Jimmy Butler (35 Pts, 6 Stls) Is Still A Bad Man As Miami Takes Game 1 Of ECF From Boston 123-116

 

    The roller coaster of emotions that is the Celtics showed no signs of slowing down as they followed up Sunday's Game 7 blowout of the Sixers with a humbling 123-116 loss to the Heat tonight at TD Garden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami's superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (game-high 35 points, 7 assists, career playoff high 6 steals, 5 rebounds) was predictably brilliant as the Heat used a ridiculous third quarter (where they outscored Boston 46-25) to overcome a 13-point deficit and hang on for a 1-0 series lead. The C's apparently have not learned anything from their past mistakes as they lost Game 1 of the ECF last year vs. Miami and they even gagged away Game 1 against Philly a few weeks ago. The good news is that they obviously won both of those series but how many times can you count on that happening?

    We expect Butler to be a bit of a one-man show but that was far from the case this evening since center Bam Adebayo added 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, point guard Gabe Vincent (WHO?) and shooting guard Max Strus both scored 15 points apiece while small forward Gabe Martin and backup point guard Kyle Lowry each notched 15 points off the bench as well. For the home team, their superstar small forward Jayson Tatum had about the quietest 30-point performance that you will ever see. Somehow he did not take a single shot in the fourth quarter as his team tried to rally (outscoring Miami 25-20) and he compounded that with three mind-numbing turnovers including two traveling violations. 

    Boston's star shooting guard Jaylen Brown put up 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists but he also was not much of a factor particularly after his hand started gushing blood late in the contest (seriously, that still hasn't fully healed yet?). Point guard Marcus Smart (13 points, 11 assists, 2 steals) had a double-double but he was pretty quiet after a great first half. Center Robert Williams (14 points, 7 rebounds) was in the starting lineup again and came out strong but he was mostly relegated to the bench in the second half which was strange. Backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points while guard Derrick White tossed in 11 points off the bench.

    The first quarter was pretty competitive as the Celts led 30-28 and then 66-57 at halftime. The Heat's offense was pathetic in the regular season where they were the lowest scoring team in the league but they have picked it up in a major way during this unlikely playoff run. Still, how do you let Butler and this collection of undrafted nobodies set a franchise record for points in a quarter (on the road no less!)? Miami beat Boston at their own game because they shot better from the field (54.1%-51.9%), hit six more 3-pointers (16-10), they had twice as many steals (12-6) and they committed three less turnovers (15-12). 

    It is impossible to predict anything with the C's this postseason but they did win Game 2 vs. the Sixers so I would expect a better and more focused effort on Friday (8:30, TNT) against the Heat. The difference though between Atlanta, Philadelphia and Miami is that the Heat are not going to just fall apart on their own. This is a very proud group that has been to the Eastern Conference Finals in three out of the last four years and they made the NBA Finals in the 2020 bubble. Boston will have to contain Butler more and make sure that the others do not go off as much as they did in Game 1. Nobody thought that this series would be easy for the Celtics but this was a sobering punch to the mouth right away, good times! 

The Celtics Survive 100-96 In Game 7 Against The Heat To Advance To The NBA Finals Vs. Warriors

 

    It probably took a few years off of our lives but the Celtics ultimately got the job done tonight in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Heat. The C's outlasted the No. 1 seed in the East 100-96 at FTX Arena to reach their 22nd NBA Finals (where they are 17-4 all-time) in franchise history. Boston will face Golden State beginning with Game 1 on Thursday (9, ABC) in Oakland. Boston led from start to finish but had to sweat it out as Miami cut it to a two-point lead late and Heat superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (game-high 35 points, 9 rebounds) actually had a chance to put them ahead for the first time but he missed a wide open three-pointer. C's small forward Jayson Tatum (26 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) earned the inaugural edition of the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award that truthfully should have gone to Butler who played all 48 minutes this evening. 

