Jayson Tatum (40 Pts) & The Celts' Bench (60 Pts) Combine To Drop The Raptors To 1-5 This Season

 

    Playing in the second night of a back-to-back and in the third game of a four-game road trip, the Celtics (5-3 overall, 3-2 away) weren't content with the requisite difficulty that comes from that typical situation in the NBA regular season (nevermind when it is during a pandemic). Nope, that wasn't enough for Boston as they visited Tampa Bay's Amalie Arena this evening to play the struggling Raptors (1-5 overall, 1-2 home). In addition to the jet lag and fatigue from traveling in such a crazy time, the C's also ruled out point guards Marcus Smart (sprained thumb) and Jeff Teague (sprained ankle) before tip-off but it hardly mattered as they rolled to a 126-114 victory behind a game-high 40 points from forward Jayson Tatum (6 rebounds, 2 blocks) who was easily the individual star of the game while Boston's bench which outscored Toronto 60-29 was also incredible in their own right. 

    Second-year point guard Tremont Waters (5 points, 5 assists, 4 turnovers, 4 fouls in 24 minutes) got only his second ever start for the Celtics (this ain't the G-League where he was an All-Star last season) and he understandably was a mess against one of the best backcourts in the league: point guard Kyle Lowry (18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) and shooting guard Fred VanVleet (team-high 35 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals). Celts center Tristan Thompson (7 rebounds, 2 blocks) was scoreless and power forward Daniel Theis (2 points) was not much better as Boston stumbled out of the gates in a major way, twice trailing by as many as 13 points (23-10 and 28-15) before cutting it to a little more manageable deficit at the end of the first quarter (32-23). 

    The C's immediately followed up that turd with their best frame of the season as they nearly tripled the Raptors' scoring output in the second quarter (38-14) to take a double-digit lead (61-46) into halftime. Their defense wasn't nearly as good in the third quarter but their offense was still on fire in the third quarter (39-35) so they were able to fly into the fourth quarter and let the bench put it to bed for the most part. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown (19 points, 5 rebounds) took a back seat to Tatum after he was so good yesterday afternoon in Detroit (1-6). Besides Tatum's brilliance, Boston's substitutes were the real story led by rookie point guard Payton Pritchard (23 points, 8 assists) who continues to defy expectations. He tied Tatum for the second most minutes played this evening (32), only two behind Brown-showing you how much C's head coach Brad Stevens already trusts him in just about any situation. Forward Semi Ojeleye continued his good work against the Pistons with 12 points and eight rebounds in what had to be a career-high 30 minutes of action. Power forward Grant Williams (14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks) was great and center Robert Williams (11 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks) had a double-double in only 20 minutes of play.

    As you can surmise from their awful start to this campaign and specifically how quickly this contest turned on its head, Toronto is a bit of a mess right now with the second worst record in both the Eastern Conference and the NBA at the moment. Power forward Pascal Siakam (22 points, 6 rebounds) is a decent player but you'll recall how much he was exposed in the bubble last season and you wonder how he'll recover from that. Luckily, the Raptors have way too much money already invested in him so they have little choice but to try and build his fragile confidence back up. Good luck with that as he was already suspended by the team for a game last week as punishment for going to the locker room after he fouled out in the previous game. Haha way to be a team player big guy! Small forward OG Anunoby scored 10 points and the only other Raptor to reach double-figures was shooting guard Terence Davis who added 13 points in garbage time off the bench. 

    All in all, this was a hell of an effort by Boston who as I already pointed out, had numerous excuses to play poorly tonight and lose to what figured to be a desperate rival. Instead, they showed some heart as they shot 8.8% better from the field than Toronto (48.8%-40%), hit two more three-pointers (15-13), dominated on the glass with 19 more rebounds overall (56-37) including 15 more defensive boards (44-29) and they blocked more than twice as many shots (9-4). Their reward is a few days in the Florida sunshine (don't forget your masks guys!) and their first showdown of the season with the Heat (3-3) on Wednesday night (7:30, NBC Boston). It's a great way to end their first long, multi-city road trip of 2020-21 by going up against the team that knocked them out in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals in September. Forward Jimmy Butler has been banged up already this season with an ankle injury of his own that he initially suffered in their Christmas Day game but as we saw just a few months ago, Miami is a bad matchup for Boston because of its guards Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic who along with center Bam Adebayo all took over that series at different times. I don't expect a win against the Heat but if it happens, it would be an awesome result that would further prove that the Celtics can compete with anyone in the East.

