The schedule won't lighten for the Celtics in the New Year. After a home game against Washington Friday, they begin a stretch of four games in six nights in four different cities on Sunday in New York.
Doc Rivers has been giving his players a number of days off from practice and he agreed that fatigue has been an issue with the Celtics lately. "Well, we've played more games than anybody else in the NBA right now, but I guarantee you at the end, everyone will play 82," he said. "I know that's a cute way of answering the question, but it is what it is. There's nothing you can do about it. You know, the weight of the streak plus the game on Christmas and then playing the next night was a difficult thing, but I would have rather gone through the streak. It means you had one.
"You go through some type of fatigue during the season at different points, and we're going through one right now. We just have to get through it."
Looking back at Sunday's blowout win in Sacramento, Paul Pierce was thankful for the rest it afforded.
"Whenever you sit down in the fourth quarter as a starter, you know that you're doing something good," said Pierce. "We were able to get the lead and the bench was able to sustain it. It's good to get some rest, especially on a long road trip like this."
Added Rivers, "That's always nice. Any chance you get to rest those guys, it's great. It was needed. I think you can see we're a little tired right now. We've got to get through this stretch."
CELTICS 86, TRAIL BLAZERS 91: The Celtics faltered at the end again, squandering a double-digit lead on the way to a loss at Portland Tuesday.
Paul Pierce had 28 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics lost for the third time on this four-game trip west.
This one featured the odd sight of the Blazers being credited with a basket while having six men on the floor. Travis Outlaw took a pass from Greg Oden and scored with three seconds left in the first half. When the Celtics immediately pointed it out to the officials, Portland was given a technical foul. But the refs said that because they didn't catch it before the hoop was scored that it would count.
"That was awful," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "And it came back into play. But... we had enough time to make it up."
The Celtics were within two points with 52 seconds left, but the Blazers, playing without star Brandon Roy, outscored them 6-3 the rest of the way.
Portland won the game on the glass with a 44-29 edge and a 20-7 advantage in second-chance points.