    The Celts improved to 6-0 following losses this postseason and they finished 3-1 at Miami in this bizarre series. Boston's shooting guard Jaylen Brown (24 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) was good and point guard Marcus Smart (24 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) had nice numbers but he was 8-for-22 from the field including missing five straight shots late in regulation when the Celtics seemed to be trying their hardest to give the game away. Center Al Horford grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and blocked two shots while he also put a painful record to bed: he had played in 141 NBA playoff games without ever reaching an NBA Finals which was the most ever for any player in league history. Boston head coach Ime Udoka pretty much kept it limited to a seven-man rotation while power forward Grant Williams (11 points, 6 rebounds) and backup point guard Derrick White (8 points) were both solid in the memorable victory.

    Besides Butler, Heat center Bam Adebayo (25 points, 11 rebounds) played his second best game of the series and point guard Kyle Lowry (15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) was about as good as he could be in 2022. Boston's defense held Miami under 100 points in three of the last four games in the Eastern Conference Finals which were all wins for the Celts. Nobody else on the Heat scored in double figures as shooting guard Max Strus (8 points, 8 rebounds) was alright and backup shooting guard Victor Oladipo added nine points and five rebounds off the bench. Props to Miami's guard Tyler Herro who briefly returned for seven scoreless minutes but he never appeared again because he was still severely hobbled by his groin injury.  

    On the road in Game 7 (and coming off of a brutal choke job in Game 6 at TD Garden on Friday), Boston could not have scripted a better start as they were up 32-17 after the first quarter (the biggest lead in Game 7 history following the 1st quarter). The C's led by as much as 17 points but the Heat started to wake up in the second quarter (32-23 Miami) to cut Boston's advantage to only six points (55-49) at halftime. The teams basically played to a standstill in the third quarter (27-26 Celtics) which was fine for the visitors. Fittingly, this ugly series ended with one last gross quarter: Miami outscored Boston 21-18 in the fourth quarter. It should not have been this close as Boston hit five three-pointers (11-6), three more free throws (19-16), grabbed seven more rebounds (51-44) including three more offensive boards (10-7), dished out six more assists (22-16) and they scored seven more fast break points (20-13) than Miami. 

    This has been called the Celtics' revenge tour since they have knocked out three teams in a row that eliminated them in the past three postseasons: Brooklyn (who beat them in last year's first round), Milwaukee (who beat them in the 2019 2nd round) and now Miami (who beat them in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals held in the bubble). Playing in their sixth NBA Finals in the last eight seasons, the Warriors are a whole different animal. They won their last title in 2018 and they missed the playoffs the past two seasons (due to injuries) so that proud group is trying to prove that their dynasty is still alive. It should be a hell of a series; I hate to put too much stock into mostly meaningless regular season meetings but Boston has typically given Golden State plenty of problems in recent years. Then again, nobody on the Celtics has ever appeared in the NBA Finals while the Warriors still have the Splash Brothers-point guard Stephen Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson)-along with do-everything power forward Draymond Green. This is Boston's first NBA Finals appearance since 2010 and they are looking for their first title since 2008. Along with home court, Golden State will be well rested too since they have been off since last Thursday when they sent overmatched Dallas home with a gentleman's sweep (5 games) in the Western Conference Finals. Go Celtics! 

Boston Heads Into The All-Star Break On A Four-Game Win Streak After A Defeat Of Toronto's JV

 

    For their last game before All-Star weekend, the Celtics (19-17 overall, 12-5 home) couldn't have asked for a much better situation. The Raptors (17-19 overall, 9-11 away) limped into Boston without five players-including two of their best in Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet-due to health & safety protocols along with head coach Nick Nurse and some of his assistants. Toronto gave it their best effort and they made it way harder on the Celts than it should have been but thankfully, the C's hung on for a no defense allowed 132-125 victory at the TD Garden. Eight Celtics scored in double figures as they completed a perfect homestand (4-0) at just the right time after last week when they were on the verge of a complete disaster of a season.

