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Pierce, Celtics aim for second straight victory

Nov 17, 2006 - 2:14 PM Portland (4-5) at Boston (2-6) 7:30 pm EST

BOSTON (Ticker) - Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics hope to give their home fans more reason to cheer.

Fresh off a convincing victory, the Celtics hope to duplicate the feat Friday when they host the surprising Portland Trail Blazers.

Prior to Wednesday's contest with the Indiana Pacers, Boston had dropped four of its first five games at TD Banknorth Garden.

But the Celtics delivered a dominant performance Wednesday, outscoring the Pacers by 24 points in the second half en route to a 114-88 triumph.

Pierce scored 32 points, Wally Szczerbiak added 20 and Ryan Gomes collected 12 points and 12 rebounds for Boston, which limited Indiana to 38 percent (31-of-81) shooting and held a 53-33 edge on the boards.

The Celtics, who have not won consecutive games this season, look to carry some momentum into their matchup with the young Trail Blazers, who have lost three straight after a fast start.

Friday's matchup also marks the first time Boston point guard Sebastian Telfair squares off against his former team. Portland's first-round draft selection in 2004, Telfair was traded to the Celtics this past offseason in a five-player deal.

The 21-year-old Telfair has started each of Boston's first eight games this season, averaging 9.5 points and 3.5 assists.

The Trail Blazers look to bounce back from Wednesday's 100-87 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Zach Randolph collected 26 points and 11 rebounds while rookie LaMarcus Aldridge added 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench for Portland, which has lost four consecutive road games.