The last time the Trail Blazers faced the Boston Celtics, they withered in the fourth quarter in a 93-78 loss at TD Banknorth Garden on Dec. 5.
Portland will need a more complete effort if it is to win Tuesday night when the defending NBA champions come calling at the Rose Garden. The Blazers feel they are ready after a second-half comeback lifted them to a 102-89 victory over Toronto on Saturday night.
"We have to play four quarters to get it done against the Celtics," Portland's Brandon Roy said. "This was a good game to boost into that one. If we keep the mind-set, 'Defense first,' we can beat those guys."
TRAIL BLAZERS 102, RAPTORS 89: Brandon Roy plows through single coverage the way world eating champion Takeru Kobayashi devours hot dogs, especially in the fourth quarter of tight contests.
That was the case Saturday, as Roy, facing almost entirely single coverage, went for 18 of his game-high 32 points in the final period of Portland's victory.
The Blazers led only 69-67 going into the final period. Then Roy took over the game as precious few players can in the NBA.
"We had a very similar game in Toronto (a 98-97 Portland win on Dec. 7), where (the Raptors) had control the first half and we had to fight back," Portland coach Nate McMillan said. "They're a great shooting team. They can put the ball in the basket; they have an inside presence.
"They made a ton of shots the first half, but the second half, we felt like they would start missing those shots, and they did."