    Boston's young All-Star swingmen Jayson Tatum (team-high 27 points, game-high 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) and Jaylen Brown (21 points, 7 rebounds) of course led the way and you'd hope that they'd sit out the festivities in Atlanta this weekend but unfortunately, that's not how NBA players roll in the personal brand driven world of 2021. Point guard Kemba Walker (15 points, 6 assists, 2 blocks) can always use a rest with his gimpy knee so the next game being in a week should help him although you could also argue that he was just getting into a bit of a groove. Power forward Tristan Thompson was the other starter to reach double digits in points (13) for Boston. Toronto only had eight guys available so it made sense that the Celtics could eventually wear them down as they played 10 guys and four of their five bench players were really good: power forward Grant Williams (17 points) had one of his best games as a pro, point guard Jeff Teague added 14 points, center Robert Williams (10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) and rookie guard Payton Pritchard (10 points, 2 steals) both ended the first half on a high note. 

    How were the shorthanded Raptors able to hang in there for that long? Well basically it came down to the 3-point line as they hit an incredible 21-of-50 (42%) 3-pointers. Power forward Chris Boucher had a game-high 30 points and five rebounds off the bench for Toronto while shooting guard Terence Davis scored 22 off the bench before leaving late with a sprained ankle. Point guard Kyle Lowry was really the only star that played for the Raptors and he more than carried that load with 14 points and an absurd 19 assists. Shooting guard Norman Powell scored 25 points for Toronto while old friend Aron Baynes had 13 points and nine rebounds and small forward Stanley Johnson notched 14 points (remember when he was a lottery pick in 2015? Weird times). 

    The first half was basically an AAU summer league game as Toronto outscored Boston 34-31 in the first quarter and found themselves with a surprising 70-66 halftime lead. The Celtics dominated in the third quarter (35-22) and was able to hang on in the fourth (33-31 Raptors) despite a barrage of 3-pointers by Toronto. Boston made 15 more free throws (29-14), they grabbed 11 more rebounds (39-28) including 10 more defensive boards (30-20) on the rare occasions that anybody missed their shots. The C's also blocked six more shots (7-1) and scored 10 more points in the paint (54-44) which makes sense since the Raptors were missing their starting forwards and center-a less than ideal situation against one of their top rivals. 

    After Tatum and Brown have their fun in Atlanta, they'll rejoin the group in Boston next week as they prepare for a brief two-game road trip against one of the best teams in the NBA and then one of the worst. The C's make the short trip to red-hot Brooklyn (24-13 overall, 13-6 home) on Thursday (7:30, TNT) and follow that with a visit to Houston (11-23 overall, 5-10 home) on Saturday night (8, NBC Sports Boston). The Nets are 9-1 in their last 10 games and I feel like it's only a matter of time before they take over first-place in the Eastern Conference from the Sixers (24-12 overall). On the other end of the league landscape, the Rockets are tanking for that No. 1 pick like you read about. They have lost 13 games in a row which is quite depressing. It was such a weird first half for the Celtics (would you expect anything less in a pandemic?), but they somehow still find themselves sitting in fourth-place in the East. This is the same club that was recently out of the top eight in the conference so I guess we should be happy that they've recovered and gotten their season back on the right track. 

Semi Ojeleye Has The Best Game Of His NBA Life As The Celtics Easily Beat The Raptors 120-106

 

    With their bumpy 2-3 West Coast road trip now thankfully in the rear view mirror, the Celtics (13-11 overall, 6-3 home) returned to TD Garden tonight in search of a win and nothing more. They found it as their supporting cast was amazing while their top stars nearly both reached double-digit assist totals (which is rare to say the least) in a 120-106 victory over the Raptors (12-14 overall, 6-9 away). Forward Semi Ojeleye was a surprise inclusion in the starting lineup and he came through with a career-high (24 points, 6 rebounds). Along with rookie guard Payton Pritchard (20 points, 5 rebounds), they were both 6-of-8 on 3-pointers to become the first teammates in franchise history to each hit six-plus 3s in the same contest. Point guard Kemba Walker (21 points, 5 rebounds) also recovered-for one game at least-from a rough trip as Boston improved to 2-0 vs. Toronto this season.