Celts Reach Their Third Eastern Conference Finals In Four Years After Holding Off The Raptors 92-87

 

    It was rarely pretty and never easy but all that matters is that when the final buzzer sounded in the Disney World bubble tonight, the Celtics had beaten the Raptors 92-87 in Game 7. Now for the third time in four years, Boston has reached the Eastern Conference Finals as they meet Miami starting on Tuesday night in Game 1 (time TBA-either a 6:30 or 8:30 p.m. start-depending if Clippers-Nuggets needs a Game 7). Jayson Tatum (game-high 29 points, game-high 12 rebounds, game-high 7 assists) will get the headlines-and rightfully so-but the C's don't win this one without Jaylen Brown (21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals) or Marcus Smart (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals). For what it's worth-next to nothing-Boston was 2-1 vs. Miami way back in the pre-pandemic regular season. 

    As you can tell by the late 90s type NBA final score, this was a tractor pull as expected. Toronto is a good defensive team but Boston is a great defensive squad. 100 points was the magic number of the series as Toronto went 0-4 when they scored under 100 and 3-0 when they scored 100+. Smart's block of Norman Powell (11 points) in the fourth quarter with Boston up two points and 58 seconds left in regulation was unquestionably the play of the game. The Celtics had 11 more steals (12-1) and eight less turnovers (18-10) than the Raptors along with 13 more points off turnovers (31-18) and 13 more fast break points (23-10). 

    When Kyle Lowry (16 points, 6 rebounds)-the heartbeat of Toronto-fouled out late in the fourth quarter, you knew that the Raptors were cooked. They finally ran out of gas but major props to Fred VanVleet (team-high 20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks) who was also really tough all series long. Pascal Siakam (13 points, 11 rebounds) had another of his customary missing person's double-doubles while Serge Ibaka (14 points, 8 rebounds off the bench) outplayed Marc Gasol one last time (or Games 1-7). This game and this series by extension should not have been nearly this tight but that's a testament to Toronto's effort and desire to show that they weren't a fluke last season (of course minus Kawhi Leonard this year). 

      Nobody on the Celtics needs a break more than Kemba Walker (14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) who has not been himself for the latter part of this series. He was a brutal 5-for-16 from the field and 1-for-7 on 3-pointers but he did make two huge free throws in crunch time and a couple key hoops along the way. Daniel Theis (5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) flopped in Game 7 as he fouled out in just 23 minutes of action. Both benches were short as Boston used only four guys outside of the starting lineup and Toronto had just three and yet they combined to outscore the Celtics 28-7. Yikes. Semi Ojeleye made a 3-pointer in the first half, Robert Williams (4 points, 6 rebounds) was OK in 18 minutes while Grant Williams played great defense on VanVleet forcing a terrible 3-pointer on Toronto's last meaningful possession.

    The C's started out well in the first quarter but the Raptors predictably battled back to take a 27-26 lead at the end of the frame. Boston's best quarter was the second (24-19)-which wasn't saying much this evening-and that gave them a slim 50-46 advantage at the break. Would you believe that Toronto outscored Boston in the third quarter for the seventh time in a row? Oh it's true, the C's were alright but the Raptors were better (25-22) which made it 72-71 in favor of the Green heading into the fourth quarter. It was the lowest scoring 12 minutes for either club (since they were both completely exhausted) with Boston hanging on 20-16 for the five-point victory. 

    Even though they are the fifth seed, the Heat are no joke. They swept the Pacers in the first round and took out the top-seeded Bucks in a gentleman's sweep (5 games) in the second round. Jimmy Butler (21.8 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists per game) is a certified badass and he's been a beast in the bubble. Miami plays a similar style to Boston with legit defense, an underrated All-Star (Bam Adebayo) and tons of great shooters (Goran Dragic, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, etc.) with two former Celtics-Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk-in the rotation. Boston figures to be a slight favorite but it'll be another long series (think 6 or 7 games easy) against a more than worthy opponent. Gordon Hayward could be an X factor for the Celts because he's back in the bubble and reportedly close to returning to game action. Who knows what his role will be? However, Boston can always use more quality players and that's a good problem for head coach Brad Stevens to have as they sit only four wins away from the NBA Finals.

The Raptors Survive An Epic Double Overtime Thriller (125-122) To Force Game 7 vs. The Celtics

 

    Where do you begin after watching the craziest game of the NBA playoffs this season? Let's start with the most important fact: Toronto outlasted Boston 125-122 in double overtime meaning that Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals will be in primetime on Friday night (9, TNT). The winner advances to face Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals while the loser exits the Disney World bubble for good. As you can assume by the score and the stage, there were many heroes for both teams and perhaps only one real goat. There was no question who was the star of the night (and perhaps the best player of the series): Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (game-high 33 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) simply refused to let his team lose. Toronto has now won three of the last four games in the series after Boston took the first two games. 

