Without Brandon Roy and even without a prayer down as much as 13 points, the Portland Trail Blazers shocked themselves and the Boston Celtics. When the dust settled, the Blazers were left flexing.

"Portland came in and wanted to be physical," Doc Rivers said after the game.

"I thought that was great for us because all they were doing was fouling in the first half."

That was a first half complete with a 13 point first quarter by Portland, their lowest first quarter outing of the season. It's the same half that ended with an ugly dispute. With 10.3 seconds left in the second quarter, the Blazers took to the floor and scored with six men on the court. The refs didn't catch it until after Travis Outlaw scored. The refs counted the bucket.

Rivers was perplexed. He stayed that way until after the game.                                          

"We even called the league about it and they didn't know what to do."

A still frustrated Rivers took a comment sheet from NBA Official Mike Callahan and dropped it into a reporters hand while Ray Allen was conducting an interview.

"Here's another brilliant quote," a visibly upset Rivers said before leaving the Celtics locker room.

Callahan's quote read as such:

"If we would have caught the six men on the court before the made goal then there would have been no score. We would have called a technical foul on Portland and stopped play. After the technical foul shot (by Boston), Portland would have inbounded the ball as they were in possession before the stoppage."

But this game didn't come down to one play. It came down to a bunch of players fighting for life without their leading scorer versus the best team in all of basketball.

Greg Oden grew-up in this game (team leading 10th double-double). LaMarcus Aldridge showed he can muscle-up too (just ask Kevin Garnett).Travis Outlaw jumped out the gym in this game (in a word - aggressive). Steve Blake stroked the ball in this game (the new James Jones if you will). And Nate McMillan's "us against them" mentality impacted Portland in this game (the guy can motivate).

"If I were giving the game ball to somebody tonight it would have to be to the whole team, including the guys who didn't play," McMillan said after perhaps the biggest win of the Blazers season.

"I knew if we played together, did a good job of bodying them to make it tough for them to get good shots and if our guys would step up and play we had a chance."

It worked. No Brandon. No problem.

Who would have thunk it.

That's the feel early at the Rose Garden with Roy nursing a right hamstring strain. Rudy Fernandez will get the start and Shavlik Randolph is activated against the 28-4 Celtics in Portland.

Apparently the Blazers are taking precautionary measures with Roy. The last thing they want to do is have him play and aggravate the injury worse than it already is. That's the difference between Roy sitting against the Celtics tonight and losing your leading scorer for a couple weeks.

Then again, Roy assessed the injury himself. He just didn't think he could go. So now he remains listed as day-to-day.

Roy hates to sit, especially knowing this was a chance for Portland to exact some revenge after falling to Boston 93-78 back on December 5.

It's not like the Blazers will be left for dead. Head coach Nate McMillan will look to LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez to carry the offensive load. The question, will Portland's defense lift their spirits without Roy available.

Anytime you take 23 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists off the floor, there is going to be a lull.

Can Portland overcome that void against the best team in the NBA?