Post Game Report Card: Raptors Dumped By Undermanned Celtics

Well, one thing is for sure…you can’t win them all.

Fresh off three straight victories, the Toronto Raptors laid an egg Wednesday night at the TD Garden, losing a nailbiter to the Boston Celtics 88-83.

Toronto (19-18) played well during the first quarter and it appeared another win was en route. The offense was fluid, the rock was moving and Terrence Ross, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were drilling threes with ease. However, Boston (14-26) soared to a significant 73-56 lead entering the fourth quarter and never looked back. The contest was close in the final minutes thanks to a Raptors 14-2 run but overall Boston was the more resilient squad and deserved the outcome. The Celts disregarded their opponent’s recent success and just played better basketball throughout. Undoubtedly, this was an embarrassing loss but Raps fans have to realize this is just a bump in the road.

Let’s take a look at the stats.

Offense: C+

To be frank, the Raptors offense was atrocious tonight against an albeit underrated Boston Celtics defense (ranked 11th in the NBA – allowing 99.1 points per game). Toronto played well in the first half but collapsed offensively in the third and fourth quarter. The team chucked up too many contested shots and were abysmal from the charity stripe – the Raptors finished the night 12-25 (48.0 %) from the free throw line.

Defense: B+

Toronto was strong defensively and limited Boston to 34.5% shooting and 23.5% from downtown. The Celtics are a bottom-tier squad when it comes to offensive efficiency (ranked 26th with 95.2 points per game) so it’s no surprise they only mustered 88 points tonight. On the other hand, the Raptors did get torched inside – outscored in the paint 32-24 – and were reluctant to force turnovers.

Rebounding: C+

There is no excuse here since the Celtics fielded a soft starting frontcourt of Jeff Green, Kris Humphries and Jared Sullinger. Boston outrebounded Toronto 58-44 and were the more tenacious team on the glass. The Raptors leading rebounder in this contest, Jonas Valanciunas, collected only eight boards. Enough said.

Game Ball: Kyle Lowry

The former Villanova Wildcat had another impressive game scoring 18 points, dishing out 12 assists and grabbing 7 boards. The shooting numbers were sub par (6-17) but Lowry continues to be a valuable asset for the revamped Toronto Raptors.

Game Notes

• The Celtics were without Jamal Crawford and reserve guard Marshon Brooks as they were dealt to Golden State.
• The Raptors have now dropped 11 straight on the road to the Boston Celtics – I guess the food is bad there?
• Celtics coach Brad Stevens on the Raptors success “They are playing harder than everyone else.” Damn straight!