East Semis Game 6: (3-3) Toronto Raptors 125 - 122 Boston Celtics (3-3)

1st Half

Marc Gasol is hidden on Marcus Smart to keep him out from being a part of the Kemba Walker pick and rolls. This has been a important on how Kemba has decreased his production after the first couple of games, as well as FVV harassing him in the dreaded box-and-1 (more on that later). You can see them pre-switch as soon as they see that Theis is going to set the pick. 

While Boston didn’t start very hot from the floor, despite Marcus Smart scoring the first 9 points for his team on 3 attempts from deep, the Raptors were completely unable to score as they continues to be negated any quality perimeter looks. Plus the transition defense by the Celtics has been nothing short of remarkable all series (In the first instance, Theis sinks and Kemba stunts to stop Siakam’s momentum, Smart then does a great job staying with FVV in the second attempt to attack inside, stunts to help on Siakam again and the possession ends with an OG isolation against Jaylen Brown and the Celtics with live with his pull up 3 anytime).

The Raptors were defending in a zone coverage for most of the early stages of the quarter and the Celtics were feasting on offensive boards. Toronto had a total of 12 rebounds in the quarter and the Celtics had 8 just on the offensive glass, though two of those was Tatum getting multiple tip ins in a single play. With both teams missing on their jump shots, these extra possessions made the difference for a 4 point lead at the end of the first.

As bench players make their way in, Ibaka gave them more rim protection as they went to a more traditional defense. He also pushes up more on the ball handler in pick and roll before recovering. The Raptors were also very comfortable helping away from Wannamaker and routinely allowed him a shot - he failed to make them pay starting 0-3.

The Raptors see Robert Williams target and they want him to come up to defend a screening action as much as they can get it. Williams switching potential remains potential only.

Jaylen Brown managed 11 points in his 8 shots attempted and lead both teams in the inaugural period. Tatum and Siakam combined for a 2-13 and the first can’t breath with the ball before seeing two defenders. Brown would continue cooking into the second quarter as he was getting buckets against all sort of great defenders and the lead extended to double digits for Boston.

With the Raptors struggling (2-14 from deep), Matt Thomas checks in but it’s Ibaka that reverses momentum with 3 three pointers and a couple of strong contests at the rim. The Raptors stuck to their main defensive identity protecting the paint and allowing (Brad Wannamaker) threes if necessary.

The Raptors finally manage a 5 point swing in the last 3 minutes as they go small with Siakam at the 5, almost entirely out of pull up jump shots coming from Lowry in PnR. It remains a 4 point game as halftime arrives.

2nd Half

The game remained close as the 3rd quarter ramped up as both temas still try to find an edge over the opponent.

The Celtics tried to create separation between Kemba and FVV using a Smart screen but the Raptors do a good job denying him with a good switch as Walker deep cuts cross-court. Theis, amidst the on-edge Raptors defense then sprints and there is no time to call for the switch, resulting in Gasol coming up and the inside being protected mostly by small guards while Siakam divides his attention with the corner 3. This obviously a position Boston relishes.

After 3 hours looking at a replay of what would be a flagrant 1 on Marcus Smart, Toronto runs a hammer set where Siakam does a handoff for a Lowry drive while on the weakside OG and FVV force a miscommunication on the weak side between Grant and Kemba. The Raptors expected them to try and stay home (and Gasol’s screen was meant to be the main cause for the open corner shot) but the defense seems unclear if there should be a switch so by the time Grant runs into the spaniard, it was already too late. This would be the first of 3 Raptors deep shots that would result in a 6 point lead, the largest one for the defending champions thus far.

Jaylen sat with 4 fouls mid-third while Tatum found some scoring punch, though he had been solid in all other aspects for all game. Both teams end up having much more efficient quarters but the Raptors separate themselves to a 4 point lead behind 20 combined points from Fred and Marc, who were 5-6 on 3s. Also they cranked it up defensively at the end.

For the final quarter of regulation, the return of Kemba reinvigorated the Celtics offense. Toronto is ice-ing his high screen-and-rolls, looking to block the double drag screen the Celtics often run for him but the starters displayed great ball movement and patience looking for good looks as the Raptors try to recover. Nick Nurse responds by going back to the small and switchable lineup with OG as the nominal 5 - and my god do they scramble HARD.

I swear that Kyle Lowry would make a deep pull up 3 every few minutes just to keep Boston in check. This one even earned a “BANG!”. He finished 6-10 from deep with 31 points and 16 rebounds!

CRUNCH REPORT: Boston ties the game with 2 minutes to go: Smart with Walker rotates to avoid the mismatch Siakam wanted and holds off his attempt to force his way inside, stripping the ball. In the ensuing fast break, it’s also Smart that sees OG fronting Theis in the paint and makes a wonderful a lob pass for an easy dunk. This tie would persist until the end of regulation. Seems like an appropriate moment to highlight the incredible all-around performance by Marcus; Doing it all with 23/11/10 triple double, his passing was tremendous and watching point around, ordering his team around on defense will never not entertain me.

