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The Portland Trail Blazers will host the Boston Celtics at the Moda Center on December 4th.
The Boston Celtics will head into this game on the back of a 130-137 loss against the Utah Jazz. With the defeat, they have fallen to 12-11 on the season.
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers are coming off an 83-114 loss against the San Antonio Spurs. They head into the next game hoping to even out their record for the season.
Match Details
Fixture - Boston Celtics vs Portland Trail Blazers | 2021-22 NBA Season
Date & Time - Saturday, December 4th, 2021; 10:00 PM ET (Sunday, December 5th, 2021; 8:30 IST)
Venue - Moda Center, Portland, OR
Boston Celtics Preview
The Boston Celtics started their five-game road trip with a loss to the Utah Jazz. Although the Celtics put up a great fight and rallied to get the game close by the end of the third quarter, the Jazz eventually pulled away in the fourth.
Despite some outstanding three-point shooting in the final minutes of the game by Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell, the Boston Celtics had no response to the Utah Jazz's scoring.
Jayson Tatum and Dennis Schroder made some key plays for the side down the stretch. A three with less than 7 seconds left on the clock brought the game to within five points, but things were already out of hand at that point.
The Celtics managed to contain their turnovers to only six on the night. However, they were outrebounded 44-30 and allowed the Jazz to shoot 52.9% from beyond the arc while only shooting 35.9% themselves.
Key Player - Jayson Tatum
While the Boston Celtics saw great contributions from other players on their roster, Jayson Tatum shone brightest. Recording 37 points for the game, Tatum continues to be a scoring machine for the Celtics.
Having taken up a bigger scoring role in the absence of Jaylen Brown, Tatum has become a bonafide superstar on the Boston Celtics roster. Although he has had a rough season in terms of his shooting numbers, the 23-year-old has continued to function as a volume shooter.
Tatum shot 12-25 against the Utah Jazz, and his efficiency helped keep the Boston Celtics in the game. While his 2-11 shooting from behind the arc did not help their cause, the Celtics will still look to Tatum to lead them on the offensive end of the floor in their next game.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
G - Dennis Schroder | G - Marcus Smart | F - Jayson Tatum | F - Grant Williams | C - Al Horford
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers will continue their four-game homestand with a match against the Boston Celtics next. Coming off their loss to the San Antonio Spurs, however, they will have a lot of issues to address.
A massive issue for the side heading into Saturday's game will be the absence of their superstar, Damian Lillard. The 31-year-old's absence was noticeable against the Spurs as the Trail Blazers' offense was stagnant. CJ McCollum emerged as the highest scorer for the side with 16 points. Only four other players recorded double-digit scoring.
The Portland Trail Blazers struggled on every front. Shooting poorly from beyond the arc, they also recorded 18 turnovers in the game. Additionally, the side struggled to secure rebounds. Having been outrebounded 48-41, the Trail Blazers were outhustled and outworked by the San Antonio Spurs.
Heading into their next game, the Portland Trail Blazers will look to adjust their strategy. As they find a way to play to their strengths at home and as a rotation, some players will have to step into the role of their missing superstar.
Key Player - CJ McCollum
In the absence of Damian Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers look like a team in disarray. In such a time, it is key for a player like CJ McCollum to step into the role of a primary scorer.
McCollum is a star-caliber player who tends to go unnoticed. With the potential to play at a high level, he has served as the second option on this Blazers team.
On a poor scoring night against the San Antonio Spurs, the 30-year-old was the only bright spark in the Portland Trail Blazers offense.
McCollum also got work done on the defensive end with two steals and three blocks. Although he shot poorly from beyond the arc with 2-6, he will have to emerge as a more dominant scorer in the next game for the Trail Blazers.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G - Anfernee Simons | G - CJ McCollum | F - Norman Powell | F - Robert Covington | C - Jusuf Nurkic
Celtics vs Blazers Match Predictions
The Boston Celtics should emerge as the winners in this matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Although the Trail Blazers will enjoy home-court advantage, the absence of Damian Lillard leaves a massive hole in their offense. The fact that they are a poor defensive team also gives the Celtics offense a chance to capitalize.
While both teams will be missing superstars, the Boston Celtics will still have Jayson Tatum at their disposal. If one also considers the recent performances of Al Horford and Dennis Schroder, the Celtics have a better chance of winning.
Where to watch Celtics vs Blazers game
The Boston Celtics vs Portland Trail Blazers game will be locally broadcast on Root Sports. The game will also be available on the NBA League Pass platform. Fans can listen to the game on the radio by tuning into Rip City Radio 620.