    Like a comet in the sky, don't expect to ever see Semi, Pritchard and Kemba all score 20+ points in the same contest unless it's a preseason game. It helped that shooting guard Jaylen Brown (12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) made up for an awful shooting night (3-of-14 from the field) with a career-high 10 assists. Swingman Jayson Tatum (17 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) also passed as well as we've ever seen from him, including seven dimes in the first half alone. This was just the type of win that the C's desperately needed and make no mistake, they cruised as they led by as much as 19 points while the Raptors never led in the entire 48 minutes which is incredible when you think about it. 

    Center Daniel Theis blocked four shots and fellow big man Tristan Thompson grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench in only 19 minutes of work. Toronto found out this morning that they would have their entire home slate this season in Tampa Bay and they have been playing much better lately after a miserable start to 2020-21. Point guard Kyle Lowry (team-high 24 points, 6 assists) and power forward Pascal Siakam (23 points) were the only guys that really showed up for the Raptors. Shooting guard Nolan Powell added 15 points and power forward Chris Boucher (12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks) made his case for starting since he was very effective in 25 minutes off the bench. 

    Boston kept its foot on the gas for almost the entire game as they outscored Toronto in every quarter but the third and they went over 30 points in the first, second and fourth. They were up 34-29 after one which morphed into 66-56 at halftime. The Raptors showed a flicker of life in the third (24-22) but it hardly mattered as the C's closed hard in the fourth (32-26) which allowed head coach Brad Stevens to empty his bench in garbage time (can you say Tacko Time?) with Jeff Teague being the only guy out of 14 players for the Celtics who didn't see the floor at all. 

    As you would expect with Ojeleye and Payton's shooting nights, the Celts hit 11 more 3-pointers (20-9) than the Raptors and made seven more free throws (22-15). Boston pulled down 17 more rebounds (49-32) including 11 more offensive boards (14-3) along with scoring 17 more second chance points (17-0) and seven more fast break points (12-5) than Toronto. The fun of this beating will be quickly forgotten if the C's don't take care of business tomorrow night (8, NBC Sports Boston) against the awful Pistons (6-19) who are tied with the Timberwolves for the worst record in the league. The Celtics know not to take them lightly though as they've already met twice this season and lost one of those meetings in Detroit. Boston has a ton of games in the next few weeks but especially with this stretch, they need to take advantage of the weaker teams on their schedule. The Pistons are 3-7 in their last 10 games and 1-11 on the road so I have a feeling, a blowout could be on the menu for Friday night at the empty Garden.

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.

       

        

    

      

I'll Permit 1 Win Every 10 Games for the Celtics

If I had my way, the Celtics would lose every game for the rest of this pointless season. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. They are bound to stumble into a win at least every once in a while. Like tonight for instance, Boston (14-26 overall, 9-11 home) snapped its nine-game losing streak with a 88-83 win over Toronto (19-18 overall, 10-10 away) at TD Garden.

The Raptors had actually been playing very well (12-4) since they shipped Rudy Gay to hell, I mean Sacramento. Still, what does it tell you about the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference in general that the train wreck Celts could handle them?

Jared Sullinger was the star for Boston, he had a game-high 25 points, career-high 20 rebounds and two steals (his first 20-20 game and first for a Celtic since Kevin Garnett's debut in Boston-November 2007). Any rebuilding project with the C's should involve Sullinger. His style isn't pretty but damn if it isn't effective. Unlike many of the jokers that come in the NBA too early, he knows how to play. He's not going to be a Hall of Famer due to his limited athleticism but that doesn't mean he can't be an All-Star someday.

