Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 122-100 win over the Raptors with BSJ insight and analysis:
Box Score
HEADLINES
Celtics dominant on both ends against the hottest team in Orlando: The Raptors were the lone remaining undefeated Eastern Conference team in the bubble entering Friday’s showdown with the Celtics, thanks to the No. 2 defense in the NBA. In a matchup that was a likely preview of the second-round battle in the East, the Celtics put together arguably their best performance of the year. They came out of the game with a 12-2 run and didn’t look back for the better part of 48 minutes, leading by as many as 40 points in the fourth quarter on their way to their second straight blowout win. Jaylen Brown had a team-high 20 points for the Celtics, leading seven different players in double figures in what was an incredibly balanced scoring effort for Boston’s regulars. Daniel Theis added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds and Jayson Tatum added 18 points as the C’s improved to 3-2 in Orlando. Fred Van Vleet had just 13 points for Toronto as the Raptors mustered just 57 points against a relentless C’s defense over the first three quarters before the starters were pulled.
Celtics wrap up No. 3 seed in the East (unofficially): Boston had a 2.5 game lead over the Heat for the No. 3 spot in this one already, but Friday’s victory puts the magic number at 1 for locking up the spot. One more Celtics win or a Heat loss will secure the seed for the C’s and ensure they will likely see the Sixers or Pacers in a first-round matchup, starting in two weeks.
TURNING POINT
Brad Stevens opened up the second quarter with a rarely used lineup (seven minutes all year) featuring Wanamaker/Smart/Brown/Tatum/Rob Williams. The unique unit broke open the defensive struggle on both sides with a 11-2 run over the first three minutes of the frame to build a double-digit lead for the C’s that they held onto for the entire game.
TWO UP
Celtics centers: Big guys are normally an afterthought in the Celtics offense but Theis, and Williams combined to produce 17 points in the first half against the Raptors, taking advantage of the Raptors over helping in other parts of the floor. That surprise scoring, combined with some stellar defense, gave the C’s a major boost. The duo finished the night with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Celtics defense: Just three days after an abysmal performance against the Heat, the Celtics were locked in from the opening tip in this one, limiting the Raptors to just 3-of-17 shooting to open the game. Toronto’s 37 points in the first half were the lowest by a Celtic opponent all season in a half, setting the stage for a rout.
TWO DOWN
3-point shooting in the first half: The Celtics took nearly half of their shot attempts in the first half from downtown, but continue to be very up-and-down from beyond the arc. They shot 21 percent from deep over the first 24 minutes despite a high volume of open looks before breaking out in the second half.
Enes Kanter: One game after Grant Williams saw his minutes cut, Kanter found himself slotted behind Rob Williams in the depth chart. With R. Williams continuing with another stellar performance, Kanter may find himself watching from the bench more as Timelord provides a far superior defensive upside with some of the rim finishing that Kanter provides in this version of himself.
TOP PLAY
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— Boston Celtics (@celtics) August 8, 2020
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
This looked like a trial run of the playoff rotation: The bench names may vary a little bit depending on the specific matchup, but we got a good sense of what Brad Stevens will be looking at doing when he has all his weapons at his disposal against an elite opponent. Not only did the head coach keep three of his best five players at the court at all times in the first three quarters, but he shortened his bench to just eight players overall when the game was competitive, eliminating the need for wings with a questionable jump shot (Ojeleye/Langford) on the floor at any point. Instead, an all-defensive look became the focus for the bench, with Smart and Rob Williams providing a better defensive upside than most other options. That, combined with Wanamaker’s 3-point shooting and ballhandling, created a perfect storm for Boston’s top five to play their strengths over the first three quarters and blow out a very good Toronto team. It’s only one game, but Stevens may have found the right mix off the bench that he’s been searching for all season long as this group has battled through injuries and slumps.
This was an important blowout game for the regulars: With Boston’s final three seeding games in Orlando coming against vastly inferior teams (Orlando, Memphis, Washington) this was a final opportunity for the starting unit to test themselves against one of the NBA’s best. After failing against the East elite squads early (Milwaukee, Miami) in Orlando, there was a different sense of focus on Friday night right out of the gate. The ball moved incredibly well on the offensive end, the scoring was balanced and all of the starters had two assists or more. The Raptors offense has struggled since the restart, so a bad shooting night from them isn’t a huge surprise ,but the C’s being able to combine for 70 points in the middle two quarters has to be a tremendous confidence boost for this group. There wasn’t anything on the line in this game in terms of seeding, but both teams clearly were bringing the effort. The Celtics just raised their game to a different level and were able to do so cohesively.