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.  

     

    

    

    

    

    

After Getting Embarrassed In Game 5, The Raptors Look Like A Team That's Ready To Exit The Bubble

 

    When it comes to playoff series in any sports, it's all about the bounce back effort-after a win or a loss. For a still relatively young group like this edition of the Celtics who sprinted out to a 2-0 series lead vs. the Raptors, only to lose the next two games in frustrating fashion, tonight showed why they have a great chance to reach the Eastern Conference Finals and perhaps even beyond that. Boston led Toronto from start to finish in a true Game 5 beatdown, 111-89 (it wasn't even that close since they were up 30 points for a brief moment) that gives them a 3-2 series lead with a chance to send the Raptors back to Canada on Wednesday night (6:30, ESPN). 

    The C's defense was locked in from the opening tip as they held Toronto to just 11 points in the first quarter which tied a franchise record for the lowest output in a playoff frame. This had the feeling of an early-round March Madness mismatch as Boston was in front by 27 points (62-35) at halftime before the ultra rare extended garbage time (basically the entire second half) in an Eastern Conference semifinal game. The Raptors outscored the Celtics 28-25 in the third quarter and 26-24 in the fourth quarter, haha they should be very proud of themselves for that.  

    After being held under 20 points in each of the first four games of the series, Jaylen Brown exploded for a game-high 27 points with six rebounds and three steals. He had the highlight of the game (and one of the top plays thus far in the postseason) when he dunked on Game 3's hero but current zero OG Anunoby (who was a game-low minus-26!!!!!). I've maintained that Boston's starting five is better than Toronto's and they proved it once again this evening as they all had at least 12 points: Kemba Walker (21 points, 7 assists)-who has been the best all-around player in the series-was over 20 points for the second time in the series, Jayson Tatum (18 points, 10 rebounds) notched another double-double, Daniel Theis (15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks) put together one of his best performances as a Celtic and Marcus Smart (12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) was back to his usually most effective self in a more defensive-minded role. Hell my man Brad Wanamaker played 28 minutes (which is a lifetime for a substitute like him) and scored a playoff career-high 15 points which is really all you need to know about how well Game 5 turned out for the Green. 

    Toronto's offense was extinct all game long (too soon dinosaur fans?) with only three starters scoring in double-figures: Fred VanVleet (team-high 18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) was the lone Raptor who showed up while Kyle Lowry (10 points, 5 assists, 2 steals) morphed back into the guy who used to always disappear in the playoffs while Pascal Siakam (10 points) continues to fortify his case as the fraud of this round of the playoffs for either conference. Marc Gasol was held scoreless in 14 invisible minutes which is saying something for where he's at in his long NBA career and the only explanation for him starting every game is that he must have naked pictures of his goofy head coach Nick Nurse or something. Off the bench, Norman Powell (16 points) was Toronto's second-leading scorer which is never a good thing unless it's a preseason game and something called Matt Thomas added 10 points. As you can imagine, the stats were all laughably in Boston's favor: they shot nearly 11% better from the floor (49.4%-38.8%), hit more than twice as many free throws (24-11) and they grabbed nine more rebounds (45-36) than Toronto.   

I would not assume that Game 6 will be easy for the Celtics but the fact is that the Raptors have been in the Disney World bubble longer than any other team so you have to wonder if they already each have one large foot out of their luxury hotel room doors. They won an NBA title last season and without Kawhi Leonard, nobody thought that they would come anywhere close to a repeat. They have had a great season but Boston is a better club in almost every measurable way. Miami failed yesterday in their first opportunity to eliminate Milwaukee but no worries there since they still lead the very overrated Bucks 3-1 and Giannis has seriously hurt his ankle two games in a row. The point is that the C's should bring this same level of focus and intensity to Wednesday so they don't give the Raptors any hope in a winner-take-all Game 7 on Friday night which nobody from Boston wants any part of, trust me on that. The C's cannot expect the Heat to lose again to Milwaukee so they'd best follow their lead and get to the Eastern Conference Finals ASAP.  

