The Toronto Raptors suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Boston Celtics. The loss marks their third in-a-row. Here are my three big takeaways.
The Toronto Raptors suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Boston Celtics last night. On the road, with injuries and foul trouble, the cards were stacked against the dinosaurs. Still, to be so close against a conference rival, only to fumble it away, is never easy.
The game was a back-and-forth battle which felt more like a playoff contest than mid-November game. Despite all the factors working against Toronto, with 25-seconds remaining they had a chance to pull out the win.
A Kawhi Leonard isolation led to a contested mid-range jumper which, obviously, didn’t fall. When the game went to overtime, the absent Raptors became too much to overcome, and the Celtics were able to pull out a victory.
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From a Raptor perspective, there are two ways to look at this:
Nearly beating the favorite to win the Eastern Conference on the road while missing some significant accomplishment.
OR
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades (it probably counts in a couple of other things), and despite everything else, Toronto blew a close game in the final minutes.
I wouldn’t blame you for taking either side, and the right stance is probably somewhere in the middle. Regardless of the outcome, here are my three biggest takeaways from the game:
1. What is up with Fred VanVleet?
Fred VanVleet hasn’t played well all season. So far this year, he is averaging 8.6 points per game, with an effective field goal percentage of just 42.1-percent. He is shooting just 26-percent from beyond the arc, neutralizing one of his best skill-sets.
Against the Celtics, he shot just 0-6 from three-point range and did not even attempt a shot inside the line. That’s……. not good.
The bench mob has struggled as a unit this season, and there is not a bigger reason than their leader, Fred VanVleet.
2. Jonas Valanciunas = Aron Baynes
In the two games against the Boston Celtics, Jonas Valanciunas has almost completely avoided Al Horford. That’s smart, in their limited time on the court last game, he got roasted.
As a result, JV is limited to minutes when Baynes is on the court. In their two matchups so far this season, the showdown has been about equal.
Jonas Valanciunas is making $16.5 million per year. Him being reduced to the same role as Aron Baynes is a gigantic win for the Boston Celtics.
3. This game mattered
When a season is 82-games long, you are going to take a more relaxed on approach on certain nights. It’s not that teams “take games off”, but some nights their focus is greater than others. Think about it, do you come with your A-game every single day at work? Or do you phone it in a little early on a Friday every once-in-a-while?
Well, tonight both teams brought 100-percent energy and focus. This game was intense and physical. Every off-ball action felt like a fight and every rebound felt like a huge effort.
Both teams wanted to win this game badly, something you don’t see every night in the NBA.