POST GAME TORONTO - AWAY - BOS 95, TOR 118 Final

Celtics Wrap: Boston Gets Routed By Raptors In Third Straight Loss

NESN by Michael McMahon on Tue, Feb 26, 2019 at 10:29PM

In desperate need of a bounce back victory, the Boston Celtics simply fell flat on their faces against the Toronto Raptors.

After a spirited first quarter, the Celtics were run out of the Scotiabank Arena in the second quarter, and ultimately fell 118-95 in a blowout loss Tuesday night.

Pascal Siakam led the Raptors with 25 points, while Kawhi Leonard followed with 21. Marcus Morris led the Celtics with 17 points. Jayson Tatum (11) and Jaylen Brown (10) also finished in double digits. Kyrie Irving finished with seven points on a quiet 3-for-10 night from the floor.

With the loss, the Celtics fall to 37-24, while the Raptors move to 45-17 with the win.

Here’s how it all went down:

STARTING FIVE
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Marcus Morris Sr.
C: Al Horford

SPIRITED START
Not much separated either side in the first, which included 10 lead changes, as the Celtics took a slight 32-30 lead after 12 minutes.

The Celtics used a 6-0 run to head up 16-14 with 4:37 to play in the quarter. Toronto charged back to take a 20-19 lead after a Siakam 3-pointer with 3:40 to play, one of three he hit in the first quarter.

Brown knotted the game 24-24 with a hard-earned and-one with 2:34 to play. Marcus Smart earned his way to the line in the closing seconds to give the Celtics a two-point lead heading into the second.

CELTICS LIMP INTO HALF
After a neck-and-neck first, the Celtics played a dreadful second quarter, allowing the Raptors to outscore them 36-13 and take a 66-45 lead into the break.

Toronto sparked a massive run to start the quarter with Irving on the bench. Back-to-back treys from Norman Powell and Marc Gasol highlighted an 13-0 run that gave the Raptors a 43-34 with 8:36 to play in the half. The run extended to 18-0 after a triple from Kyle Lowry and a lay-in by Patrick McCaw.

The Raptor lead extended to 59-39 with 3:06 to play after a Marcus Smart turnover led to an easy transition dunk from Leonard. Siakam gave Toronto it’s biggest lead of the half with and-1 to make it 66-43 in the final minute.

NO COMEBACK BREWING
Things did not get any prettier for the Celtics in the third, getting outscored 29-23 and falling it a 95-68 deficit heading into the final quarter.

The Celtics closed the gap a bit to open the third quarter as a Smart trey made it 68-52 with 9:14 remaining. But Leonard pushed the Toronto advantage back to 20 with a runner to make 78-58 with 6:31, and the rout was back on from there.

A Powell trey with 1:31 left in the third made 95-64, giving the Raptors their biggest lead of the night.

GETTING IT OVER WITH
With the game seemingly in hand for much of the second half, both teams rode out of the final quarter, with the Raptors sealing their dominant victory in ho-hum fashion.

The Raptors held their 20-point plus advantage for the first half of the fourth quarter.

The Celtics’ bench was unable to to narrow the deficit below 22 points in the closing minutes.

PLAY OF THE GAME
A consolation, but a nice throw down by Robert Williams.

UP NEXT
The Celtics will return to the Boston for the second leg of a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers. Tip off from TD Garden is slated for 8 p.m.

112288

I think everyone is too disgusted to comment, I know I am. Just read the Game On.....

DITTO

LET US BURY THIS POST!

112288

After an opening salvo of competitive basketball followed by an 18-0 run by the Raptors it occurred to me that Brad Stevens may have lost this team.  His team may have lost confidence in his coaching ability.  He cannot get them to play at a high level.  Do they even listen to him anymore?  Are they suffering from ADHD?  

This did not happen all at once.  The erosion has been taking place for a while now.  

Remember in those interviews with players and they always seemed to heap praise on Brad for 'putting them in position to win'   I am not hearing that anymore.  Brad looks as confused as his team looks uninterested.  

Brad said he doesn't believe in team captains.  He said something to the effect that he wants to empower his  players (in a way that everyone one is a leader)

Things like this make me wonder if Brad really understands the importance of a hierarchy. Left to their own devices a team will succumb to turmoil.

Please tell me I am wrong about Brad having lost this team because if he has, he has to go or some players have to go and this year turns into a nightmarish experience for Celtics fans.

Team is dazed and confused, lost too.

I see us losing tonite and being out first round of playoffs.

When losing starts, bitching starts. So far it's been subdued, with only a few minor eruptions. Most of the roster is keeping their mouth shut.

This is still far too talented of a team to rule anything out for this season, if they can find a way to collectively stop shooting themselves in the foot.

