Tag: east semis

Celtics’ Stevens expects Raps to adjust; plans to ‘focus on improving’

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is planning for the Toronto Raptors to adjust their plans for Game 2 — and he may well have some twists in store for them too.

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is a lot less impressed with his team’s Game 1 win than perhaps you might expect, but Stevens knows the opponent his tea is facing isn’t going to trot out the same approach that lost them the first game of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series.

“There was plenty of stuff we needed to do a lot better,” observed the Celtics coach ahead of their Game 2 collision.

“We’ve been through this enough to know that some days when a team goes 10-for-40, they’re going to shoot it better most nights even if you play good defense,” he added.

That last statistic referenced the Raptors’ 25% shooting from beyond the arc — and while the Celtics do indeed have one of the NBA’s best defenses, Stevens is correct to suggest there’s little chance of it being that good two games in a row.

“So, we know that we need to be a little bit better on the defensive and we know we need to be better in transition, and there’s some things that are obvious that we can clean up offensively,” he explained. “We expect them to be better, but we expect us to be better.”

“I think our focus is on improving,” Stevens added.

And about that adjusting — Toronto head coach Nick Nurse is a freshly-minted NBA Head Coach of the Year awardee based on his team’s ability to adapt, so you’d have to be a special kind of dense not to expect some tweaks coming Boston’s way on both ends of the ball.

“As far as their own adjustments, I think as a staff, you study and you prepare as well as you can,” offered the Indiana native.

They have a lot of different options,” he explained, “they can play small and fast; they can play big, they can play big and athletic, and they can switch. They can zone, they can do all that stuff.”

“So, you prepare as well as you can,” suggested Stevens. “And you stay on your toes, and there’s some things that you may mention to your guys, and some things might be coming that you keep to yourself, but at the end of the day, this is a fast paced game. You’ve got to play it with a clear mind.”

“I think you start by focusing on what you can do better, to play better,” finished the Celtics coach.

Postseason basketball is a different beast, with the game slowing down and a battle of chess (or checkers, though not in these two’s case) going on between coaches at the same time there’s high-level basketball taking place on the court.

Boston won both games in the series start, but may not be so lucky this time around.

But if Boston’s players from starters on down come into this game with an eye to improving their game on a play-by-play basis, we might just see the Celtics up two games to none by nightfall.

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Previewing Boston Celtics-Toronto Raptors Game 2, Round 2

How will the Toronto Raptors adapt to the Boston Celtics stifling their transition game in the second contest of their Eastern Conference series?

In Game 1 of the second-round series between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, Boston was able to stifle Toronto’s transition game while putting pressure on the Raptors’ older, slower frontcourt offensively to great success.

But will that plan work a second time when facing as canny a coach as Coach of the Year Nick Nurse?

This proposition seems unlikely, even if the obvious counters do not seem to be forthcoming. But Boston ought to grant Toronto that respect, as they have found ways to adapt and win to the tune of the East’s second seed in a season many pegged them due for a rebuild.

But if that adjustment doesn’t bear fruit, it could be another short series with the Celtics owning the 2019-20 record between the two teams four wins to one, counting Sunday’s Game 1 win.

Gordon Hayward and Javonte Green continue to be unavailable for Boston with an ankle sprain and knee surgery respectively, and guard Tremont Waters remains questionable with a sprained knee.

The Raptors will remain relatively healthy, with no new injuries to report and point guard Kyle Lowry appearing to be fine in his Game 1 appearance.

Based on what we saw in that first tilt of the series, the Celtics probably carry a slight advantage, with our prediction being a fairly high-scoring affair of 119-111 Boston.

Most online sportsbooks still favor Toronto, but just barely with a -1.5 spread.

The action kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN and NBC Sports Boston, and we’ll find out what tricks Nurse still has up his sleeve — as well as what Stevens might have to counter them.

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How to watch or stream Boston Celtics-Toronto Raptors Game 2, Round 2

These are all the ways you can watch Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.

The Boston Celtics look to take a two-game lead in their second-round series with the Toronto Raptors, the first postseason meeting of these two Atlantic Division rivals in league history.

