It started with a dunk. With Jared Jeffries defending him, Jeff Green drove for the slam and drew the foul, an aggressive move to start an aggressive game, just seconds into the second quarter of a 96-78 Celtics takedown of the Trail Blazers Friday night.

The sizable final deficit was partly due to the ineptitude of Portland, partly due to the all-around game of Courtney Lee, and partly due to a season-high 19 points off the bench for Green.