Final: Trail Blazers 114, Celtics 108 - C's fall apart down the stretch

BOSTON CELTICS (19-11) at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (12-19)

Regular season game 31

Moda Center, 6:00 p.m. - NBCS Boston

SCHEDULE ADVANTAGE: Neither. Both teams played Friday night in different cities. 

Portland has lost three in a row. The Celtics have won four in a row.

INJURIES

Boston: Chris Boucher (OUT-personal reasons), Jayson Tatum (OUT-Achilles) 

Portland: Jerami Grant (OUT-Achilles tendonitis), Scoot Henderson (OUT-hamstring), Jrue Holiday (OUT, calf), Damian Lillard (OUT-Achilles), Matisse Thybulle (OUT-thumb), Blake Wesley (OUT, foot), Robert Williams III (OUT, knee)

OFFICIALS

Scott Foster (#48)    Natalie Sago (#9)    John Conley (#56)

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Contain Deni Avdija: I don’t know how many people this side of the Mississippi are paying attention, but Avdija is having himself a career year. He has career averages of 12.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, but this season he’s at 25.6/7.1/6.6. He has already scored more this season than he did in any of his first three seasons in the league. 

So he’s dangerous. He’s also turnover prone. So he should be the Jordan Walsh assignment, and Walsh will have opportunities to poke the ball free and get out in transition. Also, he’ll try to thread some needles, so everyone needs to be aware of cutters and where the pass is coming from. 

2. Jaylen Brown going for 30: He’s going up against a subpar team missing half their roster, including a couple of former teammates … and he needs one more 30-point game to tie Larry Bird for the team record. Jaylen has been awesome this year, but this is the perfect setting for a selfish night. I wouldn’t be shocked if he was going for his in a big way. 

3. Hugo Gonzalez: He had a rough game in Indiana. I’m curious to see how he bounces back, or whether Joe Mazzulla goes away from him. 

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.