Celtics Soar to 115-93 Victory Over Trail Blazers, Tatum Leads the Charge

MARCH 9, 2023 19:00

The Boston Celtics secured a resounding victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday evening, with a final score of 115:93. The game was marked by the return of Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic to the court, following a 35-day absence due to a calf injury.

A Welcome Return to the Court

Nurkic had last played on February 2nd against the Memphis Grizzlies, and after 17 minutes on the court, he recorded five points, six rebounds, and two assists. Despite his return, Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups was unimpressed with the performance of his team, stating via ESPN, "We weren’t committed to playing the right way the entire night.

We’ve had a tendency to when things aren’t going well to just kind of throw it to Dame and watch him play. That doesn’t work against good teams”.

Jusuf Nurkic, on a minutes restriction, played 17 at Boston.
Said he could have played longer.

“It’s really hard to catch a rhythm. Didn’t play for a long period of time so it's normal but overall my calf felt good. I just wish I could have been more on the floor”.
pic.twitter.com/sIxOy79b5p — Aaron J. Fentress (@AaronJFentress) March 9, 2023

Dominating Performance by the Celtics

The Celtics entered the match in top form and quickly established their dominance, leading 60:45 at halftime.

This trend continued throughout the rest of the game, with the Blazers failing to gain any traction in any quarter. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 30 points, followed by 21 points from Payton White. Despite 27 points from Damian Lillard, the Blazers were unable to mount a comeback, resulting in their deserved defeat.

Focus on Maintaining Top Form

The Celtics currently sit second in the NBA's Eastern Conference standings with 46 wins and 21 losses, while the Blazers are 13th in the West with a 31-35 record. Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla emphasized the importance of maintaining the team's top form, stating, "The great teams stay the best version of themselves the longest.

And when you don’t, you have to quickly get back to who you are”.

Other Results from Wednesday's Games:

Phoenix defeated Oklahoma City 132:101
LA Clippers defeated Toronto 108:100
Washington lost to Atlanta 120:122
Miami lost to Cleveland 100:104
New Orleans defeated Dallas 113:106
Denver lost to Chicago 96:117