CJ McCollum shines in 129-119 win over Boston. It was an offensive duel throughout the entire game, but Portland kept on hitting timely shots to escape with the win. Jayson Tatum continued his hot stretch with 33 points after his 60 point performance. Damian Lillard played great. He had 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 13 assists. Carmelo Anthony played well of the bench and hit a clutch 3 in the 4th. Aaron Nesmith had yet another great game on both ends of the court. Evan Fournier had 21 points on a really efficient 8-10 from the field. Norman Powell also contributed 23 points. With this loss, Boston ends their 4 game homestand at 2-2 and are now the 7th seed in the East.
STAR OF THE GAME
Damian Lillard gets a lot of recognition and deservedly so. Tonight however, CJ McCollum was the star of the game. He kept on hitting clutch shot after clutch shot. It seemed like every single time he shot the ball, it was going to go in. He finished with 33 points tonight on 12-20 shooting and 4-8 from 3. He also had 5 rebounds and 5 assists. For the last couple of years, McCollum and Lillard have been up there in the conversation for best backcourt in the league. What makes Portland so dangerous is that the Trail Blazers backcourt is capable of scoring 60+ points every single night. McCollum was the best player on the court tonight and with Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard also playing, that is saying something.
BIGGEST CONCERN
Yes this loss is not fun, but Boston is probably way more concerned with the health of their superstar duo. With about 40 seconds remaining in the 4th, Jaylen Brown went for the foul and him and Tatum’s legs collided. Jaylen headed back to the locker room screaming in pain. He was questionable going in to tonight’s game with an ankle injury. Tatum also went back to the locker room. Obviously, if the Jays are out for a while, this Celtics team is in a lot of trouble. Every member of the Celtics organization and every Celtics fan around the world are just hoping that the injuries they suffered are not serious. They are both scheduled to get an MRI tomorrow. Brad Stevens said that he didn’t have any other update.
SURPRISE CONTRIBUTION
It isn’t necessarily a surprise given how well he has played recently, but Aaron Nesmith delivered yet another amazing performance. All season long, Nesmith has been trying to find a groove and a role on this team. This past week, Nesmith has been playing the best basketball of his young career. Tonight, he had 16 points on 4-4 from 3. His hustle is something that does not appear on the stat sheet, but it is incredible to watch. This Celtics team is better when they have a player who can consistently hit 3’s, play defense, and give it his all every single play. That is exactly what Aaron has provided over this past week.
Next Game
At Orlando Magic, Sunday, May 5th at 4:00 PM
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