Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and reached 10,000 points in his NBA career, guiding the Boston Celtics to a 124-107 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night, marking their 13th consecutive win at home.
Kristaps Porziņģis secured his third consecutive double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in only 27 minutes for the top-seeded Boston team.
Payton Pritchard contributed 20 points, Derrick White added 15, and Jrue Holiday chipped in 12 for the Celtics, who have now won 14 of their last 16 games.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla praised Brown’s career milestone, highlighting his dedication and improvement throughout the season. “It’s cool to be able to coach guys that achieve such milestones,” he said.
Dalano Banton led the scoring for Portland with 28 points, while Deandre Ayton contributed 22 points and 14 rebounds. Jabari Walker recorded 14 points and 18 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who concluded their seven-game road trip with a 2-5 record.
Jayson Tatum, Boston’s leading scorer, missed the game due to a right knee contusion, marking his sixth absence of the season. However, Boston had already secured the best record in the league and home-court advantage for the playoffs.
In his eighth season, Brown reached the 10,000-point mark with a driving left-handed scoop shot early in the second half, drawing applause from the TD Garden crowd.
Boston maintained the lead throughout the game, sealing the victory with a 12-0 run in the final quarter, highlighted by consecutive 3-pointers from Sam Hauser and Xavier Tillman.
Before the game, the Celtics honored Portland coach Chauncey Billups for his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, along with Vince Carter and other members of the class announced on Saturday.88888
