Boston Celtics aim to slow streaking Portland Trail Blazers

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics will be looking for another productive National Basketball Association (NBA) game from their non-starters when they face the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on March 5 (March 6, Singapore time).

The NBA champions, who have been without Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (hand) for their last two games, had a 28-11 advantage in bench points when they beat the Denver Nuggets 110-103 at home on March 2.

That came two days after Boston’s bench was outscored 33-6 in a 123-116 defeat by the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers.

Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta were the Boston reserves who had the biggest impact in the win over the Nuggets. Pritchard had 11 points, Hauser added eight and Queta contributed eight points and 10 rebounds.

“For us to be a great team, they have to play that way and it’s a great thing,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said.

“I was talking to Payton the other day, and he’s such a competitor. He took ownership on making sure when he’s in the game, that line-up really impacts winning. And I knew (against Denver) he was going to put us in position to do that.”

Queta is averaging 5.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game this season.

“Just very professional,” veteran centre Al Horford said of Queta.

“Neemi, just sticking to his preparation, his routine. Even if he’s not playing, you see him here, same energy, working, and just staying ready for the opportunities. Him being able to defend the perimeter, protect the paint, get rebounds, just staying ready and just taking advantage of the opportunity.”

The March 5 game will be the sixth stop on a seven-game road trip for Portland.

The Trail Blazers have won four of the first five games on the trip, including a 119-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on March 3. Their only loss during that stretch came in overtime against Cleveland, who own the NBA’s best record at 51-10.

Like Boston, Portland have strength in depth, with seven players who are averaging more than 10 points per game.

“It’s always somebody different every night for us, which I think makes us difficult to prepare for,” their coach Chauncey Billups said.

Anfernee Simons is averaging a team-high 19.0 points per game and tossed in a game-high 34 during the victory over Philadelphia. But in his post-game press conference, Billups singled out Shaedon Sharpe (20 points, a career-high 11 rebounds and five assists).

“I think offence is easy for Shaedon,” he said. “He can make it look very easy. The defensive side is totally different. When he’s locked in on defence, it makes his offence even easier.

“I thought he was great. Career-high in rebounding. We need those rebounds in a major way. I think he’s maybe the most athletic guy in basketball. I need him going to get those tough rebounds.”

In NBA action on March 4, LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 career points, extending his lead as the league’s all-time record scorer by reaching a milestone tally that may never be surpassed.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar went into the game against the New Orleans Pelicans with 49,999 regular and post-season points after a 17-point performance in the win over the Los Angeles Clippers on March 2.

He ended with 34 points on the night as the Lakers beat the Pelicans 136-115.

Elsewhere, Stephen Curry delivered a 28-point masterpiece as the Golden State Warriors overpowered the New York Knicks 114-102 at Madison Square Garden to maintain their push for an automatic post-season berth.

The Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers, meanwhile, romped to their 11th straight victory with a 139-117 blowout of the Chicago Bulls. REUTERS, AFP