NBA 2018-19: Predicted Starting Lineups and Match Prediction - Portland Trail Blazers vs Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics continue to struggle as they have now lost three straight games, following their loss against the conference rivals, Toronto Raptors. They will now face a highly competitive Portland Trail Blazers at home. The Blazers are on a four-game win streak and are coming off an easy win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Match Details:
When: Feb 27, 2019 8:00 pm ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston
Watch: ESPN
The Boston Celtics' perspective
The situation is getting really tricky for the Boston Celtics. They entered the season as the favorites to win it all in the Eastern Conference but have slowly lost the edge and at 37-24, they are in the fifth spot in the East and will need to get their act together before it's too late.
While Kyrie Irving has been his usual self scoring the ball, they need a lot more from Jayson Tatum and even though he has been good, the Celtics just don't seem to look like they have enough offensive power.
A lot of their players have been underperforming all season long and with four straight losses on their name, they need to hit panic button now.
The predicted Boston Celtics' starting line-up:
Marcus Morris Sr. (F), Jayson Tatum (F), Al Harford (C), Kyrie Irving (G) and Marcus Smart (G)
The Portland Trail Blazers' perspective
The Portland Trail Blazers are definitely one of the most underrated teams in the league and do not get the kind of media attention and the credit they should get for performing the way have been doing this season.
They are just behind Oklahoma City Thunder for the third spot and have a well-balanced roster that can surprise the league in the playoffs. In their recent win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Damian Lillard scored 21 points and CJ McCollum scored game-high 35 points.
The predicted Portland Trail Blazers' starting line-up:
Maurice Harkless (F), Al-Farouq Aminu (F), Jusuf Nurkic (C), CJ McCollum (G) and Damian Lillard (G)
How things might unfold
The first time these two teams met this season was in November 2018 when the Blazers handed the Celtics a 6-point defeat. The Celtics are on a really rough patch right now while the Blazers are clearly ahead riding on a four-game win streak. Expect the Blazers to once again beat the Celtics and clinch the regular-season series 2-0.
Prediction
Portland Trail Blazers to beat Boston Celtics