Jayson Tatum fuels Boston to big win, beat Trail Blazers 129-116

The Boston Celtics returned to action Sunday against the Trail Blazers at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Boston posted yet another win 129-116 in their second game of a 5-game west coast road trip. Jayson Tatum was exceptional once more for the short-handed Celtics.

Former Oregon Duck Payton Pritchard started his first game of the season in place of veteran Jrue Holiday; Al Horford and Sam Hauser also were given the starting nod. It was Pritchard who would score the first points of the game on a Jayson Tatum-assisted triple. Tatum then dribble-drove for a massive one-handed dunk, and then Pritchard converted on a shifty drive for his second score of the game.

The young Trail Blazers kept pace early, scoring at will on the interior, as Boston lacked any real shot-blocking threats with Kristaps Porzingis out. Pritchard was whistled for his third foul of the game at the seven-minute mark and was immediately brought out of the contest, with rookie Baylor Scheierman getting an early look.

Scheierman showed patience to assist Derrick White for his first three-pointer of the game, and Sam Hauser converted his second triple of the contest as Boston took an early lead, 18-15. J.D. Davison would also see early minutes alongside Torrey Craig as Joe Mazzulla looked to the deep bench with 3 starters absent. Davison and Scheierman would both connect on their first triples of the game as the Celtics would end the first quarter up 34-24, with 8 Boston players scoring.

The second quarter opened up with more of the same hot Boston shooting as both Derrick White and Sam Hauser hit on three-pointers. The Trail Blazers got a balanced spread of scoring to start the second quarter as they roared back into the game to cut Boston’s lead to 2 points, 40-38. Former C, Dalano Banton, would score a fast break layup to tie the game up at 40 apiece.

38-year old big man Al Horford would then connect on consecutive three-pointers for Boston, midway throught he second quarter. Derrick White’s second steal of the game, saw the wing break away for an uncontested dunk and his eighth point of the night. Sam Hauser’s fourth straight three-pointer of the night saw the C’s lead go back to 7 points.

Luke Kornet had a decent impact to end the quarter, scoring first on a mini-hook shot and then an outstretched rebound tip-in to convert on his third bucket of the game. Luke then rebounded and assisted Sam Hauser for his fifth triple and his second assist. Boston were rolling into the half with everything clicking, up by a commanding 13 points, 64-51.

Jayson Tatum would score Boston’s first points of the second half, tipping in an Al Horford miss and then assisting Sam Hauser for his eighteenth point of the night. Hauser would then blow a wide-open backdoor layup, but Jayson Tatum connected on his next jump shot to hand Boston a nineteen-point lead.

Donavon Clingan was caught in a switch out near the Boston three-point line and would foul Tatum, who would connect on the four-point play. Deni Advija would also struggle to contain Jayson Tatum as the Boston superstar nailed the turnaround jumper at the elbow. He then went to work on Advija and attacked the paint to score his eighteenth point of the night as he was stamping his name all over the third quarter.

Derrick White found Sam Hauser in the corner with a stellar behind-the-back pass, as Sam hit on his seventh three-pointer of the night, Boston shooting a blistering 47 percent from beyond the arc with 23 assists midway through the third. The Blazers wouldn’t go away, though, as they pulled back into the game, cutting the Celtics lead to just ten points with 4 minutes to go in the quarter.

Torrey Craig was the recipient of Jayson Tatum’s seventh assist, as he hit his first make, a corner three-pointer, becoming Boston’s tenth scorer of the night. Despite foul-trouble and having a relatively quiet night up until the third, Payton Pritchard exploded to hit his second, third and fourth triples of the game as Boston went on a 8-0 run and took the lead back to 12 points at the end of the third, with a 102-90 lead. Tatum had 18 points in the third quarter, as he did everything required for the short-handed Celtics.

All five starters for Boston would score in double figure points on the night, as the fourth quarter saw the Celtics lead see-saw around 15 points throughout the opening few minutes. The Celtics bench would be spearheaded by Luke Kornet who was too strong for the Blazers second unit, Luke would score at will in the fourth with 7 points in just five minutes of action. Despite Portland’s ability to hang around late, Boston were just clicking on all cylinders in this game and answered every Portland run.

Boston would end the contest converting on 23-50 from three, with 31 assists as the game ended 129-116. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 30 points and once again flirted with a triple double with 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Sam Hauser ended the game 24 points with eight three pointers and Luke Kornet was huge with 13 points from the Celtics bench.

Boston next travel to Sacramento tomorrow night to take on the Kings at 10pm Eastern, as they continue their west coast road trip.