I wouldn’t consider that one a fun loss. The Toronto Raptors took the defending champion Boston Celtics to overtime, out-executed them for most of the game, and saw RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl both put up career-highs, only for Jayson Tatum to hand them a loss with a buzzer-beater.
Barrett was surgical, notching the first triple-double of his career with 25 points, ten rebounds, and a career-high 15 assists. Barrett had a chance to give the Raptors the lead a few times in the fourth quarter but shot 4-of-9 from the free-throw line and could not convert.
But the playmaking was sublime. His most common connection was with his big man Poeltl, who scored a career-high 35 points and nabbed 12 rebounds, shooting 16-for-19 from the field. Poeltl was elite in the short roll, finishing on floaters and push shots and putting pressure on the rim constantly. Post-game, Poeltl received high praise from Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla, who called him a “Bear” to defend. He’s right.
Toronto, in general, played its best defensive game of the season. Davion Mitchell and Ochai Agbaji did a great job defending against Tatum and Jaylen Brown all night, pressuring them on the ball and providing crisp defensive rotations off the ball. It was elite.
Chris Boucher provided a nice punch with 15 points off the bench, too. Meanwhile Gradey Dick struggled for a second straight game, shooting 3-for-12 from the field and scoring just nine points.
Ultimately, though — the Celtics found a way to keep it close enough for Tatum to pull off an unreal game-winner.
If you’d like to learn more about the Celtics and Raptors game and listen to a full analytical breakdown of the game, including Barrett and Poeltl’s performances, Gradey’s struggles and what this means for the Raptors moving forward.