April is coming. We'll see. Right?

Somehow this song captures how I feel. I don't know if I'm yearning more for the return of Aron as a player or the start of KG as a coach. Or Paula Patton as a girlfriend.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-iba-1&hsimp=yhs-1&hspart=iba&p=lost+without+you+robin+thicke#id=1&vid=bf16ef80741d59ddf28096fcca7ebc81&action=click

Let's embrace our inner Rosalie here. If the Celtics best fans, right here on this site, have thrown in the towel, imagine what the rest of the league thinks and is planning?! (Play the Celtics, it's an easy 4-0 sweep to the next round. Don't even make up a game plan. Big mistake.)

They will never see us coming in the playoffs. (Well, of course, you could say they will never see us coming because we won't actually be there, but that's the OTHER side of the argument. Hang on!

db

Cow,
I'm with you, too.
I don't know what's going on. The team is playing checkers in a chess tournament.

AK

When Rob Williams outscores Kyrie, you know your team is in trouble. Still, that's a glimmer.

Regarding Jaylen, yes he had 3 turnovers, but he also had 4 steals and 8 rb's.

sinus007 wrote:Cow,
I'm with you, too.
I don't know what's going on. The team is playing checkers in a chess tournament.

AK

Team has no fight, one run against them, they fall apart, rotations suck, no defined strategy, no identity, no roles, if this is coaching, it’s it at its worst and has directly led to this, shocking.....

Watch the video for a perk up Cow.

Did you say Perk?

Yes, that Perk was for you.

Hi,
I think that one of the main problems is Brad. Last night he put RWIII in and, on 3(!) separate occasions Raps executed almost the same combinations through him for an easy bucket - he couldn't handle it or didn't know how. Brad was quiet - no TO, no substitution. I don't know. Maybe, he has has some plan, I don't know...
So far, with all the talent, including Brad, on the team their performance is way too ugly.

AK

I'm going to keep this short or, at least, as short as I am capable.

Al Horford never showed up.

Kyrie said, after the Chicago loss, that he was wasn't worried because "I am here". Wherever "here" is it wasn't Toronto last night. Maybe his plane is landing there right now?

Tatum said "I'm confident I'm going to be an All Star soon. It wasn't this year, so it will be next year" https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-jayson-tatum-very-confident-182709297.html. He had 11 points last night and Siakam outran him down the court regularly.

Hayward, 2-8 and ineffective on both ends.

Rozier was 3-8, had a few moments, but is too much Hero Ball. Dribbles WAY too much.

Jaylen got 3 quick fouls and that affected his game. He started out aggressive, maybe a little too aggressive and that's why he picked up the fouls, but I'd rather have that than have him "let the game come to him". When he does that he just stands around a lot.

The much-maligned Marcus Morris (much-maligned by Cowens in particular) was the best, hardest working player on the floor for us last night. We shot 38% as a team, he was Celtic high scorer with 17 points on 6-14 and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes. He also guarded Kawhi a lot of the time and man oh man is that a tough assignment.

The Time Lord, who was slow on numerous defensive rotations, played well in general. The whole purpose of him playing in Maine is so that he learns how not to be slow on defensive rotations.

I cannot remember a Celtic team that had such bad chemistry as this one. It is clear to me that at least a few of them (i.e. Rozier, Tatum, Brown) have been drinking their own bathwater and think it tastes like Dom Perignon. Rozier thinks he's a starter, when he isn't and shouldn't be. Tatum thinks he's an All-Star who got snubbed, when he isn't and shouldn't be. Brown thinks he's a starter and, well, maybe he should be. Brown, of all of them, might have an argument. His problem is that he still makes bad decisions, isn't a facilitator and isn't a reliable shooter. One could say the similar stuff about Smart, which is why I'm saying Brown has an argument but not saying he is right, but Smart is a better floor general and makes better decisions than Jaylen. Not last night, but usually.

Yuck. This is not fun.

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401071582





bob


.

Good analysis Bob. Now I am off to see my psychoanalyst.

I noticed bad trends as far back as 4 years ago, but I thought it was part of the growing process. This lack of focus has been hanging around under Brad.

What do I mean by lack of focus? Getting down 20+ in a game way too often, only to make fierce comebacks and win a number of those type of games. Great for the scribes to write about, kept fans in their seats, and it was fun seeing a young team mature. They did get lucky in many of those games to win, but you would think that at some point they would focus for a whole game...NOT!

This lack of focus spilled over year in and year out, big leads lost and games won by a hair, or going down big numbers (20+) and making comebacks to win.

This is not a sign of a healthy mature team that is looking to get to the finals.

I place the blame on Brad and Danny.

