Jaylen Brown (27 points) and Jayson Tatum (26 points) led the scoring as the Boston Celtics (50-14) secured a dominant 121-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers (18-46) on Monday night. Sam Hauser contributed 22 points off the bench.
Despite missing key starters Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis due to injuries, the Celtics cruised to their third consecutive 50-win season, firmly establishing their dominance in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Deandre Ayton put up a strong performance for the Blazers with 22 points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Boston’s relentless offense. Anfernee Simons contributed 17 points, while Jerami Grant added 14 points.
Despite the absence of key players, the Celtics controlled the game from start to finish, leading by as many as 17 points in the first half and maintaining a double-digit lead throughout.
Portland’s Jerami Grant returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous game with a sore hamstring, while rookie Scoot Henderson saw an increased role with his minutes restriction lifted.
