The Boston Celtics enter Monday night’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers with a chance to reach 50 wins in 65 attempts. 
They’re also comfortably atop the NBA standings, claiming a 4.5-game cushion over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are in second.
Their primary focus is getting sharp for the playoffs, especially after consecutive losses against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets called their crunch-time offense into question.
To Boston’s credit, it returned to a more active and team-oriented approach when it got even more reps in the clutch, defined as the final five minutes of a game within five points, in Saturday’s 117-107 victory vs. the Phoenix Suns.
But the Celtics also have an open roster spot. While far from a priority and not even a vacancy that requires filling, players on the team have lobbied for Blake Griffin to return.
While Otto Porter Jr. doesn’t have the same familiarity with the group as Griffin, the former Georgetown Hoya is a high-IQ player who helped the Golden State Warriors beat Boston in the 2022 NBA Finals.
He’s also no longer under contract after the Utah Jazz waived him on Monday, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
