Game Recap: Toronto Raptors Lose 117-116 to the Boston Celtics

The Raptors suffered a heartbreaking setback Saturday night against the Boston Celtics, who are in an equally precarious position in the Eastern Conference. The 117-116 loss moved the Raptors back to 1.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for third in the East. To their great benefit, the Celtics vaulted themselves into the playoff picture, passing the Miami Heat for eighth in the conference at 35-42. With both teams playing for important outcomes, the Celtics simply found a way to get the upper hand and earn the win they badly needed.

Good performances were had for both teams, with DeMar DeRozan attempting to play the role of hero for the Raps. With Kyle Lowry out, DeRozan has been required to give everything he has every night. Yesterday, he did just that, dipping deep into his pockets and pulling out all the tricks he could muster. Step-back 3-pointers, acrobatic layups and clutch mid-range jumpers were just a few of the plays DeRozan lived by. He notched 38 points and 3 assists on 14-25 shooting from the field in what was one of his best games of the year.

In actuality, the Raptors played pretty decently. Tyler Hansbrough and Lou Williams also contributed impressive efforts. Hansbrough earned every minute he was given, starting only his third game of the year, in place of the injured Amir Johnson. Hansbrough shot 5-5 from the field, contributing 18 points and 8 rebounds. This was his best game of the season, showing that he can still be efficient and dynamic both offensively and defensively at the NBA level. Williams, on the other hand, did much of what we have come to expect from him. He set the court on fire off the bench, scoring 27 points, including three 3-pointers.

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The Celtics played great offensively, providing a true team effort with six players scoring more than 10 points. Isaiah Thomas was the ultimate antithesis to Lou Williams, earn 25 points of the bench and furthering his candidacy for Sixth Man of the Year. Tyler Zeller was also a strong performer, contributing 20 points off 8-10 shooting from the field. Plus, Zeller earned nine rebounds in the win. But, the big winner was rookie Marcus Smart, scoring a buzzer beating layup in overtime, which sealed the game for his team. Smart scored 15 points, including a couple of 3-pointers.

The game was pretty close throughout, but the Raps just couldn’t get it done. This is worrisome with the playoffs only a few games away. The Raptors need to find ways to will themselves to victory, even when their opponents are playing as well as they are.

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