 

    

    

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.

       

        

    

      

Boston Outscored Toronto By 11 Points In The 4th Quarter To Take Game 2 By A Score Of 102-99

 

    The Celtics did not play well for much of Game 2 against the Raptors tonight in the Eastern Conference semifinals but led by Jayson Tatum (playoff career-high 34 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists), Marcus Smart (19 points including five 3-pointers in the 4th quarter) and Kemba Walker (17 points, 6 rebounds), they still managed to find a way to come out on top. Boston's 102-99 victory gives them a 2-0 lead in the series and in NBA history, teams that are up 2-0 in best-of-7 playoff series have gone on to win that series 93% of the time. 

    As expected, the Raptors were better than their no-show on Sunday in Game 1 but it still wasn't enough. OG Anunoby is a nice defender and role player but when he leads Toronto in scoring (like he did tonight with 20 points), that is great news for the C's. Fred VanVleet added 19 points and seven assists but he is still ice-cold on 3-pointers (3-for-12 this evening including his miss at the buzzer that would have sent it to overtime). Pascal Siakam (17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) is an All-Star for a reason but so far against Boston, he hasn't been much of a factor for the defending NBA champions. Kyle Lowry (16 points, 7 assists, 4 steals) also couldn't buy a 3-pointer (0-for-7 in Game 2). For the second straight game, Serge Ibaka (17 points, 9 rebounds) was one of the few bright spots for Toronto yet he once again didn't start but I guess that doesn't really matter since he logged six more minutes than the washed up Marc Gasol (6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks). 

    Toronto's head coach Nick Nurse is starting to feel the pressure as he constantly worked the crooked refs and after another loss, he bitched to the media about all of Tatum's free throws (he went 14-of-14 from the line). You can sense the desperation, after all he's not stupid: he realizes that his team while very solid is still flawed with no real go-to scorer in crunch time. He also understands that Game 2 was a vital opportunity to tie the series. Instead, now they will be playing for their bubble lives on Thursday night (6:30, ESPN) since no team in the NBA has ever rallied from a 0-3 deficit in a playoff series.

    The Celts have Tatum which is their biggest advantage but they also possess a bunch of other guys that can go off at different times. Jaylen Brown (16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) has been relatively quiet so far in this series so he's due for a breakout performance at some point. Daniel Theis only scored three points but he still made his presence felt with nine rebounds and three blocks. Likewise, Robert Williams (11 points) continues to be an immediate spark off the bench for Boston.

    It was tied at 28 after the first quarter and the Celts had a slim two-point lead (50-48) at halftime. Toronto had their first really good quarter of the series in the third-outscoring the Celtics 30-20-but their double-digit advantage late in the frame wasn't enough to propel them to a win in the fourth quarter.

    Besides shooting better than Toronto both from the floor (they made 4 more 3-pointers than them) and hitting more free throws (23-16), the C's corralled three more rebounds (44-41) and blocked two more shots (9-7). Other than hoping and praying that VanVleet and Lowry heat up or that Siakam takes over, I'm not sure what Nurse's strategy will be to try and turn this series around in a hurry. Boston is a step above them in class and I believe that will continue to be proven for however long this lasts. 

     

    

    

    

Celts Blow Out Raptors 112-94 In A Non-Competitive Gm 1 Of The Eastern Conf. Semifinals

 

    After a week between playoff games, it was impossible to know what to expect from the opener between the Celtics and Raptors. Regardless if you root for either team or if you are a neutral observer, I doubt many people predicted such an easy win for the C's in Game 1. Boston took it by a score of 112-94 (that truthfully wasn't that close) after building a 19-point lead in the first quarter and never trailing for the entire contest. Haha talk about a winning combination, if they can do something like that in every game for the rest of the series I like their chances to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three years. 