In a brief cameo with Rajon Rondo ready to be unleashed on Friday vs. Lakers, Phil Pressey made his first NBA start a good one with 10 assists and zero turnovers. Avery Bradley had 20 points, five rebounds and two steals; Jeff Green added 13 points and five rebounds while Kris Humphries also made the most of his rare start with 12 points and eight rebounds.

DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 23 points and eight rebounds. Without Gay, he desperately needs more help around him. No offense Kyle Lowry (18 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds). 90-year-old John Salmons was the only other Raptor in double-figures with 13 points off the bench.

Trailing 73-56 entering the fourth quarter, this had no business being a game but Boston is physically incapable of closing out any team. Toronto made it a three-point game a couple times but they couldn't get any closer than that.

This oughta make Tommy Heinsohn happy: Boston shot 11 more free throws (36-25) and hit 14 more (26-12) than bricklaying Toronto. Thanks to Sullinger's dominance, the Celtics grabbed 14 more rebounds (58-44) as a team. The C's also had seven more fast break points (13-6), eight more points in the paint (32-24) and eight more points off turnovers (15-7).

I can't recall a less anticipated Celtics-Lakers (14-25 overall, 5th in Pacific Division) than the one on Friday (7:30, CSN) at the Garden. However, with Rondo's expected return, there at least is a valid reason to tune in for a few minutes. Who knows what to expect from him basically a year removed from tearing his ACL?

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Huzzah, The Celtics Are Fun To Watch Again

Say this for the Celtics without Rajon Rondo (and Jared Sullinger), they might not be nearly as talented but they sure are enjoyable to watch. Rather than having one guy dribble for most of the 24-second clock then figure out a play, they share the basketball, play defense and everyone seems to pull their weight more equally. Tonight, Boston (25-23, 8-14 away) won 99-95 at Toronto's (17-32, 12-13 home) Air Canada Centre, their fifth straight victory since Rondo went down.

Kevin Garnett had a season-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, Courtney Lee added 15 points, Paul Pierce struggled from the field (2 for 11) but still had 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, Avery Bradley scored 11 points and even Brandon Bass found his way into double figures with 10 points. That's right, all five Celtics starters plus Leandro Barbosa (14 points off the bench) all scored 10+ points. Not something you saw much earlier in the season.

Even though they had lost three of their last four in Toronto, beating the Raptors isn't normally worth a damn but this was at least notable because Toronto was up 10 (79-69) heading into the fourth quarter. After getting smoked in the third quarter (34-19), the C's rallied for an excellent fourth quarter (30-16).

Former UConn star Rudy Gay, acquired from Memphis last week, filled the stat sheet with 25 points, 12 rebounds and four steals. Kyle Lowry had 18 points, seven assists and four steals, Amir Johnson had a double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds) and DeMar Derozan put up 13 points. Andrea Bargnani notched 13 points off the bench for the Raptors.

This game was just an appetizer for the main course tomorrow night back in Boston: Celtics vs. Lakers (23-26). It's the first of two meetings between the bitter rivals and it gets the full primetime experience (8 p.m., TNT) despite the fact that LA has been the NBA's biggest disappointment so far this season. Pau Gasol hurt his foot last night so he'll be out but Kobe Bryant is still on the Lakers so it should be a great atmosphere as Boston goes for their sixth win in a row.

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It Takes Another Overtime But The Celtics Win Their Fifth Straight, Tying A Season-High

I won't complain since if there's a perfect time to be unemployed, it's during Championship Week and the start of March Madness. That said, my brain was completely fried from watching college hoops all day by the time I got to watching the Celtics-Rockets game on DVR.

I was pleasantly surprised since Boston (20-17) rallied from a 10-point deficit (80-70 with 5:22 left) late in the fourth quarter to win it 97-92 in overtime against Houston (21-18) at TD Garden.

