Celtics 2nd half woes cost them in 114-108 loss in Portland
The Boston Celtics lost 114-108 to the Portland Trail Blazers in a disappointing end to a 4-game winning streak. Jaylen Brown led the way with 37 points, but it was not enough to overcome the team's second-half struggles.
Jaylen Brown did the heavy lifting in the first half, scoring 27 of the Celtics 63 points, with no other Celtic in double figures. Outside of Brown, Boston shot 13/36 and committed 9 turnovers. They struggled to generate any easy shots in the half court but were able to score 20 points off the Blazers 17 turnovers. Despite neither team playing at their best, the Celtics held a 63-55 halftime lead.
In the second half, Jaylen Brown was not able to dominate like he did earlier in the game, scoring just 10 points with 5 turnovers and 4 fouls. Because of this, the Celtics offense fell off a cliff, scoring just 45 second-half points, shooting 38% from the floor, 28% from three, and committing 10 more turnovers, putting them at 20 for the game.
The Blazers were able to capitalize on the Celtics mistakes, scoring 9 second-chance points and 10 points off turnovers. Despite the lack of star talent, the Blazers played the far better half, scoring 59 points with 4 players in double figures. They moved the ball and protected it much better in the second half, while the Celtics never adjusted, relying on Jaylen Brown to be the hero, and he couldn't.
The good
Jaylen Brown was once again the star of the show, scoring 37 points and tying Larry Bird for the most consecutive 30-point games in Celtics history with 9 games. Hugo Gonzalez continues to shine in his limited minutes, scoring 13 points, along with three offensive rebounds and two steals.
The bad
The Celtics backcourt of Payton Pritchard and Derrick White was abysmal, combining for 21 points on 8/26 shooting, with Pritchard going scoreless in the second half. The pair has failed to play at a consistent level all season, and they struck out big against the Blazers.
While it could be considered just an off night, the three-point shooting was one of the worst of the season, shooting just 29% from downtown. The Celtics also failed to do the little things right, allowing 16 offensive rebounds and committing 20 turnovers. All three of these factors ultimately cost them the game and continue a trend of playing down to competition in the 2026 season.
Conclusion
This was an inexcusable loss against a team that was 5 games below .500. At times, the Celtics have lacked in the fundamentals and physical effort over the last three games, and it cost them last night.
They will travel to Utah on Tuesday for the second game of their West Coast trip to take on the Jazz, looking to bounce back after not only last night's loss but also their last matchup against the Jazz.
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