    If the C's do win this series-their first ever against the Raptors-I shall dub today's performance "The Marcus Smart Game." He tied Jayson Tatum (9 rebounds) with a game-high 21 points and six rebounds on 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point land. We all know that Smart's shooting comes and goes like the tides in New England waters so you have to appreciate when he is feeling it like he did today. All of Boston's starting lineup had at least 13 points as Daniel Theis scored 13 and grabbed a career playoff-high 15 rebounds with two blocks, Kemba Walker added 18 points and a playoff career-high 10 assists while Jaylen Brown notched 17 points despite a rough shooting afternoon (6-for-18). 

    The Raptors are still the defending NBA champions so you have to respect them. Nick Nurse was the Coach of the Year and they have really overachieved in 2019-20 without last season's NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard who took his considerable talents to the Clippers. In many ways, Toronto is a carbon copy of Boston (minus the star power of Tatum): they play great team defense, almost everybody can hit 3s, they compete hard every game and they have a bunch of versatile players. Just like Smart's shooting was a mirage, Toronto struggling so much offensively (36.9% overall including 25% on 3s) figures to pick up in a major way. Kyle Lowry (17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) was their leading scorer while Pascal Siakam was held to 13 points, OG Anunoby notched 12 points and seven rebounds but Fred VanVleet was the real weak link with 11 points, eight assists and six steals on a horrific 3-for-16 shooting including 2-for-11 on 3-pointers. 

    Toronto's bench was actually pretty good as Serge Ibaka put up 15 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes plus Norman Powell scored 10 points. In the exact same amount of playing time, Ibaka was way more effective than the ghost of Marc Gasol (7 points, 6 rebounds) so that would be an obvious change to the starting lineup for Game 2 at center for the Raptors. Robert Williams did about as well as he possibly could with 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes off Boston's bench. Gasol is way too old, fat and slow to keep up with Time Lord's ridiculous athleticism.

    The Celtics just never gave the Raptors any hope of coming back today let alone winning Game 1. They were up 39-23 after the first quarter and 59-42 at halftime thanks to Kemba's buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Tatum hit a sweet fadeaway jumper at the end of the third quarter which gave Boston a comfortable 88-73 lead. A great sign for the C's heading into Game 2 on Tuesday night (5:30, ESPN) is that teams that win Game 1 in best-of-7 NBA series go on to take that series 76% of the time. Of course you can expect the Raptors to play much better but then again odds are that Tatum and Brown will improve as well. Toronto is not Philadelphia, they are tough but I like Boston's depth and abundance of scoring options compared to the Raptors' rather limited offense if they aren't making a bunch of 3s. Game 2 is a huge one since being up 2-0 in the bubble compared to tied 1-1 makes a (Disney) world of difference.   

     

    

      

    

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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Jared Sullinger Suspended For Boston's Season-Opener in Toronto Tomorrow Night

You have to feel for the Celtics, they are going to be truly awful this season (at least we hope so in order to get a lottery pick in a loaded draft next June) and their 2013-14 regular season-opener tomorrow night in Toronto (7, CSN) couldn't possibly come at a worse time for local sports fans: directly against Game 6 of the World Series with the Red Sox having a chance to clinch at Fenway Park plus Bruins-Penguins in Pittsburgh for the first time since the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

Celtics vs. Raptors is a crappy enough game to begin with but if you planned on tuning over during the constant commercials of the baseball game on Fox, you have one less reason to pay attention to the Celts: forward Jared Sullinger was suspended for one game stemming from his domestic violence incident in August with his girlfriend. The good news for him and the team is that the charges were dropped yesterday in court but I think the C's are doing the right thing by taking a somewhat hard line on this. The team is going to be bad enough as it is, no reason for people to hate the players and management before they even get started.

Anyways, Tank for Wiggins!

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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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Celtics Post Their 1st Blowout Win Of The Season, Vs Hapless Raptors Of Course

Even though the circumstances were strange-a ultra rare Saturday afternoon game at home-the Celtics still dismantled the Raptors, 107-89 at TD Garden in their first blowout victory of the season. As such, we were treated to the usual performance of KG geeking out while watching Geno disco dance on the jumbotran. Now that's entertainment!