With the Celtics owning a 5 – 1 record against the Raptors — including two convincing wins in the Disney restart bubble — it will require Boston to keep their attack strong and their defense sharp while also being prepared to counter whatever Toronto head coach Nick Nurse may have up his sleeve.

If you aren’t sure how to watch the tilt, we’re here to help with a variety of options for you to choose from.

Those of us in New England with cable companies carrying NBC Sports Boston can watch the game for free on that channel, as well as online via their “MyTeams” app or on NBCSportsBoston.com.

ESPN will also be carrying this contest for those of us who get that station, and for the rest of us, there’s paid services like NBA TV, NBA League Pass, Hulu + and FuboTV.

The game begins a bit later than Sunday’s, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. And if you can’t get free during that span, be sure to check back later for postgame video highlights.

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Theis grabs career-high playoff boards vs. Raps; ‘we can play better’

Starting Celtics center Daniel Theis spoke about his increased role on the blocks against the Toronto Raptors in the second round of Boston’s playoffs.

Boston Celtics starting center Daniel Theis grabbed a playoff career high 15 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series, with his role in corralling errant shots growing considerably against the Raptors, who like to run in transition.

“It’s a pretty important part of defense,” explained Theis.

The transition-oriented offense of Toronto plays a big role in the German big man’s shift in use against the Raptors.

Theis’ role as a rebounder has grown in this series, with the rest of the team expected to get back on defense at a much faster speed than was needed against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.

“It’s a different series than against Philadelphia,” noted the Salzgitter native.

“I was down there almost the whole time. I was scouting [Joel Embiid] and boxing him out, and other guys can grab the rebound. In this series right now, I have a chance to just grab rebounds soon so we can play fast, but overall, I don’t care about the stats at the end. Obviously, it feels good, but we have to win.”

“We played great defense, with a lot of turnovers, I think,” he added. “We can play better in Game 2.”

The Celtics will need to to come away with a 2-0 series lead, as it is exceedingly unlikely the Raptors will get into foul trouble so early, or miss so many shots.

Collectively, Boston held the defending NBA champions to just 25% shooting from beyond the arc and 36.9% overall; Boston’s defense is good, but probably not that good.

Expect a coach of Nick Nurse’s caliber to counter with something that should give his team a better shot on Tuesday — and expect the Celtics to break out a few new twists of their own.

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WATCH: Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics-Toronto Raptors Game 1 highlights

Watch all of the best plays by Boston Celtics star swingman Jayson tatum in Game 1 vs the Toronto Raptors in this video.

Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum didn’t have his best game against the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their second-round series compared to the tear he was on against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and it hardly even mattered.

Boston put the Raptors away 112 – 94 leading wire to wire, and the Duke product’s ‘off’ game still netted him 21 points and 9 rebounds on 9-of-18 shooting (including two out of five attempts from beyond the arc).

The Celtics had all starters scoring in double-digits and Boston took Game 1 with a group effort.

Boston still has a long road through the Raptors to get to the East Finals, but may have stumbled onto the formula to do it with their adjustments to Toronto on both sides of the ball.

We’ll find out soon enough with Game 2 of the series between these Atlantic Division rivals set to start at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, September 1st, 2020 — but until then, watch the video embedded above to see Tatum’s best plays of the series so far.

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Stevens: Cs play to strengths, ‘not trying to replace’ Hayward vs Raps

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens shared that the team hasn’t tried to replace Gordon Hayward vs Toronto, playing to their strengths instead.

While the Boston Celtics certainly got off to the sort of start they’d hoped to against the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the northern neighbors, they may not find their highly-adaptable opponents so easy to defeat in Game 2.

And part of the puzzle to putting this series behind them in the win column will be how they adapt to the Raptors’ adjustments.

A puzzle that would be much easier to solve if veteran forward Gordon Hayward happened to be available.

Out for at least three more weeks with a sprained ankle and the expectation of being present for the birth of his next child, the Butler standout will have to be replaced by the Celtics as a group, a thankless task highlighted by Boston head coach Brad Stevens after the Celtics Game 1 win.

