David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Raptors: Boston's Defense Propels Hosts to Victory in Low-Scoring Affair
In this story:
The Celtics improved to 55-25 with a 97-93 win over the Raptors at TD Garden Wednesday. The win, combined with the Bucks beating the Bulls, locks Boston into the two seed in the East.
Malcolm Brogdon came off the bench to deliver a game-high 29 points in the victory, including a pair of free throws that sealed the win.
Jaylen Brown registered 25 points, matched Pascal Siakam for a game-high 11 rebounds, and dished out five assists.
And Derrick White stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. That trio accounted for 61 of the hosts' 79 points through the first three quarters.
And while Siakam produced 28 points, including 14 in the third frame, the Celtics' defense fueled Wednesday's win, limiting Toronto to 41.1 percent shooting, including 6/33 (18.2 percent) from behind the arc.
Now, a deep dive into what stood out in each quarter of Boston's victory over the Raptors.
Energy and Activity Fuel Celtics in the First Frame
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back and all but locked into the two seed, Boston was without Jayson Tatum (left hip contusion), Al Horford (low back stiffness), Marcus Smart (left-side neck spasm), and Payton Pritchard (left heel pain) for the first half of its two-game miniseries against the Raptors.
Mike Muscala and Sam Hauser joined Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Robert Williams in the starting lineup for the shorthanded Celtics.
That group got down 7-1 in the early going before finding their rhythm from beyond the arc, including an 8-2 run that included threes by Muscala and White.
A little more than midway through the first frame, Hauser earned a Tommy Point, diving on the floor for the loose ball, wrestling it away from Fred VanVleet, and throwing it ahead to Brown for a breakaway jam that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Boston's best play of the period against a set defense occurred when Malcolm Brogdon dished down low to Hauser, who fed a cutting Brown for a layup.
That helped the hosts enter the second quarter leading 31-28. Brown paced the Celtics with eight points, and Brogdon provided six off the bench. Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 12 points in the first 12 minutes.
Celtics' Defense Propels Them to Double-Digit Halftime Lead
While the hosts had trouble keeping the Raptors off the glass at the start of the second quarter, surrendering four second-chance points by the 10:24 mark, Toronto had difficulty staying in front of them on drives at the other end.
Six of Boston's first nine points were at the rim, including White attacking for a transition layup and Blake Griffin cleaning up a Brogdon miss at the cylinder.
The Celtics also staged a 10-2 run, including a pair of threes by Brogdon and an alley-oop from White to the Time Lord, as they built a 50-40 lead with 4:15 left in the first half.
They entered halftime ahead 56-44.
After registering ten points on 4-7 shooting in the second frame, Brogdon led all scorers with 16 points. Brown and White had 12 apiece, matching Siakam, who went scoreless in the second period.
Boston held Toronto to 30.8 percent shooting in the second quarter and did an excellent job protecting the three-point line, as the Raptors went 0/10 from behind the arc.
An area the Celtics need to clean up in the second half is taking better care of the ball. Toronto's half-court offense doesn't have much juice, but converting seven Boston turnovers into a 9-0 advantage in points off giveaways helped the visitors avoid getting blown out in the first 24 minutes.
Pascal Siakam Heats Up as Celtics Go Cold in the Third Quarter
The Celtics started the third frame ice-cold from beyond the arc, going 0/5 from three-point range before Brown buried one from the left wing.
At the other end of the floor, Siakam knocked down one mid-range jumper after another, registering all ten points on a 10-2 Raptors run that got them within five, 70-65, with 3:57 left in the period.
Toronto narrowed the gap to 74-72, but Boston gained breathing room on a sequence where Grant Williams retrieved a long rebound off a Hauser missed three, leading to Brogdon drilling a shot from 27 feet with a minute remaining in the quarter.
Boston entered the final 12 minutes leading 79-72 after another bucket by Brogdon. He led the hosts with 23 points. Brown scored 21, and White had 17 as the trio combined for 61 of the Celtics' 79 points.
After a 14-point third quarter, Siakam paced all participants with 26 points.
Celtics Fend Off the Raptors in the Final Frame
Both teams got off to a frigid start to the fourth quarter as the Celtics and Raptors combined for seven points nearly five minutes into the period, with the two participants shooting below 30 percent from the field.
Five of Toronto's first ten points came on second chances. But a Grant Williams layup, attacking off the dribble from beyond the arc, and Brogdon finding a cutting Muscala for a layup helped the hosts preserve a five-point lead (87-82) with 5:28 left.
Muscala also capitalized on a right-corner three off a feed from a driving Jaylen Brown that extended Boston's advantage to 92-86 with 2:59 remaining.
The Celtics made the finish more challenging than it should've been, as a Brogdon turnover led to a Precious Achiuwa layup and an unnecessary foul by White. Achiuwa tacked on the free throw, bringing the Raptors within two, 95-93, with 12.6 seconds to go.
But a pair of Brogdon free throws helped the hosts hang on for a 97-93 win.
Up Next
The Celtics host the Raptors Friday night in the second half of this two-game miniseries. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Opens Up About Dealing with Trade Rumors
Jaylen Brown on His Relationship with Jayson Tatum: 'We’re a Part of Each Other’s Destiny'
[Film Room] What the Celtics Did to Slow Down Giannis Antetokounmpo in Blowout vs. Bucks