There are few things left in this world that you can count on besides death, taxes and the Raptors (2-7, 1-4 away) being awful. Well at least they have a dedicated fanbase. Oh. The Celtics (6-4, 3-2 home) on the other hand are starting to look like a different team, in a good way.

After missing Thursday's game in Brooklyn, Rajon Rondo returned and put up an easy 20 assists (in 32 minutes; his 33rd straight game with 10+ assists). Jason Terry had a season-high 20 points, Paul Pierce had 19 points and six rebounds while Kevin Garnett tallied 15 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes. The best part of the final margin is that it let the starters get some additional rest going into tomorrow's game (the fourth in five days).

It might not be long until rookie Jared Sullinger is pushing to be back in the starting lineup again, especially when Brandon Bass is slumping. Sullinger recorded his first NBA double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. All the bench guys seem more comfortable as they feel out their respective roles. Jeff Green scored nine points while Chris Wilcox and Leandro Barbosa each had eight points.

Unless Toronto's ultimate goal is to lose a bunch of games every season and then make stupid draft picks, I honestly can't comprehend their team-building strategies. They actually have some decent individual players but nobody that will ever sniff an NBA All-Star Game and as we all know, the NBA more than any other sport is a star's league. Andrea Bargnani had 15 points, Jose Calderon added 10 points and nine assists and DeMar DeRozan notched 10 points. John Lucas scored 15 points off the bench with Linas Kleiza and rookie Terrence Ross checking in with 10 points apiece.

Even on the second night of a back-to-back and very busy week, the Celtics should still roll over the Pistons (1-9), one of the NBA's worst teams, tomorrow night (7:30 p.m., CSN) in Motown. Make sure to tune in after the Patriots-Colts (4:25 p.m., CBS) game ends. Former Boston assistant coach Lawrence Frank is Detroit's head coach who could be on the hot seat if his terrible team keeps playing at this pitiful level.

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The Celtics Do Not Enjoy Canada, Luckily They Don't Have To Go Back There This Season

One of the biggest riddles of this season for the Celtics is how they could smoke the Raptors twice but then lost the last two times they played them in Toronto.

This weird season series ended tonight with the Raptors (21-39, 12-19) topping the Celtics (34-25, 13-16 away) 84-79 at Air Canada Centre.

You can't make sense of how Boston beat Toronto by 23 and 36 earlier in the season before losing to them twice and not scoring 80 in either of those contests. Therefore I won't spend much time on this forgettable stinker.

Another reason to move on is that this was the start of the Celtics' only back-to-back-to-back scenario of 2011-12 (every team has one). Spread out, it's four games in five nights.

DeMar Derozan scored a game-high 22 points (13 for 13 from the line) for Toronto and Linas Kleiza had 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench. I know the Celtics mailed it in since something called Alan Anderson scored 12, Amir Johnson had 10 points and nine rebounds and Aaron Gray grabbed 10 rebounds.

Boston didn't have Ray Allen but that's trumped by Toronto missing its two best players: Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 18 points and eight rebounds. Avery Bradley scored 15 points, Kevin Garnett had a modest 13 points and 10 rebounds, Brandon Bass added 10 points and Rajon Rondo reached double-digit assists for the 20th straight game with eight points, 12 assists (0 turnovers) and four steals. Normally I wouldn't complain about nice numbers like that but when Rondo faces a nobody like Ben Uzoh (that's his real name), he needs to produce way more.

After leading 20-13 after one quarter and 36-30 at halftime (high school basketball style), Toronto rocked Boston with a 27-11 third quarter. The C's recovered in the fourth (32-27) but it was too late. They were down 66-51 and cut it to 80-77 but Pierce badly missed a 3 and that was that.

In their tour of shitbums around the Eastern Conference, the Celtics next visit the New Jersey Nets tomorrow night. After this nightmare, a loss then is completely unacceptable. Boston needs to win that one.

