Everything you need to know about the Raptors’ 111-91 win over the Celtics in quickie form.
Box score
HEADLINES
Raptors torch the Celtics defense: The Celtics may have the best defense in the NBA but the Raptors had no trouble slicing them up at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night. After a slow first quarter, the hosts erupted for 36 points in the second period thanks to plenty of hot shooting from beyond the arc. Kyrie Irving made his return to the lineup but struggled to contain Kyle Lowry, while role players such as Deion Wright (12 points) and CJ Miles (20 points) chipped in with strong scoring nights.
Familiar struggles for the Celtics offense: Despite the return of two scoring weapons to the lineup in Marcus Morris and Irving, the Celtics took a major step back on the offensive end. They were doing almost nothing right in the first half (40 percent shooting, zero offensive rebounds, two free throw attempts) and that lack of production helped them dig a 21-point deficit for themselves they couldn’t climb out of. Limited ball movement and poor shot selection remains a concern for several members of the lineup.
The race for the top seed gets tight: With the blowout win, the Raptors only trail the Celtics by one game for the top seed in the Eastern Conference with two head-to-head games remaining in the regular season. The season series is tied at 1-1.
TURNING POINT
The Raptors second unit opened up the second quarter with a 22-11 run that broke open a four-point game into a double-digit lead for the hosts. Deion Wright and Fred Van Fleet led the hot shooting from 3-point range and the Celtics failed to mount any momentum offensively against the reserve. Boston got no closer than 12 points for the remainder of the contest.
TWO UP
Terry Rozier: The reserve guard remained red hot shooting the ball despite being sent back to the bench with Kyrie Irving’s return. He went 4-of-5 from 3-point range, which helped keep the game close in the first half before the Raptors broke the game open with a big run.
Raptors bench: The second unit has been one of the best benches in the NBA all season long and they worked the Celtics in the first half, scoring 30 of their 59 points over the first 24 minutes on . By building a double-digit lead against the Celtics reserves in the second quarter, they started the momentum that carried over the remainder of the game.
TWO DOWN
Marcus Morris: The veteran forward returned from a two-game absence (sore left hip) and did not do the Celtics any favors in his 29 minutes. The 28-year-old missed seven of his first eight shots on the night, many of which were contested pullups off the the dribble. That kind of shot selection set the tone for a woeful offensive night for the Celtics as they failed to score more than 23 points in any of the first three quarters.
Jayson Tatum: A bad offensive night is one thing (2-of-9 from the field) but Tatum wasn’t contributing in other aspects of the game either. He grabbed just one rebound and had an empty box score in other notable categories (assists, blocks, steals) as the Raptors smaller wings repeatedly took advantage of his lack of speed on the defensive end.
INJURY REPORT
Aron Baynes took an elbow to his face while defending a DeMar DeRozan drive in the opening minutes of the third quarter. He remained down for a minute before walking off the floor with team trainers to the locker room. He passed through concussion protocol and returned to the game in the fourth quarter.
TOP PLAY
Horford with the stuff
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— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 7, 2018