Trail Blazers at Celtics
The Boston Celtics look to get back in the win column Friday night when they cap a three-game homestand against the surging Portland Trail Blazers. Boston had surprised many with a four-game run that included a buzzer-beating win at Miami but finally fell flat at home against Charlotte on Wednesday, shooting just 37.7 percent in an 89-83 loss. The 83 points represented the second-lowest scoring output of the season for the Celtics, who have won nine in a row at home against Portland.
The Trail Blazers are also surprising some early on by surging toward the top of the Western Conference with a four-game winning streak. The latest victory came in dramatic fashion, as Damian Lillard's layup with 6.5 seconds left proved to be the difference in a 90-89 triumph over Phoenix on Wednesday. The four-game run is Portland's longest since an identical surge last January, after which it went 13-34 to finish the season.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Portland), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (6-2): Portland did it with balance Wednesday night as six players scored between 11 and 15 points. That helped the club survive poor shooting nights from leading scorers Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, who combined to go 9-for-32 from the floor. The Blazers also continued to shut down opponents on the other end. They have allowed an average of 92.0 points during the winning streak.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (4-5): It has become evident how much of an impact power forward Jared Sullinger makes off the bench for Boston. In the two games he missed this season, including Wednesday's loss due to a knee ailment, the Celtics were outrebounded and outscored in the paint by an average of 10 points, while averaging just 85.0 points as a team. Sullinger was testing his bone bruise prior to the Charlotte game and is considered day-to-day.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Portland ranks second in the league in opponents' 3-point percentage (29.1), while Boston ranks third (29.2).
2. Including Friday's game, the Blazers play seven of their next nine games on the road.
3. The Celtics have won 13 of the last 15 meetings.