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Tonight, I'm Ashamed To Be A Celtics Fan

Sure there have been worse losses in terms of point differential in the Big Four era but sitting here in the aftermath, it's hard to remember a much more pathetic defeat than the one experienced by the Boston Celtics tonight.

The Celts (14-12) lost 86-74 to the Toronto Raptors (9-19) at Air Canada Centre in a game that truthfully, wasn't even that close.

Boston lost its second in a row and from the opening tip, they had absolutely no pulse after losing to an average Lakers team last night in overtime at the Garden. The Raptors improved to 3-17 in its last 20 games against the Celtics.

For basketball fans, the best news to come out of this shitshow is that after playing three times in less than a month, these teams won't meet again until the last month of the regular season (Apr. 13 in Toronto). With any luck, Dr. James Naismith will stop rolling over in his grave by then.

This was such a bitter loss since the C's had already beaten the Raptors, one of the worst teams in the NBA, by 23 and 36 points respectively earlier this season. I will allow a hiccup to most teams once in a while but as I said last night, Boston should never lose to Toronto under any circumstances.

I thought the Big Four had more pride than this; they all "played" tonight but this is the type of setback that can be the precursor to big changes on a squad.

DeMar Derozan had a game-high 21 points for Toronto. Jose Calderon (17 points, 14 assists) and Amir Johnson (12 points, 12 rebounds) both had double-doubles, James Johnson scored 14 points and Aaron Gray grabbed 11 rebounds (in 18 minutes!).

Boston was playing short-handed, without Jermaine O'Neal, Keyon Dooling and Sasha Pavlovic not that those three guys would have made any difference whatsoever. Kevin Garnett had 17 points and eight rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 12 points and Brandon Bass put up 10 points and seven rebounds. Mickael Pietrus added 11 points off the bench.

Rajon Rondo was MIA, maybe they left him at the border since he only could manage five points, seven assists, five rebounds and five turnovers. I don't know if he's still hurt, mad because of trade rumors or the All-Star Game snub but he appeared completely disinterested tonight.

Let's all hope that things turn around on Sunday afternoon as the Celtics return home to face the Chicago Bulls, who I think are the best team in the Eastern Conference. Boston will put forth a much better effort but it's going to take their best execution of the season thus far to have a shot at knocking off Derrick Rose and Co.

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It's Gotta Be Rough Being A Toronto Sports Fan

What did I tell you? The Toronto Raptors are beyond pathetic, particularly when Andrea Bargnani doesn't play.

Tonight was the second game of a back-to-back for the Boston Celtics (11-10) but it didn't matter one bit as they embarrassed the Raptors (7-16) 100-64 at TD Garden.

The 36-point win was Boston's biggest margin of defeat since 2008. They also reached the 100-point plateau for the first time in six games and went over .500 (gulp) for the second time in 2011-12.

The most notable part of this one-sided outcome for me was JaJuan Johnson. The rookie forward from Purdue went 5 for 5 from the floor and set a new career-high with 11 points. E'Twaun Moore (his college and now Celtic teammate) has been a pleasant surprise already, he had eight points as well, but if the C's can get something out of Johnson, they're really onto something.

Paul Pierce led Boston with 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds. He's been outstanding the last few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him get Eastern Conference player of the month or something like that. Ray Allen had 12 points and Avery Bradley (who is starting to grow on me) posted 11 points.

Brandon Bass had 12 points off the bench and the best aspect of this game for Boston was that no starter played over 26 minutes. 12 of the 13 Celtics who played scored, only Chris Wilcox (0 points) was blanked.

Jerryd Bayless had 14 points off the bench for the Raptors and Ed Davis put up 10 points and 12 rebounds.

I'll put it this way: Toronto didn't score more than 19 points in any quarter. Can you say mailing it in?

The Celts play the Raptors twice more this season (both in Toronto), so you can add two more wins to their 2-0 record so far against Toronto.