Danny, never brought in some mature vets to help stablize the team and was too slow to bring in quality vets who became free agents after the trading deadline. HEY DANNY...STILL WAITING FOR THE 15TH GUY TO MAKE HIS APPEARANCE THIS YEAR.

AND for Brad not stopping the teams trend of either giving up big leads and not going for the kill shot. And this individualism.

Most people want to be led even though they may have superior skill sets. Not everyone is a born leader or grows into one. Having a captain is important because it is the first step in providing overall leadership for the team.

I think the league has figured out Brad and his coaching techniques and are now exploiting his weaknesses. Perhaps Brad has hit his ceiling and cannot go higher.

112288

112288, but think of all the money Danny has saved by not signing that 15th player!

Is it too late to tank? Asking for a friend.

Steve, you always have a great sense of humor.

worcester wrote:112288, but think of all the money Danny has saved by not signing that 15th player!

Worcester,

Danny kept the spot open so he could see where we needed the most help.  How could he know he'd need 2 or 3 spots?


bob


.

Bob, it's time for Danny to pull one out of the fire for this team, for this season. His legacy and our sanity are at stake.

worcester wrote:Bob, it's time for Danny to pull one out of the fire for this team, for this season. His legacy and our sanity are at stake.

A little late for my sanity, but I'll be happy for the rest of you.


bob


.

bobheckler wrote:I'm going to keep this short or, at least, as short as I am capable.

Al Horford never showed up.

Kyrie said, after the Chicago loss, that he was wasn't worried because "I am here".  Wherever "here" is it wasn't Toronto last night.  Maybe his plane is landing there right now?

Tatum said "I'm confident I'm going to be an All Star soon.  It wasn't this year, so it will be next year" https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-jayson-tatum-very-confident-182709297.html.  He had 11 points last night and Siakam outran him down the court regularly.

Hayward, 2-8 and ineffective on both ends.

Rozier was 3-8, had a few moments, but is too much Hero Ball.  Dribbles WAY too much.

Jaylen got 3 quick fouls and that affected his game.  He started out aggressive, maybe a little too aggressive and that's why he picked up the fouls, but I'd rather have that than have him "let the game come to him".  When he does that he just stands around a lot.

The much-maligned Marcus Morris (much-maligned by Cowens in particular) was the best, hardest working player on the floor for us last night.  We shot 38% as a team, he was Celtic high scorer with 17 points on 6-14 and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes.  He also guarded Kawhi a lot of the time and man oh man is that a tough assignment.

The Time Lord, who was slow on numerous defensive rotations, played well in general.  The whole purpose of him playing in Maine is so that he learns how not to be slow on defensive rotations.

I cannot remember a Celtic team that had such bad chemistry as this one.  It is clear to me that at least a few of them (i.e. Rozier, Tatum, Brown) have been drinking their own bathwater and think it tastes like Dom Perignon.  Rozier thinks he's a starter, when he isn't and shouldn't be.  Tatum thinks he's an All-Star who got snubbed, when he isn't and shouldn't be.  Brown thinks he's a starter and, well, maybe he should be.  Brown, of all of them, might have an argument.  His problem is that he still makes bad decisions, isn't a facilitator and isn't a reliable shooter.  One could say the similar stuff about Smart, which is why I'm saying Brown has an argument but not saying he is right, but Smart is a better floor general and makes better decisions than Jaylen.  Not last night, but usually.

Yuck.  This is not fun.

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401071582





bob


.

Bob - love your posts, but blaming the youth seems unfair. First, ironically the youth have been far more professional and mature in dealing with the press than the vets. They at least have kept their shit in-house unlike our 'veterans' (Al is excluded - he is a class act). Kyrie has been an absolute disaster. He doesn't seem to even remotely understand tbe Boston sports/media environment, and hinestlt many of his bush-league statements and stunts would be a disaster in any market. Morris may have some fair points, but airing that shit in the press is not the way to go. This naivety with the press would all be fine if the vets were delivering on the court while the young'uns flounder, but that has not been tbe case. The young guys have played beautifully in the games when Kyrie has been out. People can concoct endless rationales as to why this might be true, but the fact can't be denied.

I want to point out that I am not a Kyrie basher. The guy is talented. Rather, I think the Celtics have an identity problem. The young squad has the make up to be a GSW/Spurs egalitarian type of team, while the vets have the potential to be a traditional star-plus-role-players type team. Problem is the Celtics haven't decided what type of team they are. Gordon's situation, which is nobody's fault, hasn't helped. On some level, Brad should instill the identity, but maybe Danny has given him a roster that has aspects of both types of teams, but cannot fully develop into either. I suspect Danny never envisioned the young'uns as actual cornerstones, but rather saw them as a means to get the Kyrie/AD type of players.