Ja'Kobe Walter Calls For Urgency as Raptors' Defensive Identity Cracks vs. Celtics

The Toronto Raptors are a team that hangs their hat on the defensive end of the floor, but that appeared to vanish in the fourth quarter of their 115-101 loss against the Boston Celtics inside TD Garden.

The Raptors kept up with the Celtics through three quarters and trailed by only three points going into the final frame; however, a quick run at the beginning of the fourth by the Celtics put the Raptors down double digits early, and they never were able to recover. It was clear that the Raptors didn't come out with the right energy in the final frame.

“I think we needed to come out with more urgency,” Ja'Kobe Walter said h/t Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.

Raptors Can't 'Stop the Bleeding'

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White shoots a layup against Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Raptors have been tested all season long against the top teams in the league, but they were once again unable to withstand a late run and simply folded.

“They went on a quick run in that fourth; we just didn’t stop the bleeding. We have to figure out a way to punch back. Our identity is defence and we can’t have that many slip-ups early in that quarter," Walter said h/t Grange.

Momentum is everything in the NBA. When teams like the Celtics catch fire, there is no margin for error. The Raptors' inability to "punch back" showed exactly where this team is with four games to go in the regular season and it's not good enough to compete in the playoffs.

Defence Dissolves at Worst Time

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic reacts during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The most frustrating part of the loss was the Raptors' lack of urgency in the last 12 minutes. Head coach Darko Rajaković has turned the Raptors towards becoming a defensive juggernaut. However, that wasn't the case in the early fourth quarter against the Celtics.

The communication on the defensive end was extremely poor, as it gave the Celtics' streaky shooters a chance to hit open shots. That gave the Celtics all of the confidence to go out and win 50-50 balls, and it threw the Raptors off their game completely.

How Raptors Can Move Forward

Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

A game like this showed the Raptors that mistakes prove more costly at this point in the season. There is a chance the Raptors could face off against the Celtics in the playoffs and Toronto got an opportunity to see where it is with a week left before the Play-In Tournament.

The Raptors will have just four more games to figure out how to better handle adversity, because that will be paramount in the postseason.

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