The Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors 97-93 Wednesday night despite being down three key starters. Boston now moves to 55-25, and with a concurrent Milwaukee Bucks win, are now locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto certainly gave Boston a run for their money, but Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon helped keep the Raptors at bay. The Celtics were without Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Marcus Smart, making the challenge just a little tougher. In the end, though, a strong defensive performance and a determined scoring effort were enough to secure a victory for Boston.
The Raptors are probably better than their record would suggest, which is why the final score was perhaps a little less definitive than the Celtics would have liked. Boston hosts Toronto again this Friday night, with the playoffs set to begin sometime next week. Here’s what you maybe have missed from the Celtics’ win over the Raptors.
Jaylen Brown has won the 2023 Red Auerbach Award, an annual honor presented to the player who best embodies what it means to be a Boston Celtic. https://t.co/ELtLX1BrAE
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 5, 2023
Boston's offense
Toronto has had an underwhelming season thus far, but this roster isn’t exactly chopped live. The Raptors came into Wednesday’s action with the No. 8 ranked defense in the NBA since the All-Star break, thanks to the club’s unique size and athleticism. This defensive prowess challenged Boston at times, especially during the second half.
Pushing the pace and moving the ball proved an important asset for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown in particular consistently upped the tempo. Brown, who prior to the game was honored with the 2023 Red Auerbach Award, finished the night with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Malcolm Brogdon, meanwhile, tallied 29 points, his second highest scoring total as a member of the Celtics.
Once again for the Celts, however, the secret sauce on offense was a solid team effort. Boston is at its best when the team shares scoring responsibilities and keeps the ball moving. The Celtics finished the game with 20 assists, helping the team overcome a pedestrian 28.9% shooting from deep.
The Celtics make history by sending the first interim head coach to helm the 2023 NBA All-Star Game – these are the other alum coaches. https://t.co/Swm5fVTmBd
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 5, 2023
Boston's defense
Robert Williams III was particularly effective for the Celts, and served as the anchor to the team’s effective defensive showing. He grabbed 8 rebounds to go with 7 points, 1 block, and 1 steal. His presence inside was the perfect antidote to a lengthy Raptors team, and Williams helped the short-handed Celtics overcome what could have otherwise been a big vulnerability.
The rest of the guys in green also stepped up on the defensive end. As a team, Toronto shot 41.1% as a team, in part thanks to frenetic and unrelenting pressure from the Celtics. Boston’s knack for switching on defense was especially effective at neutering the Raptors, who actively, and sometimes effectively, sought to overwhelm the Celtics with their own high-octane offense.
Because Tatum, Brown, and Horford did not play Wednesday, the Celtics were without a good chunk of the team’s scoring punch. And while Boston did have a nice enough offensive outing, defense was the most important consideration for the home team.
Among the ball clubs best equipped to absorb the relentless attacks of the Greek Freak on a game-to-game basis, the Boston Celtics might be the best at slowing down one of the NBA’s least con… https://t.co/HdGAO43IM1
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 5, 2023
Looking ahead
As a bit of a quirk in the schedule, the Celtics will host the Raptors again Friday, Boston’s penultimate regular season game. But because Milwaukee also won tonight, the seeding in the Eastern Conference is now set. The Bucks will be the No. 1 seed, the Celtics the No. 2 seed, and the Philadelphia 76ers will be the No. 3 seed.
Regardless of where the Celtics land in the standings, the final few games will be important specifically for Boston’s role players. They can expect to get a little bit of extra burn ahead of the playoffs, and will perhaps be able to make one last push for a spot at what will presumably be a tighter postseason rotation.
It’s unclear if Boston will rest key guys for Friday’s rematch against the Raptors. Because Toronto is still very much so sorting out its own seeding position, expect a strong effort from the visiting team.
Are the Boston Celtics done chasing the East’s top seed? https://t.co/jz50NPQx4Z
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 5, 2023
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
