Boston Celtics put the Toronto Raptors, NBA on notice: 3 things they proved
The Boston Celtics (46-23) took it to the Toronto Raptors (49-19) and absolutely put the NBA on notice with a 122-100 throttling of the defending champs.
The Boston Celtics entered Friday night’s showdown against Pascal Siakam and Toronto Raptors with something to prove and they did that and more in a 122-100 blowout victory that sent shockwaves through the NBA.
Overreaction much? Not really.
Led by Jaylen Brown (20 points) the Celtics were efficient offensively and defensively as they punched the Raptors right in the face to open the Eastern Conference heavyweight fight that had the NBA defending champs on the ropes the entire night.
With the solid victory, the Celtics prevented the Raptors from clinching the No. 2 seed for now, but more importantly they gave their potential second-round matchup something to think about with the NBA playoffs right around the corner.
Boston Celtics put the NBA on notice
In improving to 3-1 against Toronto this season, Brad Stevens and his team definitely prove they match up well against a team many have favored to give the Milwaukee Bucks a run for their money in the East.
Don’t count out the Boston Celtics, who proved Friday night that when they are rocking both offensively and defensively, they are absolutely terrifying. The coach loved out his team came out and loved how they kept their foot on the throat of the Raptors.
"“I think the biggest thing is that we were ready to play,” Stevens said following the game, as transcribed by Masslive.com. “I thought, Wednesday we really guarded, for the most part, the way we wanted to start guarding and I thought that continued today. We have to be locked in, we have to be dialed in, we have to be good defensively to have a chance to be a good team. I don’t think it’s a surprise that your offense follows that when you are dialed in like that.”"
Jumping out to a quick lead in the first quarter and limiting the Toronto Raptors to just 14 points at the conclusion of the first frame was exactly what Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Kemba Walker and the No. 3 seed Celtics needed to do.
In a complete team effort, the Boston Celtics put the entire NBA on notice that they are not only a threat in the Eastern Conference, but also a championship contender. Here are three things they proved in the NBA bubble against one of the league’s elite.