The Boston Celtics are back in control of their second round streak with the Toronto Raptors. After losing games 3 and 4, the Celtics recovered largely on Monday night, dominating Game 5 from start to finish, winning 111-89 and leading the series 3-2.
Boston were in the lead from start to finish and set the tone early by keeping the Raptors with just 11 points in the first quarter. They dominated both ends of the court and were in the lead with 30 points in the second half. Jaylen Brown recovered from a brutal fourth game performance to take the lead with 27 points and six rebounds, with all five starters hitting double digits.
The Raptors had a bad start in game five and were never able to recover. Their 11 points in the first quarter were the franchise’s record for the fewest points in any quarter of the playoffs, and they couldn’t keep the Celtics ahead of themselves at the other end. Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam fought with all their might, totaling 20 points each.
Here are three key takeaways from the game:
1. The Celtics dominate the defense
The Celtics were one of the league’s top defensive teams in the regular season, finishing fourth with a 104.6 Defensive Rating. They demonstrated this ability in the fifth game, blocking the Predators throughout the game to ensure a vital victory and take control of the streak.
It took the Raptors two and a half minutes to even climb the board, which foreshadowed how the rest of the game would develop. The Celtics held them with 11 points in the entire first quarter, making it Toronto’s record for the fewest points in any quarter in franchise playoff history.
In the game, the Raptors threw 38.8% from the field, 30% from the three-point line and turned the ball 13 times. And it’s not just about skipping shots. The Celtics fought through the screens, holding the Raptors ‘guards in front of them, challenging the shots inside and out, making the Raptors’ life extremely difficult overall.
Here’s a great example from the first quarter that shows how blocked the Celtics were. Daniel Tice switches to Kyle Lowry and stays on his fakes with fanfare, disables multiple driving attempts, and ends up launching a balloon. When Lowry can’t even get into the box against a center opponent, you know it’s a tough night.
2. Jaylen bounces back.
To be honest, Jaylen Brown was a very bad player in Game 4. No one played so well at the Celtics, but Brown’s 4-of-18 performance stood out, and he had 14 playoff points on a losing streak. With Gordon Hayward still missing with an ankle injury, the Celtics can’t afford nights like this from Brown.
They didn’t have to worry about him Monday night. He depleted a three-pointer on his first possession and rushed off with a record 27 points in 10 out of 18 field goals, as well as six rebounds and three steals. Most encouraging was the fact that he played with strength and confidence at both ends of the court.
His mockup on OG Anunoby at the end of the first quarter was not only a game, but one of the highlights of the entire postseason. When Brown plays like this, the Celtics are very difficult to beat.
3. Defending Champions on the Edge
After losing 2-0 to kick off this streak, the Raptors put up a great fight to level the score 2-2, thanks in large part to the wonder winner OG Anunoby in Game 3. But for some reason they didn’t show up. with the energy or effort required for the decisive Game 5.
Now the reigning champions are on the verge of relegation. They will have to win two games in a row to continue their season and become the eighth team this decade to recover from a 2-0 deficit in the Serie A. Although they did so last season in the Eastern Conference Finals, they don’t have Kawaii Leonard this time. …
And if that was not enough, the chances of them greatly increase. NBA teams that win game 5 in a 2-2 match continue to score 82% of the time. The Raptors will need some serious work to get out of this hole and win two games in a row for the second time in this series.
