Every weekday, SI’s Chris Mannix will check his Bubble Bits, allowing you to quickly find something of note on the NBA campus.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – Three thoughts on Boston wins 112-99giving the Celtics a 2-0 lead over the Raptors in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
• What is Marcus Smart’s game: In the fourth quarter, the Celtics were eight behind, and this one felt that Toronto was out of reach for them. The Raptors played well, Kemba Walker played badly, and Toronto seemed to have a great opportunity to level the score. Then Smart makes a three. Five-point game. After the Raptors bucket, he does one more. There are four leaders. Then, on the next possession, he can get a third. One point, Toronto time-out and all dynamics turned towards Boston. Three triples in 72 seconds for Smart … which was 1-7 out of three before.
Kim Clement – USA TODAY Sports
I want more? How about three more minutes later. And then other a minute after that. In just three minutes, Smart earned five triples in the last night’s game. Smart’s shooting gave Walker (17 points) time to warm up, Jason Tatum (34) to spin up and lead the Celtics to victory.
By the way, I’ve followed Smart closely since he joined the NBA in 2014. There is no player with more irrational confidence in shooting. is he never holding back. At various times, he was one of the worst shooters in the NBA. But he never stops. He continues to work, continues to shoot, and the numbers improve. He was 36.4% three-pointers last season; this year, with his attempts to score a record 6.6 per game, he scored 34.7%. The five threes he made on Tuesday not only put Boston back in the game, they broke the Raptors’ spirit. Smart – anchor “Celtics”. When he hits the top three, he is one of Boston’s fullest players.
• Pascal Siakam’s troubles continue: Siakam’s numbers were solid: 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists while shooting 6-16. But in the fourth quarter he had two points on two free throws. When the Raptors lost three in the last minute, Siakam went out of bounds. In the last two minutes, the Raptors have not scored from the field. This must be the time of Siakam. Toronto has some great perimeter shooters, but they need the Siak to play. There will be a lot of pressure on Siakam to play in the third game.
• Come in, Lord of Time: Another bright spot for Boston: Robert Williams, affectionately known as the Time Lord, the nickname given to Williams after he missed a conference call, a flight, and his first rookie training, was a major presence in the series. Williams scored 10 points and five rebounds in the first game. He scored 11 points and four rebounds in the second game. Williams played moderately in the first round of the Celtics over Philadelphia, but against Toronto it’s Williams, not Enes Kanter. earned minutes of backup center. Slim, taut, Williams has always had a Clint Capel / DeAndra Jordan-like potential. In this episode, he showed it, and then several, collecting light jabs on the edge in the attack and giving the Raptors a presence to be aware of when defending.
