Portland

A big win against a bad team. That's what Sunday's win over the Sacramento Kings represented. A truer measure of where the Celtics are at will be tonight night against Portland. The Blazers are 11-3 at home, but only 5-5 over their last 10 games. So the Celtics will be playing in a hostile arena against a hungry team.

I say good.

The 1987 team was notorious for getting our hopes up, demolishing bad teams one night only to lose on the road the next. The 1987 Celtics started the season with a 120-102 win over the Bullets, and then turned around and lost to the Bucks the next night. The game after that the green demolished Indiana by 30, and then turned around and lost to the Nets by four later that week.

Winning a game or two by 20 or more points, then, really isn't a sign of health, unless the Celtics mix in a few wins against good teams. Both Brandon Roy and Greg Oden are questionable for tonight's game.

Since Portland sans those two is still no worse than Golden State, the Celtics have no gimme tonight, even if they both sit.