The Celtics win Saturday night against Atlanta was just the first of their six game road trip before heading West. The upcoming five games include only one team who, at the time of writing, is above .500, the Sacramento Kings. Besides the Rockets, all the other teams hang around mediocracy sticking around the even win-loss area. The Celtics pride themselves on a 18-5 record against Western Conference teams this season. They hope to make it 23-5 for the plane ride home.

March 13: Houston Rockets

The Celtics face the abysmal Rockets on Monday night, hoping to see a clean sweep of their series this season. The Rockets, who share the podium for worst team this season, gain only an ego boost from a win against Boston. It might even be all the better to seek a loss for a better chance at the number one pick in the draft.

The Rockets have been led by sophomore Jalen Green, getting support from Şengün and Porter Junior, but their efforts have been in vain.

In the first matchup, the Celtics took a 126-102 win. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum dropped 39 and 38 points, respectively. The C’s will be without Robert Williams and Payton Pritchard, but might not need them for such a game.

March 15: Minnesota Timberwolves

The next opponent will be the KAT-less Timberwolves. The Timberwolves currently sit at seventh in the Western Conference and are hovering around the first play-in spot. It would seem they want one more final push to edge themselves into a guaranteed playoff spot in these final games.

The last meeting at TD Garden in December resulted in a 121-109 victory, led by Brown’s 36 points.

One shining light from the Timberwolves’ last meeting with the Celtics was D’Angelo’s 21 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He was the only starter to have a positive +/- for Minnesota.

With KAT still out with an injury and Gobert on a day-to-day basis, the Celtics should see an easy win in Minnesota. However, the Celtics missing a vital big man in Williams could be to the Wolves’ benefit. The Celtics’ 3-point shooting technique might have to strike a cord in order to secure a victory Wednesday night. Otherwise, the Timberwolves will very much take advantage of bad shots.

March 17: Portland Trail Blazers

The Celtics’ next opponent is the Trail Blazers, who they had just recently beaten on March 8. The Celtics’ victory over the Blazers was a turning point for the team in green, breaking a small losing streak that saw them lose their top spot in the East to Milwaukee.

The Blazers will seek revenge on their home court led by Damian Lillard, the third top scorer in the NBA for points per game. Portland is a 3-point shooting team no doubt, with shooters like Lillard, Simons, Sharpe, and Reddish all attempting a fair number each game.

To secure a win in a difficult environment, the Celtics will have to find a way to trap Lillard into passing. Pressuring Lillard to shoot from tough locations on the court has never gone well for other teams. The Celtics will have to outshoot the Blazers if they want to have a chance at leaving Rip City with a win.

March 18: Utah Jazz

Danny Ainge’s Utah Jazz got off to an incredible start this season, but soon faltered to the middle of the pack where most predicted them to sit. Lauri Markkanen’s all-star season is one of the headlines out of Utah so far.

Ainge isn’t the only former Celtic to join the Jazz. Will Hardy, the Jazz’s coach, was a part of Udoka’s coaching staff last season. Kelly Olynyk has also found a home in Salt Lake City as a starting piece for Hardy’s team.

The Celtics have yet to face the Jazz and vice versa this season, and it’s sure to be an entertaining matchup. The Jazz have the seventh-best offensive rating out of teams this season, but are 24th in defensive rating.

Markkanen has been putting up 25 points per game and around 8.5 rebounds per game, both career highs. After being written off by most teams, Ainge saw something in him and was able to acquire him and let him shine. The Markkanen versus Tatum competition will surely be one to watch on Saturday.

March 21: Sacramento Kings

The last leg of the Celtics journey takes them to California’s capital, Sacramento. The only team on this road trip that currently sits above .500, the Kings have been a surprise to everyone this season.

After trading away young sensation Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield for Domantas Sabonis, the Kings have been, without a doubt, the most surprising team this season. Most wrote them off as a 10th seed in the West, not breaking higher than 37 wins. The Kings, at the time of writing, sit at second in the West with 40 wins, with 16 games still to be played.

The Celtics got the best of the Kings in their first matchup this season, winning 122-104. Tatum had 30, Brown had 25, and De’Aaron Fox had 20 for the Kings.

The acquisition of Kevin Huerter for the Kings has been a major key to their success. Huerter has given the Kings 15 points per game as starting shooting guard for the “beam team”.

The Celtics hope to come back home as successfully as possible, as any team would hope. But despite their opposition’s records, anything can happen on the road. Can the Celtics manage an undefeated trip out West, or will they come back home with a worse seeding than they left?

If you enjoyed articles like this, be sure to check out other articles written by Nate. Also be sure to check out the NBA page if you enjoy NBA articles, and check out the main site for everything sports and esports!

Featured image provided by Adam Hagy/Getty Images

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