Everything you need to know about the Celtics' beating the Raptors 112-106 with BSJ insight and analysis.
HEADLINES
Kemba finishes strong to lead comeback: After a woeful performance in the opening 24 minutes that featured just four points and 1-of-9 shooting from the field, the All-Star point guard finally found his groove. Walker erupted for 18 of his 22 points in the second half on 7-of-13 shooting, helping to carry the C’s back from a seven-point, fourth-quarter deficit and earn their first win of the year. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both chipped in with a team-high 25 points but it was Walker’s play that set the tone in the second half as the C’s posted 36 fourth-quarter points to overcome what was a woeful shooting night for the first three quarters (38.5 percent for the game). Walker’s impact was not just felt on the offensive end either as he pitched in with two steals, two blocks and drew three charges to help the C’s overcome a pair of big scoring nights from Pascal Siakam (33 points) and Kyle Lowry (29 points).
Celtics dominate the boards: The Celtics managed to stay in this game for the first three-quarters thanks to their ball pressure (23 turnovers for the Raptors), but the bigger factor was their work on the offensive glass. The C’s corralled 21 offensive rebounds on the night, which was the most rebounds for the team over the past six seasons. Boston outscored Toronto 21-2 with second-chance points after limiting the Raptors to just five offensive rebounds on the night. For a team that was playing undersized with Enes Kanter (sore knee) sidelined, it was an encouraging sign for
Grant Williams plays some crunch time center: The rookie power forward is undersized at 6-foot-6 but that did not stop Brad Stevens from looking to him to shore up the pick-and-roll defense for large stretches of the C’s fourth-quarter comeback. The No. 22 overall pick finished with 4 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while providing a spark off the bench in 21 minutes. He was just 2-of-9 from the field but helped to hold Marc Gasol to an 0-of-8 night overall before Stevens during to small-ball with Marcus Smart down the stretch. For a team that looks like it has plenty of question marks at the center spot in crunch time, Williams proved he’s a possible answer on that front for one night.
TURNING POINT
With the Celtics trailing by a game-high seven points at the 10-minute mark, Walker awoke from his early slump, scoring nine of the next 11 points for Boston to make it a one-possession game. The outburst helped open up the floor for the rest of his teammates with his shot creation as the hosts closed the game with 30 points in the final 10 minutes.
TWO UP
Jaylen Brown: The swingman bounced back from foul trouble in the opener by putting together an extremely efficient outing. He had a team-high in both points (25), rebounds (9), and assists (4) in the midst of an 11-of-20 shooting night while playing a team-high 38 minutes.
Gordon Hayward: The veteran finishes with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting (3-4 from 3-point range). He is now averaging 20 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting. It’s far from All-Star numbers but it’s a lot more consistent production out of the gate right now for the 29-year-old.
TWO DOWN
Daniel Theis: A sprained ankle in the first half limited him to 15 minutes on the night. Did an admirable job on the defensive end but could not find the basket (0-of-7 from the field), as he managed just one point on the night.
Semi Ojeleye: It only took him two games to lose out on some minutes to Grant Williams in the frontcourt as the power forward played just four scoreless minutes in the first half before being bench. C’s will keep turning to him for defense but he might get squeezed when the C’s want a more versatile offensive threat.
TOP PLAY
JB with a DIME to Hayward on the break! pic.twitter.com/cdnR7C7M21
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 26, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
This team reminds me of the Celtics’ of two years ago: Kyrie Irving was in a honeymoon period back then and the defensive effort was consistent and gritty on every single night. There may not be a defensive anchor like Al Horford in the fold with this group but everyone on this team is hustling and grinding to stay in games even when the shots aren’t falling. That’s how that team managed to fly out of the gate with a 16-game winning streak, falling back on the scoring of an All-Star guard in the fourth quarter to get them to the finish line. The defense will help this team keep itself in games during the early going and that’s a welcome trait after last year’s group was so dependent on the offensive end in their wins, particularly in the second half of the season.
Grant Williams looks like a long-term answer at the crunch-time five: The defending champs may be without their best player but there aren’t a lot of more experienced bigs in the East than Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol. Williams held his own against both big men down the stretch, making his impact felt in the pick-and-roll defense on a night the Raptors were lights out from the perimeter (50 percent from 3). Brad Stevens takes a while to trust rookies on the defensive end but it’s evident that Williams may be the best fit for this group in that spot on nights when a big man with bulk is needed in the middle. For a guy drafted at No. 22, the C’s did well to pluck a diamond from the rough when it comes to knowing the game.