“Not one person isn’t going to do statistically what he does every night,” he began.

“We have to just do it by committee, and the Philly [76ers] series, it was Grant [who] came off the bench and had big moments, Brad [Wanamaker] came off the bench had big moments; Marcus [Smart] was his normal self. Marcus today was unbelievable on both ends and then Semi [Ojeleye] really filled that other spot well today. We need another body to throw in all these different guys because they drive it so well.

“So again, we’re not trying to replace him with one person,” he added. “We’re just going to do our best to play to our strengths.”

In Game 1, this strategy worked almost to perfection, but expect the players who do the Hayward-by-committee production to vary based on what they see as potential untapped advantages from the film Game 1 generated.

We’ll also likely see anticipatory adjustments on the Celtics’ end to shore up points of weakness that same review reveals.

With two of the best coaches in the game knocking heads and Boston down one of its most potent tools against the NBA’s defending champs, it’ll take Boston’s best to advance to the East Semifinals.

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WATCH: Boston Celtics-Toronto Raptors full Game 1, Round 1 highlights

Watch all of the highlights from Boston’s 112-94 Game 1 win over the Toronto Raptors in their first-ever postseason meeting in this video.

The Boston Celtics took care of business in Game 1 of their series with the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors, coming away with a 112 – 94 win.

It was a very balanced affair with all five starters scoring in double figures, with star swingman Jayson Tatum and veteran guard Marcus Smart leading all scorers with 21 points each.

The Duke product also had 9 rebounds and shot 9-of-18 overall while the Flower Mound native added 6 boards and 4 assists on 6-of-10 shooting including 5-of-9 from deep.

Point guard Kemba Walker added 18 points and 10 assists, shooting guard Jaylen Brown 17 points and 5 rebounds, and center Daniel Theis 13 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Even Robert Williams III had a solid game off the bench, putting up 10 points, 5 boards and 2 blocks.

Whether you missed the game outright, or just want to gloat a little bit, watch the video embedded above to watch all of the highlights of Boston’s Game 1 win over Toronto.

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Celtics fossilize Raptors’ offense, win 112-94 to take 1-0 series lead

The Boston Celtics took Game 1 of their second-round series with the Toronto Raptors behind of a balanced effort from their starters.

The Boston Celtics wasted little time attacking the Toronto Raptors in Game 1, winning the tip and getting on the board first with a 3-pointer from Marcus Smart.

Jaylen Brown scored a quick make to put the Celtics up five early, and sloppy play kept Toronto scoreless until a Pascal Siakam and-1 got the defending champs on the board.

Brown kept the pressure on with a trey of his own, and a Daniel Theis 3-point play put Boston up 10-3 with 11-3 with the extra point converted. The Raptors came charging back, cutting the lead to 15-11 with back-to-back 3s from Serge Ibaka.

A 3-pointer from Smart put Boston up 22-11 with 4:30 left in the quarter, and a series that saw Siakam get a third foul, Raptors coach Nick Nurse lose a challenge, get a tech for good measure, only to see Boston capitalize and quickly put Toronto in a 16-point hole, Boston ending the frame up 39-23.

The second quarter started with a 3 from Kyle Lowry, and Ibaka helped slowly cut into the lead with a 7-0 run. A Tatum trey at the eight-minute mark was Boston’s first offence of the quarter.

The defensive showcase continued, but Boston built on their lead with makes from Theis and Brown to put the Celtics up 46-32 with 5:20 in the half. A trey from Semi Ojeleye would put Boston back up 16.

Marc Gasol would answer back on the other end, both teams looking a bit gassed. Boston would go up 17 on a Tatum and-1, with OG Anunoby cutting the lead to 12 from the stripe, only to see the Celtics go on a 5-0 run to close out the half up 59-42.

Boston began the penultimate frame with Gasol and Brown trading buckets early. Another two treys from Kemba Walker and Smart put the Celtics up 22, forcing a Raptors timeout with 9:30 left in the frame.

