The Boston Celtics put together a strong performance against the Utah Jazz but fell to a 137-130 defeat and they looked to carry that momentum into Portland against the Damian Lillard-less Trail Blazers.
They did just that and more as they erupted for a 145-117 win at Moda Center, handing the Blazers just their third home loss of the season.
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Despite missing Al Horford (back) and Jaylen Brown (hamstring), Jayson Tatum and Dennis Schroder led the way with 31 points apiece as six players finished in double figures as they moved to 1-1 on their road trip.
The high-scoring affair set plenty of benchmarks for the Celtics, while the Blazers continue to search for answers.
Let's dive into some of the big numbers behind the Celtics' big win.
145: A franchise worst
The Blazers' defense has been porous all season but in giving up 145 points tonight, that's the most they've ever conceded in a regulation game at home in franchise history.
The Blazers gave up 145 points to the Celtics at home tonight.
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 5, 2021
With that, they drop to 30th in defensive rating this season.
56.3: Celtics field goal percentage
The Celtics were red-hot in Portland with seemingly every shot going in.
Their 56.3 percent from the field is their best field goal percentage of the season, while their 49 made field goals is one shy of their season high (50 vs. Charlotte Hornets). They had it going from the 3-point line tonight with their 21-of-37 (56.8 percent) from deep tying their season-high from their opening night loss to the New York Knicks — although tonight they took 20 less attempts from beyond the arc than in that game.
30: Blazers defensive rating
It's official. The Portland Trail Blazers have the worst defense in the NBA through their first 24 games of the season.
The Blazers offense ranks in the top 5, but on the other end of the floor, they just can't stop anyone right now, giving up 111.7 points per game (25th) and they're getting lit up from the 3-point line, with teams shooting 38.9 percent from deep (30th), giving up 14.0 triples a night (29th) with only the rebuilding Thunder allowing more.
| Season | Defensive Rating (Rank) | Offensive Rating (Rank) |
| 2017-18 | 105.7 (6th) | 108.4 (14th) |
| 2018-19 | 109.5 (16th) | 113.7 (3rd) |
| 2019-20 | 114.3 (27th) | 113.2 (3rd) |
| 2020-21 | 115.3 (29th) | 117.1 (2nd) |
| 2021-22 (24 games) | 113.3 (30th) | 110.7 (5th) |
51: Celtics bench catches fire
While Tatum and Schroder did the bulk of the damage, combining for 62 of the 145, the Celtics bench got in on the act, outscoring the Blazers reserves 51-37.
Payton Pritchard added insult to injury, lighting up garbage time from the 3-point line as he put up a season-high 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc, while Aaron Nesmith added 11 points and Enes Freedom nine points and a game-high 15 rebouds in just 22 minutes.
PP PUTTING ON A SHOW 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qn9X1V7lhD — Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 5, 2021
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