It was the Celtics' fifth straight win overall (which ties a season-high) and for the second time in a row, they needed an extra session after beating the Knicks in overtime on Sunday.

The game went to overtime because Ray Allen (21 points) hit a 3-pointer that put the C's up 84-82. However, Goran Dragic (11 points, 3 steals) hit the tying jumper with three seconds left after Rajon Rondo (9 points, 12 assists, 3 steals) inexplicably missed an easy layup that would have clinched it. Allen also had a chance to win it at the buzzer but his mid-ranger jumper (right in his wheelhouse) rimmed out.

Paul Pierce (game-high 30 points, 6 rebounds) was the best player on the parquet while Kevin Martin (11 points) never really showed up. Kevin Garnett had 13 points and 13 rebounds while Greg Stiemsma provided an unexpected jolt off the bench with eight points.

The sneaky good tandem of Luis Scola (18 points, 14 rebounds) and Kyle Lowry (18 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) kept Houston in contention. Chandler Parsons had 12 points while Samuel Dalembert notched 11 points and 17 rebounds.

It was a game of big swings of momentum since the Rockets led 28-21 after one quarter but the Celtics found themselves up 46-40 at halftime. The third and fourth quarters followed a similar pattern as Houston came out strong (28-17) in the third but Boston answered (21-16) in the forth.

The C's shot slightly better (43.2% to 38.6%) and dished out eight more assists (26-18) which made up for a pathetic effort on the glass (57-38 overall, 14-4 offensive boards). Houston scored seven more fast break points (13-6) but Boston had eight more points in the paint (36-28).

I can't tell you why it's taken this long but the Celtics will finally meet the Philadelphia 76ers (22-7) tomorrow night at the Wells Fargo Arena for the first of three times. For a while, it looked like Boston would have no chance to catch the Atlantic Division leading Sixers this season but they've come back to Earth lately losing eight of their last 10 games. Philly is only up a game on Boston which means a win for the Green would make them deadlocked with two games in hand. The Celts will be tired from two overtime games and back-to-backs but they should be able to get energized for this vital contest.

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The one where Oregon (Aaron Brooks) actually beats Auburn (Marquis Daniels)

After the initial solid play after Kevin Garnett got hurt a few weeks ago, the Boston Celtics are clearly missing their leader.

They lost their second straight game last night, 108-102 at the TD Garden to the Houston Rockets (who were missing Yao Ming and Kevin Martin).

Houston (17-21) shot lights out (52.7%) for the entire game, as evidenced by having seven players score in double figures: Aaron Brooks (24 including 5 of 8 on 3-pointers), Kyle Lowry (17), Chase Budinger (13), Luis Scola (12), Jordan Hill (12), Shane Battier (10) and Patrick Patterson (10).

It's easy to make excuses and say the Rockets hit ridiculous shots (which they did) but the Celts (28-9) also didn't play defense at all so therefore they didn't deserve to beat a team they should normally have no trouble smoking.

Marquis Daniels (19 points) and Ray Allen (19 points) seemed to be the only Celtics to really put up much of a fight. Paul Pierce had 16 points, Glen Davis scored 12 points while Rajon Rondo added nine points and 12 assists but none of them were really on.

The Rockets led 27-22 after one quarter and 50-49 at halftime. When they took the third (30-25), you had the feeling the Cs were in trouble since Houston was on fire. The fourth was even (28-28) but that was enough for the visitors since Boston could never get a stop.

The Celts shot 50.7% but the Rockets had twice as many 3-pointers (10-5) and grabbed seven more rebounds (38-31). Boston had eight more steals (13-5) and 26 more points in the paint (48-22) but it wasn't enough against a jump-shooting team that couldn't miss.

Boston had practice today and then they'll try to get it right tomorrow night when they host the Sacramento Kings, one of the NBA's worst teams.