Game 10 Preview: Trail Blazers at Celtics

Brandon Bass has to keep Lamarcus Aldridge
in front of him tonight.

The Boston Celtics (4-5) blew a chance to climb over the .500 mark with their 89-83 loss on Wednesday to the Charlotte Bobcats. Tonight, they can get back to that .500 clip, but they have their hands full. They will take on the Portland Trail Blazers (6-2).

Portland has won four straight with their latest win coming Wednesday night over the Phoenix Suns. This team is good. They can score efficiently, pass the ball, rebound, and play defense.

Here's a preview:

Projected lineups:

Trail Blazers:
Damian Lillard
Wesley Matthews
Nicolas Batum
LaMarcus Aldridge
Robin Lopez

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Kelly Olynyk

Keys to the game:

1. How about some effort?: Boston got off to a sluggish start on Wednesday night. It was almost as if they did not take the Bobcats seriously. Two years ago, they could afford to do so, but not this year. This team is not talented enough to take any team lightly. Boston let Charlotte shoot 61% and grab 15 rebounds in the first quarter. They woke up in the second quarter, but they dug themselves an 11-point hole in the first and were unable to get themselves out of it. The Celtics need to be ready to go right from the tip tonight, especially against a talented Trail Blazers team.

2. Control that backcourt: Portland's starting backcourt is dynamic. It includes Damian Lillard, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Wesley Matthews, one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Matthews is having a tremendous season, shooting 55% from the floor and 51% from three-point range to go along with 15.3 points and 5 rebounds per game. It will be all hands on deck for the Celtics guards. They need Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, Phil Pressey, and Courtney Lee to bring their A-game on the defensive end tonight.