 billion…

…The Celtics’ sale additionally might have an effect on the potential timeline for NBA enlargement. For months, sources have stated that course of wouldn’t transfer ahead till there was readability on Boston’s scenario, and the place this sale value wound up. Now that there’s readability — and at this type of quantity — the league might revisit that timeline, sources stated.