BOSTON (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 23 points, hitting buzzer-beaters to end each of the first two quarters, and Jaylen Brown added 20 on Monday night to lead the Boston Celtics to a 102-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Derrick White scored 18 points, making a 3-pointer after Portland cut what had been a 23-point deficit to five in the final minute. White also stole the ball on the Blazers’ next possession.
Jerami Grant scored 19 and former UConn star Donovan Clingan had 15 rebounds for the Blazers, who had won four of their previous five games to briefly climb above .500 for the first time since November.
Pritchard hit a long 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer to give Boston a 32-11 lead. Portland cut the deficit to 10 before ex-Blazer Anfernee Simons made a 3 and Pritchard hit a fadeaway shot from the lane as time ran out in the half to make it 52-37.
Portland made it 99-94 in the final minute after Grant drove for a basket, got fouled, missed the free throw and then made another layup off Toumani Camara’s offensive rebound. But White’s 3-pointer effectively ended the threat.
Jrue Holiday, who was a starter on Boston’s 2024 NBA championship team, got a big hand when he was introduced before the game and a standing ovation following a tribute video after the first quarter. Holiday, who scored 14 points, was traded away last summer as the Celtics tried to avoid the penalties for going over the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax.
Also getting a big cheer from the crowd that braved a snowstorm that dumped as much as two feet of snow on the Boston area over the previous 36 hours was New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose team beat Denver on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl. New Celtics owner Bill Chisholm was in his courtside seat in a sweatshirt honoring Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
Up next
Portland plays at Washington on Tuesday night.
The Celtics host Atlanta on Wednesday night as they continue a five-game homestand.
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