Toronto continued to struggle from the floor, Boston able to counter any success they had offensively. A Siakam make and a Fred Van Vleet 3 cut the lead to 72-55 with seven to play in the quarter, and a Siakam and-1 cut it further to 17 points.

Tatum came back to put the Celtics back up 22, despite the Raptors’ best efforts. A windmill dunk from Time Lord should have sucked the wind out of the Raptors’ sails, but Ibaka hit a trey in response to slow the bleeding.

The Raptors cut it to 18 with a Lowry trip to the line, and a trey from Anunoby put the lead at 84-69 with a minute left in the frame. Tatum and Norman Powell traded buckets in the quarter’s final seconds, and Boston would go into the fourth quarter up 88-73.

The final frame started with Lowry making a 3-point play while nutmegging Theis, but a 3 from Brad Wanamaker erased the progress made by the Raptors. A trip to the line for the German big man kept the pressure on Toronto, pushing the lead back up to 17.

A Walker trey smothered yet another attempt by the Raptors to make a run, and excellent defense and tired play resulted in nearly two minutes of scoreless play for both teams.

A flagrant away from the ball for Ibaka put Boston up 20 again, and both teams traded baskets while Toronto continued to struggle to cut into the Celtics’ lead. Boston put in their deep reserves with 2:30 to play, the Celtics coming away with a 112-94 win.

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Previewing Boston Celtics-Toronto Raptors Game 1, Round 2

The Boston Celtics take on the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their second round series with their Atlantic Division rivals at 1 pm ET this Sunday, August 30th.

The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors finally get to face off in their second round series of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, their first meeting in the postseason in franchise history, after a more than worthwhile delay this Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

That delay, sparked by the Milwaukee Bucks protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake in nearby Kenosha, Wisconsin, saw the postseason suspended from Wednesday through Friday, with all games scheduled to take place in that gap moved forward, Boston – Toronto included.

The time off may have given a boost to the health of the Raptors, with starting point guard Kyle Lowry upgraded to “probable” after spraining his ankle in the closeout game of Toronto’s last series.

Boston’s Gordon Hayward will not be available for this series with his own ankle sprain, and two way point guard Tremont Waters and wing Javonte Green will be unavailable for Game 1 with a knee sprain and meniscal tear keeping them out respectively.

While the latter duo were not expected to play significant minutes, the loss of Hayward’s playmaking and offense will be a blow to Boston’s odds of advancing.

The Celtics did dominate the Raptors in the regular season three games to one, but also have much greater bench depth, especially with Hayward’s injury.

Given that Boston has the best player in the series in Jayson Tatum, this series is likely to be a close one, perhaps hinging on just how firmly the third-year wing has planted his flag in superstar territory.

Our prediction is a seven-game series and a close, high-scoring start, the Celtics winning a 133-127 offensive showcase.

Most online sportsbooks don’t agree — but just barely, granting the Raptors a – 2 spread.

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How to watch or stream Boston Celtics-Toronto Raptors Game 1, Round 2

These are all the ways you can watch or stream Game 1 of the Celtics’ second-round series with the Toronto Raptors Sunday afternoon.

If you aren’t exactly sure how to watch Sunday afternoon’s Game 1 contest between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, you’re not alone.

In fact, there’s probably a fair amount of folks who haven’t even caught up with the fact that Wednesday’s protest by the Milwaukee Bucks pushed the schedule of the entire playoffs up a bit, with the first game of this series starting at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on August 30th.

For those of you living in New England with a cable provider who carries NBC Sports Boston, that outlet will be showing every Celtics game left in the 2019-20  postseason, which you can also catch online via NBCSportsBoston.com or their ‘MyTeams’ app.

You can also watch this contest on ESPN if your cable provider carries that channel as well, and paid subscription services like NBA TV, NBA League Pass, FuboTV and Hulu + are also available if you don’t mind paying to watch the game.

With news that Raptors starting point guard Kyle Lowry is likely to suit up, it should be quite a series, and of course as always we’ll post video highlights afterwards in case none of these options plays well with your schedule.

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