- Toronto Raptors lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics, 94-112.
- The champions were terrible in the first quarter and that cost them the win.
- Poor shooting percentage was the main reason for their loss.
Raptors Pale, Celtics Use That
The champions didn’t meet the expectations in their opening game of the Eastern semifinals. Boston Celtics were too much for them, and the team from TD Garden won this contest, routinely some might say, 112-94. This was the second loss for the Raptors since they arrived in Orlando.
“Obviously, we’re not ourselves. I think more, we have to play a lot better. I think especially at the offensive end. We really just weren’t very good. We didn’t make many shots.” Nurse said.
Champs made 31 shots in 84 attempts, 36.9%, and were awful for three, 10-for-40. This was a direct consequence of Boston’s good defense, but besides that, it appears that confidence left Toronto’s players, especially guards, who were pretty bad.
Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry were 8-for-28 from the field, 3-for-16 for three, and couldn’t do anything to get the Raptors going. Lowry was the best scorer in Toronto’s team, with 17 points, and that tells a lot about their offense. He had 8 assists and 6 boards, along with five turnovers.
“Today, we just didn’t play well,” he said. “I don’t know, I just think we didn’t play well enough to win the basketball game, no excuses made.
VanVleet was even worse, with three baskets in 16 shots. His offensive contribution is always an X-factor, but tonight there weren’t any. FVV had 11 points and was excellent in other areas, but he failed to deliver when it comes to scoring. Raptors’ guard recorded 8 dimes, four rebounds, and six steals.
Pascal Siakam totaled 13 points, OG Anunoby 12, and had seven boards. Serge Ibaka had 15 and was one board short of reaching a double-double, while Norman Powell scored 10 points.
Tatum and Smart Lead the Celtics
The above-mentioned duo added 21 points each and was excellent on both ends. Tatum had nine rebounds and was 9-for-18 from the field, while Smart grabbed six rebounds and had four assists, nailing five threes in nine attempts.
“You got a team like Toronto, the defending champs, a really, really good team and they know what it takes … you have to be locked in even more,” Smart said. “And that’s just (what) we try to come out and do.”
Kemba Walker and Daniel Theis were silent but massive contributors, as both of these guys recorded a double-double. Kemba had 18 points and 10 assists, 6-for-11 from the field, and four-for-seven from behind the arc. Theis, meanwhile, played 25 minutes, and scored 13 buckets but with 15 rebounds, making himself very useful under both rims.
Jaylen Brown finished the night with 17 points, five boards, and four assists. The Celtics were 47% from the field, and excellent 43.6% from downtown, making 17 of their 39 attempts. The third-seeded team was also better in the air with 50 boards, ten more than the Raptors had.
Game 2 is set for this Tuesday
