The Celtics arrived house from their dominant street journey with somewhat little bit of jet lag and a few accidents to their key gamers. Luckily, the schedule-makers rewarded them with a few inferior opponents who couldn’t shut the deal on them.
The Celtics actually didn’t make issues simple on themselves in a house back-to-back in opposition to two of the worst groups within the Eastern Conference, however they survived each video games anyway. After narrowly avoiding historical past by holding off the Pistons on Thursday, the shorthanded Celtics got here again an evening later and coughed up an enormous lead in opposition to the Raptors. But they made sufficient performs in crunch time to carry on for a 120-118 victory, pushing their undefeated house document to 16-0.
Jaylen Brown led the best way with 31 factors, Derrick White scored 21 factors and added seven assists as he overcame a woeful 5-for-19 taking pictures night time, and Luke Kornet had a breakout recreation with 20 factors and eight rebounds in his first begin in additional than two years because the Celtics barely survived the absences of Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford to maneuver to a league-best 25-6.
The Celtics held a lead as giant as 20 within the first half, led by 15 at halftime and had a double-digit benefit for many of the third quarter. Brown produced a loud dunk to finish the third that put the Celtics up 13, and although the Raptors had been lingering, the C’s appeared to be in full management.
But as Brown headed to the bench to begin the fourth quarter, the Raptors made their cost because the Celtics misplaced their defensive footing. White continued his taking pictures struggles and dedicated a turnover inside the first 75 seconds of the fourth because the Raptors went on a fast 10-0 run, fueled by eight factors from Jalen McDaniels. They took a 104-102 lead on Dennis Schroder’s 3-pointer capped an 18-3 Raptors run and compelled a Celtics timeout.
Brown returned after the timeout, however the Celtics continued to play catch-up, unable to seek out any momentum. But they scrapped and stayed inside one possession. And as the sport entered crunch time, they continued to belief White even on an off night time. They trailed by two when an extended offensive possession put the ball in White’s fingers with the shot clock winding down. Despite being 3-for-16 at that second, he unleashed a pull-up, desperation 3-pointer. Of course, it went in.
McDaniels hit one other 3-pointer to place the Raptors up 113-110 with 2:38 left earlier than Brown’s robust drive introduced the Celtics again inside two. After a defensive cease, White was fouled with 1:38 remaining and made each free throws. After one other cease, White discovered a lane to the ring and made a layup to place the C’s up three with a minute left.
But the Raptors weren’t carried out. Scottie Barnes hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 48 seconds left. But the C’s responded with good execution on their ensuing play, as Brown discovered Kornet for an alley-oop to take a 118-116 lead.
On the following possession, Schroder was fouled however missed his first of two free throws because the Celtics hung onto a one-point lead. Jrue Holiday was fouled the opposite approach however made simply certainly one of two for a 119-117 lead. After a Raptors timeout, Barnes discovered an open lane to the basket however smoked the layup.
Holiday corralled the rebound and was fouled once more. But after making his first free throw, he missed the second. It appeared time expired because the Raptors’ last-second heave got here after the buzzer, however the officers dominated that White had fouled Pascal Siakam on the rebound, giving him two free throws with 1.4 seconds left down three. He made the primary and missed the second, however the Raptors couldn’t get a shot earlier than the ultimate horn sounded.
Some different takeaways from the win:
– The Celtics appeared to overlook Brown in Thursday’s win over the Pistons, at the least throughout their ugly begin. An evening later, he confirmed why in his return from a one-game absence as a consequence of a decrease again contusion.
The C’s typically begin quick behind Brown, and Friday was no exception. He scored 15 factors, together with drilling his first 4 3-pointers that catapulted the Celtics to an enormous begin. He scored 24 factors within the first half – above his per-game season common – and added six rebounds and 4 assists within the opening 24 minutes because the C’s commanded a double-digit lead all through the half and a 15-point benefit at halftime.
– While Kornet – who missed 4 video games earlier this month as a consequence of an adductor damage – was deemed wholesome sufficient to play within the Celtics’ two earlier video games, Neemias Queta nonetheless acquired the backup minutes over him. But with Porzingis and Horford each out Friday, Kornet earned his first begin since 2021. He took full benefit, and seemed as if he was attempting to make up for misplaced time. He recorded a block on the sport’s opening possession, and was hustling far and wide – diving for unfastened balls and crashing the glass.
Kornet’s teammates constantly discovered him for straightforward baskets, too. He scored 13 factors within the first half, which included a number of buckets throughout a stretch by which the Celtics appeared to be orchestrating a layup line on the Raptors, as they stored reducing by means of them with ease.
– While Mazzulla acknowledged Friday that Queta has been selecting up the Celtics’ defensive rules effectively contemplating the restricted taking part in time in his profession, the younger massive man can’t appear to cease getting known as for goaltending violations. He was whistled for 2 of them inside a 24-second span within the second quarter. Queta has been known as for a number of goaltending violations in the previous few weeks since he earned a much bigger position.
Source: www.bostonherald.com