Boston Celtics will look for another productive game from their non-starters when they meet the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday evening.
Boston, who has been without Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (hand) for their last two matches, had a 28-11 advantage in bench points when it beat Denver 110-103 on Sunday. It came two days after Boston’s bench was outscored 33-6 in a 123-116 home loss to Cleveland.
Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta were Boston Reserve, which had the biggest impact in Sunday’s victory. Pritchard scored 11 points, Hauser added eight and Queta contributed eight points and 10 returns.
“In order for us to be a good team, they have to play that way and that’s a fantastic thing,” said Boston coach Joe Mazzulla. “I talked to Payton the other day and he is such a competitor. He took ownership – not that I thought it was on him – but he took the ownership to make sure he is in the game, that set up really affects to win. And I knew (against Denver) that he would put us able to do so.”
Queta is on average 5.0 points and 3.7 returns in 14.1 minutes per match this season.
“Just very professionally,” Al Horford said about Queta. “Neemi, just stick to his preparation, his routine, even if he does not play, you see him here, the same energy, works and just stay ready for the possibilities. … He can defend the perimeter, protect the color, get rebounds, just stay ready and just take advantage of the opportunity.”
Boston also received 19 points, eight returns and three steals from Horford, who started instead of Porzingis and had to deal with Denver star Nikola Jokic at the defensive end.
“For me it was to make sure I took some energy early and that we put a ton,” Horford said. “I felt we could do it and do it, and we took off from there.”
Wednesday’s game will be the sixth stop on a seven-game road trip for Portland. Trail Blazers has won four of the first five matches on the trip, including Monday’s victory 119-102 over Philadelphia. Portland’s only loss during that route came on overtime against Cleveland, which owns the NBA’s best record.
Trail Blazers has seven players who on average are more than 10 points per match.
“There is always someone else every night for us, which I think makes us difficult to prepare for,” said Portland coach Chauncey Billups.
Anternee Simons is on average a team high 19.0 points per match and threw in a match high 34 during Monday’s victory over Philadelphia. But at his press conference after the game, Billup’s Shaedon Sharpe designated his defense and recovered towards the 766.
Sharpe had 20 points, one career high 11 returns and five assists in the victory.
“I think crime is easy for Shaedon,” Billups said. “He can make it look very simple. The defensive side is completely different. When he is locked in defense, it makes his crime even easier.
“I thought he was fantastic. Career pile in rebounding. We need these returns in a big way. I think he may be the most athletic guy in basketball. I need him to get the tough returns.”
-Field level media
