The shorthanded, youthful Portland Trail Blazers and Deandre Ayton battled against the Boston Celtics on the road Sunday night. They still predictably faded away in the fourth quarter, losing 124-107 in the final game of a 2-5 road trip.
The Blazers were fueled by a 28-point, nine-assist performance from Dalano Banton against his former team, while Ayton registered 22 points and 14 rebounds (both Banton and Ayton separately shot 11-23 from the field). Jabari Walker added 14 points and 18 rebounds, helping Portland beat Boston 22-5 on the offensive glass. Rookie point guard Scoot Henderson registered 15 points (on 3-13 shooting), eight assists, two steals and five turnovers while shooting 6-6 from the free throw line.