Prior to the Celtics – Raptors tipoff, Nick Nurse joined media (for media) to talk about the upcoming game, and all of us lil’ media members scurried around to collect our quotes. One of them, was about how the Raptors feel they measure up to the Celtics, and if that was important. The Celtics own the best record in the NBA, they’re the league’s best offense, they have perhaps the MVP favourite on their squad in Jayson Tatum; it’s a lot, and why wouldn’t you measure yourself to a lot.
“No, for sure it’s a measurement game.” Coach Nurse said. “I think we totally need to see where we are with these guys. They’re obviously the best team in the league right now and record and metrics and numbers and historic this and historic that at both ends and they’re playing really good. I think we need to see where we are at.”
For Joe Mazzula, the Celtics head coach, this was just a game that he “looks at it like the next game on the schedule.” And why not? The Raptors are intriguing, they play to their identity — most of the time — and for this game against the Celtics they had their superstar, Pascal Siakam available. None of that, however, makes them a measuring stick team. More so a curiosity. Despite missing, arguably, 3 of their top 7 players (Brogdon, Williams, Horford) the Celtics played to their strengths, hit the shots they needed to, and collected the win.
“I thought we played well, we had a chance to win.” said Siakam after the game. He definitely played well, taking on a bunch of different looks from the Celtics in stride and continuing to produce quality looks for his teammates and score the ball to the tune of 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. He was sublime, and especially when you account for his defensive performance as well. Siakam continued: “So, and to be honest, like with anybody, I feel like once we focus and everybody’s healthy, everybody’s playing the way that we know we can play, I don’t think I fear anybody really, to be honest. So, we just got to get ourselves together, stay together, and just continue to trust what we do, as long as we put the work in and we continue to work, I believe that we’re gonna be okay.”
Matching Siakam’s output though, was Tatum on the other side. He scored 31 on the night, did less playmaking for the Celtics than Siakam did for the Raptors, but he did score 17 of his points in the third quarter where the Celtics won the game. Singlehandedly, he matched the Raptors output in that quarter (17-17), and he did a lot of his work shooting over the top of an engaged defense that managed to pressure the ball and move the Celtics onto secondary and tertiary looks. Sometimes, the other team is going to hit shots. Harder shots than you can hit. The Celtics big run was fueled in large part by their superstars hitting over the top.
The Raptors, for their part, continued to produce the looks they want, but without the outcome. The problem is that a lot of their offensive outcomes can fall in the hands of shooters who are in slumps. Fred VanVleet, for example, is shooting 29-percent from the field over his last 8 games, and 23-percent from 3. The good looks have come, they just aren’t dropping at all. I asked Siakam if the lack of pop at the end of plays ever makes him consider trying to win with other types of process:
“To be honest I always trust my teammates to make the right play and like I’m always going to try to make the right play when I’m out on the floor. And everyone on this team, we put a lot of work in like I see these guys work and it’s possible sometimes. Like it doesn’t go in. There’s no other way to say it. We just have to keep going, play basketball. It doesn’t really help us for me to be out there trying to play hero ball. If a team is going to win together it’s got to play together. That’s the way we’re going to win. And I believe that. Those things are going to turn around. And once they do, maybe we have a different conversation. Yeah, maybe you can talk about me having 15 assists instead of trying to escape the double.”
Pascal Siakam after the loss
And it’s not all on VanVleet either, although this is a very tough stretch in his career. The Raptors didn’t help themselves out at all with certain types of defensive miscommunications – most notably, the botched tags against the likes of Blake Griffin and Luke Kornet which resulted in double-digit points scored against them. The Raptors can’t play these high stakes possessions that hinge on ball pressure and the scramble back to the front of 5 different jerseys if a slip to the rim undoes all of their hard work. Sometimes you’re going to get beat, and they did get beat. The contested threes that were made, you tip your cap. You can’t allow mediocre bigs to feast on the inside, though.
Some turnovers piled up, open shots were missed, and the Raptors still played a pretty damn good game plan. There’s a reason that Nurse, Anunoby, and Siakam all said they thought they played well post-game. They did. The scales of basketball justice get tipped by talent, though. And the Celtics have it at the top end and throughout their roster. A system, talent, and shooting. The NBA’s #1 offense proved its mettle against the unorthodox and harassing Raptors defense. The Raptors on the other side continue to succeed at certain things, and fail at others. Everyone is looking for the full alignment. I hope we get it.
Have a blessed day.
