----- Jayson Tatum scores 34 points and Jaylen Brown added 30 points and six rebounds as the Boston Celtics outlast the Portland Trail Blazers 128-124 Sunday in Orlando.
Bombs away for Boston!
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 64 points on Sunday afternoon as the Boston Celtics topped the Portland Trail Blazers 128-124 in Orlando.
Tatum also added a career-high eight assists with several of those dimes going to his teammate Brown.
''It's just about making the right reads,'' Tatum said. ''Seeing the double-teams. Making the right play. Jaylen was open and those were the right reads.''
The Blazers had few answers on defense for the Celtics attack. Boston shot 54.5% from the field including 18-of-30 from three-point range.
Damian Lillard finished with 30 points and 16 assists and Jusuf Nurkic added 30 points and nine rebounds in his second official game back after breaking his leg in March 2019.
Boston led by as many as 24 in the second quarter. But Portland opened the fourth quarter with a 15-4 run, with three three-pointers from Lillard and two from CJ McCollum, to put them on top 101-98 setting up a back and forth final quarter.
Gary Trent Jr. hit a three-pointer with 1:57 to play giving Portland a 119-118 lead, but the Celtics used a 7-0 run to take a 125-119 lead with about 30 seconds left to put the game away.
The game felt like a playoff game with both teams flying around with urgency in the second half.
''That was a playoff-level energy that we had to play with at the end of the game,'' Boston coach Brad Stevens said. ''This is a great experience.''
Trent Jr. continues to be the discovery of the season for the Blazers. He finished with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from three-point range.
Portland must move past the loss and focus on their next opponent, the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
''If anything, we'll take away we played extremely well in the second half against a really good team,'' Portland coach Terry Stotts said. ''We don't have any time to have a hangover after a loss.''
Next Up- The Trail Blazers will meet the Houston Rockets Tuesday evening in Orlando. The game is scheduled to tip off at 6:00 PM.
Chad's Take- I just want to strip down and watch Nurkic. He looks awesome in his return #RipCity!