Super Bowl 46 weekend officially kicks off (in my mind at least) on Friday night as the Celtics host the Knicks for the rematch of their Christmas Day thriller won by New York 106-104. Rajon Rondo could return and regardless (Celts are 6-2 without him), New York has been playing terrible lately so I expect a different result this time.

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Celtics Snap Five-Game Losing Streak But Rondo Hurts His Wrist In The Process

You'd be hard-pressed to draw up a more irrelevant game in the 2011-12 NBA regular season that what transpired this evening at TD Garden. It was seats for soldiers night which felt like a cruel joke. Hopefully nobody paid full price for this preseason style matchup.

The Toronto Raptors visited the Boston Celtics with both teams coming in riding five-game losing streaks. Boston (5-8) played its customary frontrunner role as they won 96-73 in a game that was only memorable since Rajon Rondo (21 points) suffered what could have been a gruesome injury late in the third quarter.

In the playoffs last spring against the Miami Heat when Rondo dislocated his elbow yet somehow (hello needles!) came back in the same game, I dubbed him Gumby. His limbs and bones don't act like you or I. So when Linas Kleiza of all people hit him with a flagrant foul, causing Rondo to land awkwardly with all his weight on his wrist, you had to think it was broken.

After staying down on the parquet for a long time, Rondo got up slowly and retreated to the locker room with the medical staff. It was later announced as a "sore wrist" which was a laughable impression of a Patriots injury report. Apparently, Rondo is day-to-day which is promising news since without him, this ill-fated season turns downright meaningless.

The Raptors (4-11) basically lost before the game started since their best player-Andrea Bargnani-was a last-minute scratch with a calf injury. This contest was so dull, it made me daydream about such paradoxes like why does Toronto even have an NBA team? The Grizzlies moved out of Vancouver years ago so why are the Raptors still in Canada? It makes zero sense, Canadians could care less about basketball.

Kevin Garnett had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Celtics while Brandon Bass (13 points, 9 rebounds) and Mickael Pietrus (12 points) had big outputs off the bench. This one was never in doubt so it was nice to see Bass play more minutes (31) than any of the starters.

Paul Pierce had eight points and seven assists, Jermaine O'Neal added eight points and seven rebounds but Ray Allen (6 points) continued to fall into a shooting slump.

UMass-Amherst product Gary Forbes led the Raptors with 18 points, off the bench no less. I think he's the only Minuteman currently in the NBA besides greybeard Marcus Camby. DeMar DeRozan (11 points) was the only other Toronto player in double figures.

I predict that Boston will go on a fraudulent winning-streak since they are about to embark on what undoubtedly is their easiest three-game stretch of the season: vs. Phoenix on Friday and at Washington on Sunday.

Right now, the Celtics are beating up on the bums of the NBA and once they meet a playoff contender, they fold. It's just that easy to explain.

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Any Big East fan could have told you, Luke Harangody is a beast

Earlier in the week, I made a mistake when I referred to Celtics guard Von Wafer as the last guy on the bench. I neglected to mention rookie guard Avery Bradley and rookie forward Luke Harangody, two college players that came out too early (Bradley) or seem to be undersized and without a position in the NBA (Harangody).

With Kevin Garnett out the last five games, Harangody has been playing more minutes and last night was his first real solid performance as he put up 17 points and 11 rebounds (in a career-high 27 minutes) that fueled a 122-102 win over the Toronto Raptors at the TD Garden.

Anyone that pays attention to college hoops could tell you that both, particularly Harangody can ball. You don't play four years in the Big East at Notre Dame and dominate like he did when you're a stiff.

Clearly, it'll be hard for him to find minutes on a championship contender like this one but he seems to have the ingredients to be a solid role player in the Ryan Gomes, Leon Powe mode.

Since the Raptors (12-24) don't play any semblance of defense, it should be no surprise that the Celtics (28-7) usually own them, save for one weird choke job in Toronto earlier this season.