    The Raptors also received a solid outing from Lowry's backcourt mate Fred VanVleet (21 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals) which was not a shock. Arguably, Toronto's second-best player on the night was an unexpected one-Norman Powell-who scored 23 points (including 10 points in OT) off the bench. OG Anunoby (13 points, 13 rebounds) had a double-double while Pascal Siakam (12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) didn't do much when you consider that he played the most minutes of anybody on either side (54). Serge Ibaka was questionable coming into Game 6 with a sprained ankle but he gutted it out and posted 13 points with three blocks in 21 minutes off the bench.

    Before this evening, the Celtics were 15-0 when Jaylen Brown scored 25+ points in a playoff game. As I've always said, goofy stats are made to be broken since Brown was excellent with a team-high 31 points, a team-high 16 rebounds and two steals. Marcus Smart (23 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) had a triple-double while Jayson Tatum (29 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks) nearly matched that. Daniel Theis (18 points, 7 rebounds) also played well, particularly in overtime where he finished a pair of alley-oops. I can't fairly pin the loss on one guy but Kemba Walker (5 points on 2-for-11 shooting, 7 assists) was invisible. If he had been anywhere near his normal self, Boston would have won this going away by double-digits. 

    This followed Game 5's start as Toronto was ice cold but the Celtics weren't much better as they grabbed a 25-21 lead after the first 12 minutes. Both teams scored 27 points in the second quarter giving Boston a slim 52-48 advantage at halftime. A disturbing storyline from the entire series continued as the Raptors outscored the Celtics in the third quarter (33-25). I could probably be on Brad Stevens' staff (assuming that I could quarantine and pass a bunch of Covid-19 tests in time) if I solved that riddle, why does that keep happening? The first quarter was a brickfest and the fourth quarter was the sequel that nobody wanted as neither team could buy a bucket but the C's did just enough (21-17) to force overtime. The first overtime was pretty gross as well because each club could only manage a measly eight points apiece. Things heated up in the second overtime with the Raptors outscoring the Celtics 19-16.

Take a breath, I think that we all need one at this point. Some stats were eerily similar: they each hit 44 shots from the floor including 19 3-pointers. Toronto had twice as many steals (10-5) and blocks (8-4) and three less turnovers (15-12) which gives you an idea how Boston lost when they grabbed 12 more rebounds (58-46) including six more offensive (14-8) and dished out 10 more assists (32-22). Oh and the Raptors' bench outscored the Celtics' bench 38-16. Yeesh. 

    Looking ahead to Friday which promises to be very exciting for basketball and sports fans in general, Boston is 23-7 all-time in Game 7s (2-1 under Stevens) while Toronto is 3-2 all-time although they've won their last three in a row. There really isn't that much left to say, it's just a question of which players/team will step up when it matters the absolute most? The stakes are going to be very high as the Raptors bid for their second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance while the Celtics try for their third trip there in four years. You figured that this would be a great series and while it's been bumpy at times, here we are.  

     

    

    

    

    

    

The Celtics Should Have Buried The Raptors When They Had The Chance, Because Now It's A Series

 

    Well it's time to take the Raptors seriously since they outplayed the Celtics tonight in Game 4 and evened up the series 2-2 with a grimy 100-93 victory. Toronto hit 10 more 3-pointers than Boston and for the fourth straight contest, they outscored the Celts in the third quarter (32-24) to create some separation after it was tied 49-49 at halftime. Jayson Tatum (24 points, 10 rebounds) was really the only Celtic that played well as Kemba Walker (15 points, 8 assists) somehow only took nine shots in the entire game while Jaylen Brown (14 points, 6 rebounds) was ice cold shooting 4-for-18 overall and 2-of-11 on 3-pointers.

    The best players on the Raptors carried them as Pascal Siakam (23 points, 11 rebounds), Kyle Lowry (22 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals) and Fred VanVleet (17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) all played the entire 24 minutes of the second half. Meanwhile, Serge Ibaka (18 points, 7 rebounds) continued to be very effective in limited minutes (22) off the bench. The Game 3 hero OG Anunoby (11 points, 2 blocks) was back to being a nobody. We can all agree that Game 3 was a fluky win by the Raptors but they didn't need any luck in this one, they were the superior team and they earned the right to be back in the series. They doubled up the Celtics in second-chance points (24-12) which perfectly illustrates how much more they wanted this. Boston has to be kicking themselves for not hanging on in Game 3 and now they've dropped two games in a row after starting the postseason 6-0.

