Rapid Recap is designed for the busiest of Celtics fans. Whether you can’t stay awake to read 10 paragraphs or your hangover is just too much, Rapid Recap tells the timeline of the game in only a minute or two.
The Toronto Raptors were hungry for get-back after their Christmas embarrassment at the hands of the Boston Celtics. They certainly got it tonight against a Cs squad that had played the previous night and clearly wasn’t prepared for a high-caliber opponent.
Kemba Walker did all he could offensively with 30-2-2-2. The Jays, so dominant yesterday, were OK at best today, with Brown racking up 17-5-1-3 and Tatum managing just 12-3-4-1, with a third of Brown’s points and half of Tatum’s coming at the charity stripe. On the other side, Kyle Lowry had 30 of his own, as he, Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka led a crew largely composed of NBA That Guys to a dominant 113-97 win over our heroes.
Seeing as Boston was on the second night of a back to back, the slow start wasn’t a surprise as a rested Toronto squad led by the unkillable Kyle Lowry came out to an early lead in the quarter’s opening minutes.
Kemba comin' in HOT 🔥 https://t.co/F6XcaluIig
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 29, 2019
Smarf is blind but orchestrating en elaborate ruse to fool the Celtics into believing his vision was restored. Part of that ruse will be taking 15 threes tonight.
— Ryan Bernardoni (@dangercart) December 29, 2019
Marcus Smart was back, which is good, but we had some referee hobnobbery after a dust-up between Lowry and Brown, which was bad.
The #Raptors challenging the blocking call vs Kyle Lowry. Since we didn't see a replay of it, I'm thinking this one has a good shot at being changed to an offensive foul vs Jaylen Brown.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) December 29, 2019
The call on the floor has been overturned by the officials, giving Jaylen Brown his second personal foul while Kyle Lowry's foul total remains at one.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) December 29, 2019
Jokes/ref disses aside, the refs didn’t score Toronto’s points or miss Boston’s shots during that opening frame. (Also, Boston would ultimately have a major foul advantage, getting to the line plenty of times.)
Ball don't lie.
except on all the shots the C's missed— CelticsBlog (@celticsblog) December 29, 2019
Computer, deliver me Marcus Smart highlights:
Welcome back @smart_MS3! pic.twitter.com/ayKglwNmxk
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 29, 2019
In other words, Dangercart was right. SMARF, Gordon Hayward and Kanter normalized things offensively for the Cs and get within low single digits, and the defense also toughened up after being kinda fugazi’d in Q1:
Sooo, the Celtics' defense woke up this quarter.
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) December 29, 2019
They might need a new ball after Theis just destroyed that shot from VanVleet.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) December 29, 2019
But the Raptors stayed ahead, due to Lowry and Ibaka (as you’d expect) and guys like Patrick McCaw (definitely less expected). Their efforts brought Toronto back to a double-digit lead.
https://twitter.com/maxacarlin/status/1211089206400806912?s=20
There were a lot of misses like that, actually. Not what you’d call fun.
Celtics going with their best five lineup to close the half.
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) December 29, 2019
That’d be Smart, Brown, Tatum, Walker and Hayward, in case you’re wondering. (Erotic City Vol. 2.) It wasn’t enough to gain the lead, but staunched the bleeding somewhat—especially on defense—and Kemba beat the halftime buzzer to bring it to 59-54 Raptors.
ANOTHER buzzer-beater to close the first half, this time from Kemba Walker
𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝 (📲 @MetroByTMobile ) pic.twitter.com/CZbtED106V
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 29, 2019
Early in the third, the Raptors started giving the Celtics a lot of open shots…which the Celtics didn’t make. The Raptors did not mirror this failure on their open shots.
Every time the Celtics have cut Toronto's lead down to three or four points, the Raptors have responded with a run to push it back out to 10-12 points. Just did it again here early in the third. Impressive resiliency from an undermanned Raptors group.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) December 29, 2019
https://twitter.com/maxacarlin/status/1211097070066495488?s=20
The Celtics regained their footing:
Is this game going to set a record for 9-0 runs
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) December 29, 2019
Tatum 👆 Theis 👇 pic.twitter.com/uEj3FvCfd8
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 29, 2019
Daniel Theis showing off the hops with the lob dunk, Tatum on the assist. The #Celtics, still on the comeback trail 👣👣, are within one possession, 70-67 of the Raptors here in the 3rd quarter.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) December 29, 2019
And then the Raptors had another run. And then the Celtics had another.
What a finish!@FCHWPO | https://t.co/bpLxUrXFhj pic.twitter.com/1n3zrddwKJ
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 29, 2019
And then the Raptors had another. Jesus Christ. 89-79 Raptors with three frames in the books.
Hollis-Jefferson just fouled out. Anunoby and Ibaka are both one foul away from doing the same. Still nearly 8 minutes remaining.
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) December 29, 2019
And, just like that, Anunoby is gone! Nick Nurse without his challenge too. Used it in the first quarter. https://t.co/44JlcoxKRN
— Abby Chin (@tvabby) December 29, 2019
Despite this, and forcing 22 turnovers, the Celtics couldn’t buy a goddamn shot and were still down double digits with six minutes left. Lowry and his cohorts were lights-out from deep, and the Celtics weren’t.
not an excuse, everyone has hard schedules, but this game reeks of the back-to-back struggles
shots falling short, balls slipping out of hands, sloppy fouls, etc.
— CelticsBlog (@celticsblog) December 29, 2019
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