Celtics sneak by Raptors 102-99, take 2-0 East Semis series lead

The Boston Celtics moved to within two games of the Eastern Conference Finals with a 102-99 victory over the Toronto Raptors Tuesday.

The Boston Celtics knew the Toronto Raptors would have a different plan for Game 2, but didn’t expect to see it so soon. The Raptors won the tip, and immediately tried to take it to the cup as Kyle Lowry got himself rejected at the rim by Daniel Theis.

Toronto got themselves on the board with a Marc Gasol make in the paint, and the Raptors looked to take it inside. Both teams traded blows early as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum got the Celtics in the game.

A 9-0 run by Toronto put Boston in a 17-9 hole early, but a flush from Robert Williams III stopped the bleeding and sparked an 8-0 run for the Celtics to tie the game up at 17 with 3:30 in the quarter.

The Raptors threatened to pull away a few times, but solid play (interrupted by a scary fall) from Time Lord  and good shooting from Tatum kept the two teams neck-and-neck late in the first, the score tied at 28 points going into the second quarter.

The Celtics started the second frame with a Tatum trey, but Serge Ibaka answered right back on the next possession. Neither team was able to get separation early in the second, but the Celtics retook the lead with a trip to the line for Tatum to put Boston up 35-34 with seven left in the half.

A trey from Theis added to the lead, but Pascal Siakam immediately erased it on the other end. Marcus Smart took a hard hit from Gasol, but seemed to be okay. Kemba Walker got his first points from the line with 4:30 to go in the half, but turned it over shortly after to allow Fred Van Vleet to tie it at 40.

Van Vleet would hit a trey on the next play as well, but Brown came back with one of his own. Boston built themselves a small cushion as the half wound down, but a Siakam 3-pointer as time expired sent the Celtics into the break up 50-48.

The penultimate frame began with OG Anunoby drilling an open 3, followed by the first field goal of the game for Walker. Sloppy play and bad defense gave the Raptors a 59-54 lead, but a Tatum 3-pointer soon after made up for it.

The Duke product went into attack mode, getting to the line on the next play to tie it up. The Raptors went on a run in response and built a four-point lead, but Tatum kept attacking, tying it up at 64 with six minutes left in the frame.

Toronto didn’t let up, and a strip leading to a transition bucket by Lowry forced a Celtics timeout as Boston went down 72-66. Ibaka drained a 3 out of the stoppage to give the Raptors their largest lead.

A turnover on the next play led to a coaches challenge to give Toronto a 78-66 lead with 2:45 left in the game. Tatum kept attacking as well, though, and quickly cut the lead to eight, the Celtics going into the final frame down 78-70.

Boston began the fourth with a 3-pointer from Smart to cut the lead to five, and then two more to cut it to 80-79. He’d tie it up at 82 with a fourth trey, but Brown knocked knees with Lowry in another scary collision. A fifth 3 from the Texan gave Boston the lead, and a Walker trip to the line for a 3-point shot put the Celtics up 90-87 with 6:30 to go in the game.

Tatum hit Boston’s 14th trey, then a steal led to a bucket by Walker pushing the lead to eight. A trip to the line for Siakam and a 3 from Van Vleet cut it to 95-92, forcing a timeout from Boston. Gasol fouled out with three minutes left, sending Tatum to the line to convert both.

Lowry would get to the line, converting both, but Walker hit a dagger to put the lead at six. Tatum got a tech to cut the lead to three, and Lowry cut it to one from thee stripe on the next play. Walker answered back with 40 seconds left to force a timeout, but Toronto couldn’t score, Boston winning 102-99.

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