Holy crap… that game was a roller coaster. Led by Al Horford’s near perfect offense and Marcus Smart’s usual gritty defense, the Celtics overcame another poor shooting performance to beat the Raptors, 95-94.
Let’s get this out of the way now: THE STREAK IS 12!!!!! TWELVE!!!!!!!
The game was decided in the final seconds when DeMar DeRozan’s short jumper (choke) hit iron and eventually pin-balled its way into the mitts of Smart. The Celtics stopped DeRozan seconds before (choke, the prequel), but Toronto was granted another possession because of an offensive foul(?) on Jayson Tatum. The rook corralled a tough rebound but was whistled for the foul when he swung his arms and his elbow connected with Oscar nominee Fred VanVleet. The NBA is ruining the game by over-reacting to normal plays that result in swinging elbows. Do you hear me, Adam Silver? Players need space to move, damnit.
Game Flow
I was drinking all afternoon (blame the Steelers weak-ass performance) so I’m not going to pretend to analyze the game flow. The Celtics turned a 5 point halftime deficit into an 8 point lead midway through the 3rd quarter thanks to a 12-2 run (Jaylen Brown had 10 of his 18 points in the quarter). But they couldn’t pull away.
I was sober enough to notice Terry Rozier’s clutch shooting at the end of the 2nd and 3rd quarters. And Boston’s edge in FGA (18) because Heinsohn wouldn’t stop talking about it.
Who’s Hot
Horford had 21 points on 8-9 FG. Not bad for a guy who missed 2 games with concussion symptoms.
Not many guys can shoot 3-10 and finish +11. Marcus Smart is one of those guys. Holy defense, Batman.
Daniel Theis had 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in 17 minutes. Can you believe he makes $11.1 million less than Kelly Olynyk?
Who’s Not
The Celtics (40%) are colder than my girlfriend’s toes at 3am. They’ve shot 40% or less in 3 straight games.
Highlights
Tatum’s ridiculous spin move
Tatum on the baseline… Whoa. 👏👏👏 https://t.co/mV58a0rcko
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 12, 2017
Tito crashing glass and banging 3s
Terry Rozier grabs his own offensive rebound, then capitalizes on the extra possession with a four-point play to close out the first half's scoring. pic.twitter.com/nnubt1ZTI0
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) November 12, 2017
Tatum clutch bucket late in the 4th
Here it is. Such a tough shot. pic.twitter.com/vwMHa1XDJi
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) November 12, 2017
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