Blazers beat Celtics, snap seven-game slide

Portland, OR – Wesley Matthews scored 24 points and led the Portland Trail Blazers to a 92-86 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Matthews was 8-of-11 from the field, including five 3-pointers. Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 and 16 points, respectively, and J.J. Hickson recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers, who snapped a seven-game losing streak.

"I can't remember when we got our last win ... it was after the Super Bowl. Seems like two years ago," Batum said.

Paul Pierce had a team-high 23 points as well as eight assists and seven rebounds for the Celtics, who came into the game off a win against Phoenix. Kevin Garnett had 20 points and nine boards, while Brandon Bass and Jeff Green scored 11 points apiece.

"We didn't finish any quarter well," Boston head coach Doc Rivers said. "They made some big shots."

Portland had an 82-74 advantage with 5:50 remaining in regulation. The Celtics, however, went on a 12-4 run, capped with a layup by Garnett to tie the game at 86-86 with 1:46 left to play.

Garnett's score was the last for Boston, as Damian Lillard made a three-point play just 14 seconds later and a 3-pointer by Matthews sealed the deal.

Pierce attempted two shots in the final 1:14, but missed both of them.

Pierce was efficient in the first half, scoring 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting. However, the rest of the team struggled as it shot 12-of-39, including 1- of-7 from behind the arc.

The Blazers had a 49-42 lead at halftime. However, the Celtics went on a 13-5 run to take a 55-54 lead with 8:32 remaining in the third.

The teams traded the lead eight times throughout the frame before a 3-pointer by Batum gave the Blazers a 65-63 edge and the team held on for the rest of the game.

Neither team was able to score in the final 1:19 of the period and the two missed combined for six misses.

Entering the fourth, the Blazers led 71-67.

Game Notes

Garnett had 10 points and four rebounds in the fourth quarter ... Eric Maynor, who was traded from Oklahoma City at the trade deadline, made his Portland debut and had two points and three assists ... Since losing Rajon Rondo to a season-ending knee injury, the Celtics are 9-4.