Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Raptors in Preseason Finale: Concerns New and Old Surface
Like their last go around, the Celtics and Raptors required a fifth frame to determine a winner. While the 137-134 loss is inconsequential, there were concerns, new and old, that surfaced in this game and need correcting for Boston to reach its full potential this season.
Now, to examine those concerns and the positives in a deep dive into the Celtics' preseason finale, a chaotic overtime thriller in Montreal that came down to the last shot of the game.
Both Teams Shoot Lights Out in the First Quarter
The first frame was a high-scoring affair, with both teams combining for 71 points. The Celtics shot 56.5 percent from the field, including 6/13 (46.2 percent) from beyond the arc. At the other end, the Raptors made 53.8 percent of their attempts, including four of their nine threes.
Boston assisted on nine of 13 field goals, creating high-quality scoring chances thanks to pushing the pace, getting into the paint, where the visitors produced 14 points, and finding open shooters on kickouts.
Derrick White, who's paired his decisive nature with an aggressive approach throughout the preseason, generated a team-high 14 points on 4/5 shooting, knocking down all four of his long-range attempts.
Jaylen Brown tallied 12 points, cashing in on five of his eight shots, including 2/4 threes and the fancy assist to White in the clip above.
Along with needing to do a better job defensively, the Celtics need to keep Toronto off the glass going forward. In the first quarter, the Raptors grabbed five offensive rebounds. With White starting in Robert Williams' place, that's been an issue throughout the preseason. To the Celtics' credit, Toronto only had two second-chance points.
OG Anunoby led all scorers with 20 points, drilling 8/12 shots, including all three of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Tatum Finds His Rhythm, But Second Chances Keep Raptors Close in Second Quarter
After scoring just four points on 2/6 shooting in the first frame, Jayson Tatum quickly heated up in the second, drilling his first three long-range attempts. Tatum entered halftime with 15 points. He also registered five rebounds and tied Al Horford for a team-high four assists.
Blake Griffin entered the game for the first time at the start of the second quarter. True to his nature, he drew a charge less than two minutes into his first shift. It's a team stat more than an individual one, but he had a plus-minus rating of plus-10 when he subbed out at the 7:43 mark.
The second period also saw Grant Williams pull a Zion as his sneaker exploded as he drove on a fast break. While his sneaker was no more, Williams wasn't hurt on the play, fortunately.
With 3:24 remaining, Marcus Smart picked up a technical for voicing his frustration over the lack of a foul call when he drove to the basket.
The Raptors kept punishing the Celtics on the glass offensively in the second quarter, generating six more second-chance opportunities, a significant contributor to their 28 points in the period and why Boston's lead shrunk from 12 to 3 at the end of the first half.
At halftime, Boston announced Malcolm Brogdon's done for the rest of the night due to a sore right leg.
Raptors Tie the Game Entering the Final Frame After a Chaotic End to Third Quarter
The Raptors erased their halftime deficit, going on a 10-0 run fueled by a zone defense that stifled the Celtics and exploiting a lack of physicality and resistance from Boston's defense -- granted, it's the preseason.
At the 6:08 mark, with Smart at the line with a chance for an old school three-point play, White capitalized on no one on Toronto boxing him out, catching the missed free throw and laying it in uncontested, to the dismay of Nick Nurse.
White's second-chance layup was a part of a 15-4 Celtics run, including a three from Brown that came courtesy of Boston putting Toronto in rotation. Horford kicked the ball out from under the basket to Smart in the left corner, and Smart made the extra pass to Brown, who freed himself with an up fake, then buried the shot from the left wing to put the Celtics ahead 82-80.
With 4:41 remaining, there was an injury scare involving Smart. Anunoby fell on him as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year stayed in front of him as the latter went up for a layup. Smart stayed in, but he was clearly in pain.
After Boston stretched its run to 17-5, the Raptors responded by scoring six-straight points unanswered, including a tomahawk jam from Christian Koloko and Anunoby driving from the right and finishing above the rim on the left. That cut Toronto's deficit to 92-91 with 2:22 left in the quarter.
