The Raptors Prove That The Celtics Haven’t Won The East Yet

by
Former Writers
October 20, 2018

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The Raptors Prove That The Celtics Haven’t Won The East Yet

The Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics went head to head last night in their first of four meetings this year. The game was close throughout, with the Raptors pulling ahead in dramatic fashion within the final minutes.

The Celtics had five players in double figures including point guard Kyrie Irving, who finished with 21 points. This loss is more significant than most regular season defeats. It proves that the Raptors can be a contender for the Eastern Conference crown this season.

It was a battle Friday night in Toronto, and it all came down to execution. pic.twitter.com/N8lHbYJkZI

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 20, 2018

They Couldn’t Close The Game

The game was close going into the final quarter. Both teams had their chances; however, the Raptors took advantage of theirs. At the end of the day, the Celtics weren’t playing good enough team defense at the end to stop Kawhi Leonard.

The decision to continually double team Leonard in the post left other Raptors open and ready to score. A better plan here would have been to deny Leonard a post and front him. If the ball is thrown into him, then Horford needs to be there to intercept the pass.

Furthermore, the Celtics needs to stray away from hero ball and play together at the end. The Toronto Raptors were the better team last night. However, I expect the Celtics to bounce back the next time they meet.

Player Of The Game: Al Horford

Sometimes a stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story, but last night it did. Horford almost ended the night with a triple-double and showcased hounding defense. The leadership that he displays will be a sight that is common to Boston fans. His performance is nice to see because Horford is like fine wine. He gets better with age.

Honorable mention: Kyrie Irving

A Look Forward To Next Game

The Boston Celtics take on the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden Saturday night 8:00 PM ET. This is a back to back for both teams. As expected Gordon Hayward is out due to rest. Boston will need to come out early and take a big lead so they can experiment with more lineups.