Another game and another fourth quarter collapse for the Toronto Raptors, as they lose their second in a row, 99-95 to the Boston Celtics. Entering the fourth quarter with a ten point lead, Raptors’ fans could just about taste a victory against this tough Celtics team. What seemed so sweet however, turned so sour, as the Celtics quickly stormed out to a 10-0 to start off the fourth quarter, allowing them to get back into the ball game. From that point on, it was a matter of executing on the offensive end, as well as getting stops on the defensive end. One team managed to do that, and it was certainly not the Toronto Raptors.
Offense: C-
After an explosive 3rd quarter in which the Toronto Raptors scored 34 points, it almost seemed as if their offensive performance would carry over to the final twelve minutes, and help the Raptors’ cruise to an easy victory against the Boston Celtics. However, with John Lucas lll out there running the offense to start off the fourth, the Raptors offense came out completely flat, as they failed to recover the rest of the way. Overall, they did not to shoot the ball effectively, nor did they make good decisions late. That certainly hurt them in crunch-time.
Defense: C-
Honestly, I expected a bit of a better performance by the Toronto Raptors in terms of a defensive standpoint tonight, and unfortunately, they weren’t able to display one. With no Rajon Rondo to conduct this Celtics offense, Toronto still allowed Boston to get constant open looks, as well as move off the ball with ease. I also wasn’t entirely pleased with some of the defensive match-ups Dwane Casey threw out tonight, but that’s a whole other story.
Rebounding: B-
Against a somewhat undersized and non-athletic Boston Celtics team, the Toronto Raptors probably could’ve/should’ve dominated on the glass tonight, but did not. They did still manage to outrebound the Celtics by two (43-41), but Dwane Casey’s undersized lineup that he had out there himself, did not help their cause during certain times of the game.
Game Ball: Kevin Garnett
Tonight’s game ball goes to none other than “The Big Ticket”, Kevin Garnett, as he had himself quite the performance tonight in Toronto. With a double-double of 27 points (11-18 from the field), and 10 rebounds, Garnett was the difference maker tonight, helping Boston to their fifth straight victory. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics secure the W, and continues to play some efficient basketball even with Rajon Rondo sidelined due to injury.
Photo Source: The Associated Press