With 1:34 remaining, Payton Pritchard entered the game for the first time. Pritchard's the third guard in the Celtics' second unit, but he can play alongside multiple guards. Furthermore, Boston needs to pace the players in front of him in the rotation, so one doesn't anticipate it usually taking until late in the second half for him to check in.
The third quarter ended in chaotic fashion. The Celtics received three technicals in one play. Jayson Tatum, who got hit with one earlier in the frame, got ejected for swiping his hand in a dismissive nature after a foul call against him. The call was correct, but it was a soft technical, and some of the crowd booed the officials tossing him from the game.
After Tatum's ejection, Grant Williams got a technical for arguing with the refs. Then, Boston received another one for a delay of game. Toronto made all five free throws, going from down 98-93 to tied entering the fourth quarter.
Celtics and Raptors Go Blow-for-Blow in Back-and-Forth Final Frame
In Tatum's absence, Brown shouldered the scoring load for the Celtics. He produced points on multiple impressive drives to the rim, including taking on three Raptors defenders in transition, finishing high off the glass.
Brown also had a nice drive-and-kick to Horford for his second right-corner three of the frame. That trimmed Boston's deficit to 116-113 with 4:48 left. On the following possession, White delivered a dart to Brown for another layup for the latter.
Shortly after that there was another Smart injury scare. The Celtics' lead guard slipped on a wet spot, causing his leg to extend as if he was doing a split. Joe Mazzulla then subbed for Smart and Brown for the final time with 4:15 to go and Boston trailing 117-115.
The score remained close even with the Celtics' starters out of the game. Sam Hauser drilled a three to give Boston a 125-124 lead with 1:12 left. Dalano Banton countered with a pull-up jumper, but Justin Jackson responded with a two-footed floater to put the visitors ahead 127-126.
After Josh Jackson earned a trip to the free-throw line but went 1/2, like in their first preseason matchup, the Celtics and Raptors headed to overtime.
Toronto Prevails in Overtime
In the fifth frame, Toronto produced six points in the paint and four at the free-throw line, outscoring Boston 10-7 in the period. Pritchard had a chance to force double overtime, creating a clean look at a three from the right wing off a sideline inbounds, but the shot clanged off the rim, allowing the Raptors to prevail 137-134 in Montreal.
Brown and White tied for a team-high 23 points. While the former has to bring the turnovers down from five, he's been outstanding throughout the preseason. He seems poised to take his play to a higher level this season.
Tatum scored 21 in the loss, shooting 6/15 (40 percent) from the field and 3/10 from beyond the arc. While his night ended early, he also registered nine rebounds and five assists.
Horford contributed 13 points, including going 3/7 from long range, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists.
OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes led the way for the Raptors. The former scored a game high 32 points, and the latter finished with 25.
With it finally time for the 2022-23 campaign to get underway, there are two concerns that surfaced in this game and throughout the preseason. For one, Boston still struggles taking care of the basketball, committing 19 turnovers in Friday's loss. That led to 26 points for Toronto. It also helped the hosts produce 68 points in the paint and 32 more on 41 free throws.
The second concern, which also factored into those last two figures, is the Raptors grabbing 22 offensive rebounds. As cited earlier, with White starting in Robert Williams' absence, the Celtics have gotten beaten up on the boards. While they outscored Toronto 22-18 on second-chance opportunities, that does not account for the points the Raptors added at the free-throw line after retrieving their misses.
Up Next
The regular season starts Tuesday, Oct. 18, when the Celtics host the Sixers. Tip-off is at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Malcolm Brogdon Explains Why He Chose Celtics Over Eastern Conference Rival
Suns Showing Interest in Celtics' Guard Derrick White
Danilo Gallinari Isn't Ruling Out Returning This Season, But His Focus is on Winning Each Day
Should the Celtics Trade for Jae Crowder?
Al Horford Discusses Celtics' Comradery and Welcoming Blake Griffin: 'He's one of us already'
The Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Hornets Preseason Rematch
Here's What Stood Out from Celtics' 112-103 Win Over Hornets
