By Joel Bartilotta
RotoWire
The Portland Trail Blazers knocked off the Boston Celtics 80-75 during Friday’s matchup at the Las Vegas Summer League.
In a game that was tied at 70-70 with less than three minutes left, the Blazers were able to make one final push that proved to be decisive. In fact, they mounted a 9-2 run that created too much of a gap for the Celtics to overcome. Defense was key for Portland, as they held Boston to 22.7 percent shooting from three-point range and forced 20 turnovers.
Pat Connaughton and Pierre Jackson were the only two Blazers to score in double figures, but their 43 combined points ended up being the difference. Connaughton (23 points on 8-for-18 shooting) collected four rebounds to go along with his scoring haul, while Jackson (20 points on 7-for-10 shooting) played more a distributing role, dishing out eight assists. Rookie Jake Layman chipped in eight points and seven rebounds, but shot just 2-for-9 from the field
First-round pick Jaylen Brown turned in another strong outing Friday, scoring a team-high 21 points, while also adding seven rebounds and five steals in the win. Fellow rookie Abdel Nader was second on the team in scoring, tallying 16 points to go with three steals. And big man Jordan Mickey double-doubled while making the start at center, totaling 12 points and 13 rebounds.
The Blazers finish their summer league with a 2-3 record, while Friday’s triumph marked the Celtics’ lone victory in five summer games.
