<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">41-12</span> <span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">@</span> <span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">29-26</span> Sunday, February 24, 2008 - 6:00 pm ET Rose Garden (Portland, OR) Game aired on CSN</div> For the first time this season, the Boston Celtics are on a losing streak. Just two days after the All-Star game, the Celtics began a five-game west coast swing in Denver. The Celtics lost the game, but were fortunate enough to at least get Kevin Garnett back in the lineup. The next night, they headed to Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors, where the C’s dropped a shootout by a Baron Davis game-winner. The most recent loss, however, was the ugliest of them all. Despite an outstanding defensive showing, holding the new-look Phoenix Suns to just 85 points, the Celtics could not pull out the hard-fought “W” on the road. The reason was the offense, which was beyond putrid. There wasn’t a single Celtic who had anything going throughout the entire game, and they were held to just 77 points. The positive in that is that the Celtics learned that they can slow down the most potent offense in the NBA, control the tempo, and pull out a victory on even an average offensive performance. It’s time for the C’s to put this losing streak behind them, and they’ll attempt to do so in Portland tonight. Portland isn’t playing their best basketball as of late, either. Throughout a stretch starting in early December and ending in the second week of January, the Blazers were the hottest team in the NBA and won 17 of 18 games. Lately, however, it hasn’t been quite as peachy in Portland. They’ve lost six of their last seven games, and head coach Nate McMillan has decided to make lineup changes in attempt to fix it. He now starts a smaller backcourt of Steve Blake and Jarrett Jack with Brandon Roy at the three, rather than the previous lineup he had gone with consisting of Martell Webster. Brandon Roy has been playing half out of his mind in February, averaging over 20 points, seven rebounds, and nearly seven assists per contest, but the Trail Blazers haven’t found a viable solution to winning games. They’ll be more than tested tonight, as they face the team with the best record in the NBA. Despite Portland’s recent struggles and Boston’s far superior record, this will not be an easy victory for the green by any means. Portland is one of the better teams in the league when playing at home, where they hold a 21-7 record, and will put up a great fight for 48 minutes. Win or lose, this team comes to play. Hopefully, the Celtics can end their short-term misery with a victory and get back on track before heading home for Wednesday’s matchup with the new-look Cavaliers. Projected Starters C Kendrick Perkins / Joel Przybilla PF Kevin Garnett / LaMarcus Aldridge SF Paul Pierce / Brandon Roy SG Ray Allen / Jarrett Jack PG Rajon Rondo / Steve Blake Key Matchup: Paul Pierce vs. Brandon Roy This may not be the flashy matchup you’ll see on ESPN, but these two are some of the most well-rounded wings in the NBA. Their numbers speak for themselves, but their productivity and value goes beyond the stat sheet. Pierce (20.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.8 APG) is one of the most devastating one-on-one covers in the NBA, as he can score from any spot on the floor at many different angles. The story of his season, however, has been the consistent defensive presence he has brought to the table regardless of his offensive output for the night. Brandon Roy (19.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.8 APG) is “Mr. Do-It-All.” He is able to play all three perimeter positions, is Portland’s playmaker, get knock down perimeter jumpers, has terrific court vision, works hard defensively, and he can get to the basket in ways similar to Ray Allen (not the quickest guy out there, but once he gets a step on his man, they never get it back). There isn’t much that Roy can’t do on the court, and he’s developing into a leader in just his second year, as well. His All-Star selection was well-deserving. “The Truth” will be in the building, but he’ll have his hands full. Celtics X-Factor: Tony Allen For the past month and a half or so, Tony Allen has played exceptionally well off the bench, but the fourth-year guard had a stinker in Phoenix. His decision-making was putrid, especially in transition, and he turned the ball over multiple times in a row. He’ll need to play a lot smarter than that tonight, but he’ll also have to play defensive stopper. Brandon Roy can score in a lot of ways, and he may be too laterally quick for Pierce or Ray Allen to contain all game long. TA will need to bring a lot of energy off the bench and slow Roy down. Injury Report BOS – Brian Scalabrine (strained groin – out) POR – Greg Oden (recovering from right knee surgery) POR – Darius Miles (recovering from right knee surgery) POR – James Jones (sore left knee) Celtics Keys to the Game • Own the Boards • Attack the Rim & Make Free Throws • Contain Roy • Pressure Portland’s Guards • Play Like You Want It
