BSJ Live Coverage: Celtics vs. Trail Blazers 8:00 p.m. - Jrue Holiday returns to TD Garden

BOSTON CELTICS (28-17) at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (23-23)

Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Game time: 8:00 p.m.

TV: NBC Sports Boston, Peacock

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Celtics injury report:

• Luka Garza - QUESTIONABLE - (non-Covid illness)

• Josh Minott - QUESTIONABLE (left ankle sprain)

• Neemias Queta - QUESTIONABLE (non-Covid illnes)

• Jayson Tatum - OUT (right Achilles repair)

Trail Blazers injury report:

• Deni Avdija - QUESTIONABLE (lower back strain)

• Scoot Henderson - OUT (left hamstring tear)

• Damian Lillard - OUT (left Achilles tendon injury management)

• Kris Murray - OUT (lumbar strain)

• Duop Reath - OUT (right foot soreness)

• Matisse Thybulle - OUT (right knee tendinopathy)

• Blake Wesley - OUT (right foot fracture)

• Robert Williams III - QUESTIONABLE (left knee injury management)

What to watch for: Jrue Holiday is back at TD Garden for the first time since getting traded over the summer. The Boston Celtics shipped him to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks (though the seconds were later excluded from the deal after something popped up in Holiday’s medical).

The Celtics could be dealing with some tough injury luck, but nothing like the Blazers'. Boston’s two-man center rotation is questionable, but almost half of Portland’s entire roster could miss the game.

Tale of the tape: The last time these two players squared off, the Blazers got the best of Boston. Jaylen Brown dropped a 37-point masterpiece, but it wasn’t enough, as Derrick White and Payton Pritchard both struggled with their efficiency.

Meanwhile, big man Donovan Clingan absolutely feasted on the glass, pulling in 18 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.

Deni Avdija dished out 10 assists as the Blazers nailed 18 triples en route to a 114-108 victory in Portland.

Last game: Boston will be looking to bounce back after a tough loss to the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Saturday night. It was their second night of a back-to-back, the first being a double-overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets, and they fell just three points short of a victory.

Kevin Huerter nailed a game-winning three in the corner with 0.2 seconds remaining, and the Celtics flew back from Chicago winless.

Standings check-in: Having gone just 5-5 in their last 10 games, the Celtics are now just barely holding onto second place in the Eastern Conference. They are still 5.5 games back of the Detroit Pistons in first, but the Toronto Raptors are catching them.

Boston is only 0.5 games up on the Raptors, one game up on the New York Knicks, and two games up on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Trail Blazers check-in: As for the Blazers, they have been on fire lately. Much like their game against the Bulls on Saturday, who had won three straight heading into the game, the Celtics will be catching Portland at a tough time.

The Blazers have won 11 of their last 15 games, including four of their last five. Throughout the course of their hot stretch, they’ve taken down the Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets (twice), and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Avdija has been leading the way. In his last 11 games, he’s averaging 27.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.5 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field and 33.3% from deep on 6.5 three-point attempts per game. He’s also a master of getting to the foul line, earning 10.1 free throws over that stretch.

Shaedon Sharpe (21.9 points) and undrafted rookie Caleb Love (16.2 points) have also dominated for the last 15 games. Love is shooting an impressive 39.2% from deep on 8.3 attempts in his last 15.

Meanwhile, Clingan, who swarmed the Celtics on the glass in their last matchup, is grabbing 12.1 boards per game in his last 15, including 4.4 offensive rebounds per contest.

One fun play: This is the value of Baylor Scheierman. There have been a few comments here on BSJ over the last few days about his value on the court, and this is a perfect example.

Though he may not be as gifted a defender as Jordan Walsh or Hugo Gonzalez, his offensive game is much more refined.

Nikola Vucevic comes up to the level in the pick-and-roll versus Simons, giving Neemias Queta room to roll. Simons swings it to Scheierman on the wing, and the Bulls’ defense is in rotation.

Gonzalez shifts up to the win, bringing Huerter with him, but instead of shooting, Scheierman sees that Patrick Williams is still running over in rotation. So, he drives.

This catches Williams off-balance and forces Vucevic to help off of Queta once again. Scheierman throws the lob, and Queta draws a foul on Williams.

Scheierman reads the game very well on offense, which often helps the Celtics make second and third reads they otherwise wouldn’t on that end.