The Boston Celtics were on the short-end of a 13-6 run by Portland to end the second quarter, but still managed to go into the half with a 58-54 lead over the Blazers.
Boston led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, only for the Blazers to chip away at the Celtics’ lead which stood at 31-30 at the end of the first.
This was a huge plus for the Celtics who had been outscored in each of their previous six quarters of play.
The second quarter got off to a good start for Boston, but once again they hit an offensive lull, which allowed their opponent to get back into the game.
A series of missed shots allowed Boston’s eight-point lead in the second (38-30) following a Jae Crowder 3-pointer, to be trimmed down to just 40-39 following a floater by C.J. McCollum. Brad Stevens had seen enough and called a time-out with 7:19 to play in the half.
The brief stoppage in play seemed to be just what the Celtics needed, as they eventually went on an 11-0 run capped off by a 3-pointer from Isaiah Thomas that made it a 52-41 game – Boston’s biggest lead of the night.
Portland came into tonight’s game with an 8-1 record at home since the all-star break, so you knew a run of some sorts was coming.
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But to the Celtics’ credit, they did a solid job of making sure their lead, while dwindling as the half drew near, remained intact.
Here are three pointers from the first half:
How ‘bout that Crowder
In his first game back since March 11, Crowder didn’t look to worst for wear. The 6-foot-6 forward had eight points in the first half, with five rebounds in 16 minutes.
Bench play
Crowder’s return seems to be just what the Celtics’ second unit needed in order to get back to playing impactful basketball. At the half, Boston’s backups had outscored their Portland counterparts 22-15.
Celtics Line up
Boston didn’t shoot the ball particularly well from the free throw line, but it doesn’t; matter when you get as many trips to the free throw line as the Celtics did. At the half, Boston was 12-for-18 from the line compared to the Blazers who attempted just 12 free throws (with nine makes).