Paul Pierce led the Cs with 20 points, Ray Allen scored 17, Glen Davis had 14 points and Shaquille O'Neal added 12 points. Nate Robinson regained his scoring touch, putting up 15 points off the bench.

Rajon Rondo had nine points and seven assists in 26 minutes (with six turnovers) as Doc Rivers tried to limit the starters minutes in the first night of a back to back stretch and three games in four nights.

DeMar Derozan paced Toronto with 20 points, Andrea Bargnani and Linas Kleiza both added 17 points, Jose Calderon had 11 points and nine assists while Amir Johnson scored 10. Off the bench, Leandro Barbosa scored 15.

The Raptors must possess as many foreigners (four played last night) as almost any other team, fitting since they're in Toronto which is a very diverse city, especially for Canada. It also makes sense that they don't have any interest in stopping anybody on the defensive end.

Boston was up 34-22 after one quarter and 67-45 at halftime (their most first half points this season). The Raptors cut into the deficit a bit in the third quarter (32-27) but it didn't matter as the Celts closed it out (28-25) and sent everyone home happy.

It was the second straight outstanding shooting display by Boston (57.5%) and Toronto wasn't shabby either (50.6%). The Celts made five more 3-pointers (11-6), three more free throws (19-16) and had 12 more rebounds (43-31). Boston had six more assists (31-25), three off their season-high while Toronto had four more steals (8-4) and five more blocks (7-2).

Thanks to Rondo's carelessness, the Cs had five more turnovers (16-11) and half the amount of fastbreak points that the Raptors had (14-7). The Cs did pound it down low with 10 more points in the paint (54-44).

Boston is in Chicago to face the Bulls tonight. Derrick Rose seems to always play well against the Celtics and this has developed into one of the Cs bigger rivalries over the past few seasons.

Business as usual with Rajon Rondo back on the court for the Boston Celtics

As spoiled as we are with the Boston Celtics the past few years, a two-game losing streak is truly a cause for alarm.

Yes, NBA teams can successfully go through the motions of the monotonous 82-game regular season (see: Celtics 2009-2010) but if Boston is relatively healthy, they should win most games that they play, no questions asked.

That equation was proved once again last night in Canada as the Cs (25-7) beat the Toronto Raptors (11-22) 93-79 at the Air Canada Centre.

Rajon Rondo returned from his ankle injury and played 34 minutes but only contributed four points, eight assists and five turnovers. However, just his presence alone allowed things to open up for the Celts. For example, Paul Pierce dropped a game-high 30 points with seven rebounds and four assists while Ray Allen added 23 points.

Even Glen Davis, who looked completely lost on Friday without Kevin Garnett, managed to snap out of his funk (starting 1 of 7 last night) with a near triple-double: 15 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists.

Toronto is not good but they are young and athletic which can always make for a tough matchup for our lovable group of old men that play basketball.

DeMar DeRozan apparently is becoming a star now as he had 27 points while Joey Dorsey (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Amir Johnson (10 points, 10 rebounds) had double-doubles.

After a tight first quarter (24-23 Boston) and halftime (43-42 Celtics), it looked like it could be a close finish but Doc Rivers and his staff (mostly excitable midget Lawrence Frank) convinced them to play some defense and as a result, they managed to hold the Raptors to only 37 points in the second half.

When you look at the numbers, it's easy to see why the Celtics pulled away. They shot 54.3% to Toronto's 37.8%. The Celtics had five more 3-pointers (6-1) which offset a big deficit in rebounds (49-37 Toronto).

And what a shock, Rondo made for much more ball movement (30-20 assists for Celtics) and less hero ball. Toronto had four more steals (9-5) but thanks to Shaq (4 blocks), Boston had four more blocks (6-2). The Raptors used their speed to almost double up the Celts in fast break points: 29-15 and gain 10 more points in the paint (42-32).

Boston comes home to host Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at the TD Garden. Minnesota is exactly the type of team you want to face in the second half of a back-to-back, a squad that you can beat even if you play you're B or B- game.