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Keys to the Game: Trail Blazers 127, Celtics 123 (OT)

Marc D'Amico
Team Reporter and Analyst

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Key Moment

The Celtics trailed by one point with 59.3 seconds left in overtime Saturday night. They called for timeout in the hopes of drawing up a potential go-ahead play.

Unfortunately, we’ll never know what that have been, because the play technically never got started.

No time ticked off the clock before Portland regained possession of the ball. Marcus Smart attempted a lob pass to Al Horford, who was facing the basket and had sealed his defender behind him. However, the pass flew far past the outstretched hand of Horford and directly out of bounds.

“I thought we threw a couple of passes that, certainly at the end of games, you can’t throw,” Stevens said after the game.

One would have to assume that Stevens was alluding to, among others, Smart’s pass. And Portland capitalized on Boston’s critical mistake at the other end of the court.

Damian Lillard, who finally broke through with a strong performance at TD Garden after struggling mightily during his first four career games in the building, drove in for a reverse, and-one bucket that pushed Portland’s lead up to 122-118.

The key to this sequence is not only that Boston turned it over and Portland scored. More importantly, it’s the fact that the Trail Blazers were able to open up a two-possession lead.

The Celtics were never able to make up for that deficit the rest of the way. And in fact, they never even had a chance, as they never again had possession of the ball with their deficit set at three or fewer points.

It all started with that critical turnover, and it all ended with that clutch finish by Lillard.

Key Player

Brad Stevens hit the nail on the head Saturday night when he called Isaiah Thomas’ performance remarkable. It unquestionably was.

Thomas not only scored 41 points against the Portland Trail Blazers, but he did so while shooting 50.0 percent from the field. He made 14 of his 28 field goals, four of his 11 3-pointers and nine of his 11 free throws.

The box score screams fantastic, but when you take into account the fact that Thomas was also chasing around Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum at the defensive end during his 43-plus minutes of action, it all becomes remarkable.

The 5-foot-9 point guard also added in six assists to tie for the team high in that category.

Box Score Nuggets

  • Three players scored at least 28 points in the game, led by 41 from Isaiah Thomas.
  • Both teams had six players score in double-figures.
  • Boston committed an uncharacteristically high number of turnovers with 21.
  • C.J. McCollum led Portland with 35 points.
  • The contest featured an incredible 27 lead changes and 22 ties.
  • Boston outscored Portland during three of the four quarters of regulation but couldn't snag the win.
  • Mason Plumlee led all players with 11 rebounds.
  • Al Horford quietly stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
  • Likewise, Marcus Smart had a strong night, tallying 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals.
  • Damian Lillard scored 28 points and tied for the the game in assists with six.
  • Meyers Leonard led all reserves with 17 points.
  • Terry Rozier scored 15 points off of Boston's bench, including the game-tying 3-pointer to send the game into overtime.
  • Portland's 12 steals doubled Boston's total of six.
  • Amir Johnson accounted for the Celtics' only two blocks.
  • Thomas played a season-high 43:32.
  • The Celtics outrebounded Portland 47-37 but still lost.

Quote of the Night

After watching his team surrender 127 points to Portland, Brad Stevens comments on his team's defense before acknowledging how crazy he may sound.