    Using the momentum from Thursday night, Toronto got things going with a strong first quarter-outscoring Boston 31-27. Foreshadowing the fourth quarter, the C's clawed back in a gross second quarter (22-18). The Celts only were able to put up 20 points in the fourth quarter while the Raptors had 19 points, so they needed way more offense in crunch time to grab the win or at least to send it to overtime. Since his excellent Game 1 outing, Daniel Theis (8 points, 7 rebounds) has been contained while Marcus Smart (8 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) predictably has struggled for the past two games after dominating in the first two contests. For once, Boston's bench was actually pretty solid as Semi Ojeleye and Brad Wanamaker both scored seven points but Robert Williams continues to fade as well as he was held to six points and five rebounds after he scored in double-figures in the first two games of the series. 

    Toronto handed out five more assists (23-18) than Boston, they blocked three more shots (5-2) and had two fewer turnovers (14-12). Needless to say, Game 5 on Monday night (6:30, ESPN) is enormous for both teams. The Celts went 3-1 against the Raptors in the regular season then after going up 2-0 in this series, you felt like Boston was in great shape, especially when they led by two points with 0.5 seconds left in Game 3. Since then, things have completely been turned upside down starting with Anunoby's prayer followed by tonight's sloppy performance by the C's. I still have confidence that they will win this series but Toronto is for real and Boston can't let up anymore. They should take a cue from Miami who is about to surprisingly sweep Milwaukee to reach the Eastern Conference Final. 

    

      

      

    

    

Anunoby Hits A Game-Winning 3-Pointer At The Buzzer, Toronto Gets By Boston 104-103 In Gm 3

 

    Tonight was a painful reminder to the Celtics and their fans to not get too ahead of ourselves. Relax with all the NBA Finals talk since they still have a ton of work to do to make that dream a reality. Kemba Walker (team-high 29 points) found Daniel Theis (9 points, 7 rebounds) with a beautiful no-look bounce pass and the resulting dunk put the C's ahead 103-101 with 0.5 seconds left in regulation. Suddenly, a 3-0 series lead (then maybe a sweep?) and a guaranteed trip to the Eastern Conference Finals was on all of our minds. That came to a crashing halt though since Kyle Lowry (game-high 31 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) threw a perfect inbounds pass from one side of the court to the other to OG Anunoby (12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) and he hit a wide-open 3-pointer as time expired. If nothing else, at least now we have a series more befitting of these two clubs-not the first-round joke of a sweep against the Sixers. 

    Before Game 1, I don't think anybody expected a sweep or even a five-game series so perhaps this was long overdue after the Raptors didn't show up in the opener and then they fell short in Game 2. Toronto's stay in the bubble was basically on the line since no NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit and they stepped up as you would expect from a defending champion. Along with Lowry, Fred VanVleet (25 points, 6 assists) played much better than he had in the first two games. Pascal Siakam (16 points, 7 rebounds) still hasn't made much of a difference so he's probably due to have a big performance at some point. Maybe his 14 points in the second half of Game 3 was a sign of things to come for him. Marc Gasol (10 points, 6 rebounds) remained in the starting lineup and he was better than Game 1 or 2 which isn't saying that much.

    This was Tatum's worst game of the postseason as he went 5-for-18 from the floor for 15 silent points. Jaylen Brown (19 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) played well until the final sequence where he got caught doubling Gasol in the lane thus leaving Anunoby by himself standing at the 3-point line. He was very frustrated after the loss which is completely understandable but I am confident that he will channel that energy into Game 4 on Saturday night (6:30, TNT). Tatum getting contained for one night wasn't surprising but the real lock of the century was Marcus Smart (11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) going ice cold (4-for-15 overall, 2-for-9 on 3-pointers) after doing his best Steph Curry impression to start this series.

    Kemba dropped an amazing 17 points in the first quarter as Boston led 33-28. He hit his customary buzzer beating 3-pointer to cap off a stellar first half for the C's who were up 57-47 at halftime. Toronto fought back with a strong third quarter (29-23) and they squeaked by in the fourth quarter (28-23) to regain some life in this series. The bottom line was that the Celtics let this one slip away despite the Raptors hitting four more 3-pointers (13-9) than them. The C's hit seven more free throws (16-9), grabbed five more rebounds (44-39) and blocked two more shots (7-5).

    The players were allowed to have family members join them in the bubble before the second round of the playoffs so it'll be nice to get away from basketball for a bit before they get back to work. Game 4 will likely dictate if this will be a long series or not. If Toronto wins and ties the series at two games apiece, they start over and it becomes a best-of-3 series. Conversely, if Boston bounces back and takes it, that should be a wrap. Tatum was awful tonight and what are the odds that will happen again? Plus, it took a miracle finish for the Raptors to win so as frustrating as this was for the C's, I wouldn't sweat it too much. They are bound to play better on Saturday and I doubt that Lowry and VanVleet will combine for 56 points (or more) for the second game in a row.