Tune-In Tidbits: TNT Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Donovan Mitchell matched his season high with 36 points in the first meeting with Boston on Feb. 9.

Jazz (28-10) at Celtics (20-18)
7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

• Utah won first meeting of the season, 122-108 on Feb. 9, behind a season-high-tying 36 points from Donovan Mitchell. Kemba Walker was the primary defender on Mitchell for a team-high 5:16 (40.2% of total offensive matchup) and gave up 12 points (33.3% of his points) on 4-6 shooting. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics that game with 33 points, 10 of those (30.3%) coming in 6:46 of matchup time against Joe Ingles (54.3% of his total offensive matchup time).

• Utah leads the NBA in 3-pointers made (16.9 per game) and connects at the third-highest percentage (39.6%). On defense, the Jazz allow the fewest 3-pointers of any team (10.9 per game) and hold opponents to the sixth-lowest 3-point percentage (35.3%).

• The Jazz have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, giving Utah as many losses in the past 10 games as they had in their first 28 games (23-5). During this 10-game stretch, Utah’s offense has remained on par with its early season success (116.0 last 10 games, 116.6 first 28 games), but the defense has dropped off (110.7 last 10 games, 107.4 first 28 games).

• Boston enters Tuesday with a 12-5 record at home this season. At home, the Celtics rank 10th in both offensive (114.6) and defensive efficiency (109.9). On the road, the Celtics rank 17th on offense (111.6) and 22nd on defense (113.4).

• Jayson Tatum ranks seventh in the NBA in points per game on pull-ups at 9.7 ppg with an effective field goal percentage of 47.3%. Donovan Mitchell leads the Jazz at 7.8 ppg on pull-ups (20th in NBA) with an eFG% of 45.1%.

Damian Lillard scored 43 points – one of his four 40-point games this season – in Portland’s win over New Orleans on Feb. 17.

Pelicans (17-22) at Trail Blazers (22-16)
10 p.m. ET, TNT

• Portland won the first meeting of the season, 126-124 on Feb. 17 in New Orleans, thanks to another edition of Dame Time with Damian Lillard scoring 43 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 16.5 seconds remaining to carry the Blazers to the win. Lillard also dished out 16 assists in the game. This was only the fifth game since 1983-84 that a player has posted at least 43 points and 16 assists in the same game with Lillard joining James Harden (2x), Trae Young and Isiah Thomas.

• Delivering in clutch situations is something Lillard has become accustomed to throughout his career. He leads the NBA with 114 clutch points this season and is shooting 33-54 (61.1%) from the field, 15-17 (55.6%) from 3-point range and a perfect 33-33 from the free throw line when the game is within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. Since entering the NBA in 2012-13, Lillard has finished outside the top 10 in clutch points only twice in nine seasons (16th his rookie year and 15th in his fourth year).

• Zion Williamson matched his season high with 36 points in the first meeting with Portland on Feb. 17. Zion Williamson won his individual matchup with Robert Covington by scoring 25 points (69.4% of his total) and drawing four shooting fouls during 6:58 of matchup time (64.4% of Zion’s offensive time).

• The Blazers rank second in the league in 3-pointers made (16.2 per game) and eighth in 3-point percentage (38.2%). CJ McCollum, who has been cleared to play on Tuesday, led the NBA with 4.8 3-pointers made per game before he went down to a foot injury after 13 games. Lillard ranks third in the league with 4.3 3-pointers made per game, with Stephen Curry sitting between the Blazers’ sharpshooters.

• Damian Lillard (18 games) and Zion Williamson (17 games) have the second- and third-longest active streaks of 20-point games. Both are right on the heels of the reigning back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has the longest streak at 19 straight games with 20 or more points.