Everything you need to know about the Celtics beating the Raptors 123-116 overtime win in BSJ Quickie Form
Box Score
HEADLINES
Kyrie plays his best game as a Celtic and outduels Kawhi Leonard: The All-Star posted season-highs with 43 points and 11 assists, the first time he’s posted those numbers in the same game, an outburst which helped carry the hosts past the top team in the East in an overtime thriller. Kawhi Leonard (31 points, 15 rebounds) looked to be on the verge of handing Boston a hard-fought loss after getting hot in the fourth quarter but the Celtics rallied from eight points down in the final frame thanks to a big finish from Irving and Jayson Tatum (eight of his 21 points in the fourth quarter). Marcus Morris (11 points) forced a Leonard miss on the final play of regulation to send the game to overtime and the C’s offense was perfect in overtime (6-of-6 from field), which allowed them to pull away late for a 123-116 victory.
A needed boost for confidence and the East standings
Serge Ibaka
Pascal Siakam
TURNING POINT
The Celtics rallied from a four-point deficit in the final 90 seconds of regulation to force overtime, a stretch a key stop against Leonard on the final play of regulation as Morris forced him into a contested midrange jumper. Gordon Hayward (15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, season-high 39 minutes) also featured prominently in the comeback thanks to a steal on Kyle Lowry pass and a boxout that produced a loose ball foul (and the game-tying free throws) with 24 seconds remaining.
TWO UP
Kyrie Irving:
The All-Star continues to make the Celtics’ offense look respectable with his mix of shot-making from inside and out. Despite dealing with a tough defensive foil in Kyle Lowry, Irving erupted for 18 first half point on 8-of-11 shooting, including a pair of nifty finishes in traffic on his way to a season-high 43 points. Since ditching his haircut on October 30th, Irving has posted these averages over eight games:
28.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 56.3% FG, 50% 3PT and 90% FT
Marcus Morris:
The forward continues to lead the Celtics in appearances in the up category on the year and added to it tonight with a 4-of-4 start in the first half that produced all 11 of his points before the break. His finishing at the rim is far improved compared to last year and no one is knocking down more open looks with regularity right now. Even though his offense slowed down after intermission, Stevens rode him during crunch time for his defense against Leonard, who went cold late in regulation and overtime.
TWO DOWN
Marcus Smart:
The point guard coughed up a season-high four turnovers in just 18 minutes, forcing the issues on several occasions with risky passes that just were unnecessary given the situation. While the 25-year-old has prided himself on setting the table for the C’s offense with the bench unit all season long, his miscues were costly here, especially within the Raptors 19-4 second-quarter run that erased a C’s double-digit lead.
Jaylen Brown:
The shooting guard started out the game hot, making three of his first four shots, but failed to make his next seven, a slump that earned him a spot on the bench during crunch time in favor of Marcus Morris. The rollercoaster ride continues for the 22-year-old after a strong effort on Wednesday night and his shooting from the field dropped down to 38 percent on the season.
TOP PLAY
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Stevens is wisely showing less patience with the starting five:
The numbers continue to look underwhelming with this group and after another slow start (9-2 Raptors run) to begin the second half, Stevens looked to several reinforcements quickly (Smart/Morris/Rozier) to get out of the rut. The bigger sample size we get with that group, the shorter leash Stevens is going to need to show, particularly against elite opponents. The Celtics aren’t at a point right now where they can show patience with that group later in games, given their spot in the standings. Jaylen Brown took a seat down the stretch tonight but look for that to change
Serge Ibaka is going to be a tough matchup for Al Horford in the postseason:
We saw glimpses of this last season when Ibaka dominated Horford in February up in Toronto when the C’s had turned to using him as a point guard due to assorted injuries. With both teams going small now regularly, this is going to be a focal point matchup in any playoff series and I don’t like Boston’s chances on that front after Ibaka (21 points on 8-of-15 shooting) seemingly visited the fountain of youth this summer. Horford turns into strictly a jump shooter against him (Ibaka has strength to hold him off in the post) and he’s got the speed and 3-point range to help stretch out the C’s defense. Given the edges the Raptors have in other areas of the lineup, this is one battle Boston can’t afford to lose in head-to-head matchups but it’s trending more towards a tossup over the past couple of seasons.
