NBA: Celtics never trail in triumph over Trail Blazers

Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 23 points and Jaylen Brown added 20 as Boston held off the Portland Trail Blazers for a 102-94 win, never trailing in the game.

FIELD LEVEL MEDIA / Reuters

January 27, 2026

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Kevin Huerter (13) and forward Jalen Smith (25) during the second half at United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on January 24, 2026.

Kamil Krzaczynski / Reuters

Payton Pritchard scored a game-high 23 points and Jaylen Brown added 20 to lead the Boston Celtics to a 102-94 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.

Pritchard made 5 of 11 attempts from beyond the arc and also grabbed four rebounds. Brown contributed eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Derrick White added 18 points for Boston, but he committed nine turnovers.

For the Trail Blazers, Jerami Grant led the team with 19 points, while Toumani Camara added 18. Portland also received nine points and 15 rebounds from Donovan Clingan, and 14 points from Jrue Holiday.

Portland played without leading scorer Deni Avdija, who missed his second straight game due to a lower back strain. Avdija is averaging 26.0 points and 6.9 assists per game.

It was the start of a four-game homestand for Boston, which never trailed throughout the game. The Celtics were also missing center Luka Garza due to illness.

Boston dominated early, scoring the first eight points and building a 29-9 lead with 1:33 left in the first quarter. The Celtics led 32-11 after the opening period. Portland struggled from the field, shooting 4 of 21 in the first quarter, including 1 of 12 from three-point range.

The Trail Blazers managed to cut the deficit to 11 points several times in the second quarter but still trailed 52-37 at halftime.

In the third quarter, a Caleb Love layup reduced Boston’s lead to 10 points with 4:01 left. Portland got as close as eight points in the quarter but still trailed 75-65 heading into the final period.

Portland briefly narrowed the gap to 99-94 after an 8-0 run capped by two free throws from Camara with 41.5 seconds remaining. However, the Trail Blazers couldn’t get any closer.

The Blazers struggled from long range, missing 30 of their 40 three-point attempts, and also missed 10 of 30 free throws.

This was the second meeting between the teams this season. Portland previously defeated Boston 114-108 in Portland on Dec. 28.

— Field Level Media/Reuters