Nurse calls a timeout with less than a minute remaining and I’m not sure why the play they come out with is Siakam in isolation trying to make a tough shot from floater range in a crowded paint. I understand they wanted the last shot and they still had a timeout but this still took long enough for it to be a difference of shot and game clocks below 2 seconds. A weird moment all around. In their last possession of regulation, the Celtics tease a small-small pick and roll but Tatum slips (which the Raptors have now seen a lot and know it's coming) and Kemba, attacking against Anunoby of all people, drives to the rim and misses the contested layup against a collapsed Raptors defense.

The decision between the time-out or the jump ball was a very tough one but I won’t dwell on it. After Tatum uses the foul the team had to give, the Raptors couldn’t get a clean look and Jaylen smothers Siakam who tries a Hail Mary. The game goes to overtime. 

OTs

There were a lot more defensive breakdowns as you could see exhaustion take its toll. In the first overtime, the Raptors attacked Kemba while the Celtics tried isolations from both Walker and Tatum, without much success. A couple of consecutive fouls on Jaylen Brown send him to the line, tying the game once again. Normal Power tries a buzzer beater in isolation against Kemba.

Then all hell breaks loose. The second overtime begins, once again Jaylen Brown is swallowing Siakam and it results in a Tatum dunk that I can’t believe he still had the legs for. When this was followed by a backcourt violation by VanVleet, the concern for the Raptors season was palpable. The brilliant challenge on a foul by Nurse allowed some extra rest and they take away an extra Boston possession. The Celtics were often looking for FVV to switch and guard Tatum; OG oversells trying to help and Smart makes a brilliant alley-oop pass for a Theis finish. Marcus Smart would put the team up with a corner 3 that is immediately matched up by Norman Powell on the other end with less than 9 seconds to go - the amount of leads being switched and ties created were making this a tense and unforgettable affair.

Another lob behind Anunoby’s back leads the Celtics up 2 with a minute to go. But it’s also OG that early in the clock shoots a 3 from a Lowry pick and pop. The Toronto wing has been unbelievable and a never-ending well of hustle.

Normal Power comes out as an unlikely hero of the overtime periods, scoring 10 points in the final OT (plus 5 in the OT1), 7 of those 15 obtained at the free throw line. He seemed much fresher than his teammates and that seems to be the reason why they looked so much for him. Powell strips Tatum and finishes the fast-break despite the foul for a decisive and-1. 

Tatum makes a floater to bring it to a one possession game and securing the 2-for-1. But Kyle. FUCKING. Lowry. The best player on his team carries them home. Tatum makes a huge 3 on the other end and I thought this game would last forever but Powell makes his final free throws on the other end after the quick foul and the Raptors win in the game of the season and live to fight in a game 7. I though this game was over 5 different times in a 2 minute span... I need a cigarette. 

There is something to be said about how the Celtics managed to still secure tie at the end of the 48 minutes when Kemba Walker soccer 1 field goal for the entire regulation. Toronto couldn’t score at the rim the entire game - Siakam in particular couldn’t get a layup - but they shot 41% on non-corner 3s and did surprising well from midrange. Not the most sustainable stats. Boston had a much more ideal shot profile with lost of makes at the rim and 11/23 from corner 3s. But this was an earned victory of pure grind as the Raptors trailed in the 4th and each of the overtime periods before finally taking the game.

Other Notes

Tatum’s a legit threat for a chase down block every time down.

An Herculean effort. Lowry would check back before the midpoint of the 2nd quarter run and he would never leave the game again, playing 43 consecutive minutes until he game expired in 2OT (Siakam and Tatum had similar stints nearing 40 minutes). The Raptors functionally played their small lineup for the last 18 minutes and the Celtics played their starters from the the start of the 4th to the very end. 6 players crossed the 50 minute mark. Nurse has talked about how timeouts, challenges and replays en dup providing a lot of “free” rest but this is still a display of endurance.

OG does routinely a great job on Tatum - although he missed his fair share of open looks on this one - and the main solution for Walker is the box-and-1. Just look at FVV glued to Kemba as they run around. Regardless, Kemba had one of the most impactful 2-11 games you can imagine, because he often forced a lot of reactions from Toronto's defense and it opened up a lot of Boston's offense.

This cross court cut by Smart after giving up the ball and the Celtics overload the strong side resulted in Marcus being completely alone in the corner for multiple seconds in at least a couple of occasions. The plays using overloads were really effective at creating mix ups in the zone defense and it seemed like the Celtics finally figured out a solution they can revisit.

It was a clear improvement how Gasol was much more aggressive shooting after his first stint on the bench. The hesitation on the open shot seems to be gone.

I see the Heat run this often: In a single-tag Pick and Roll (1 man on the weak side), they have the corner shooter slide up along the 3pt line as the big rolls, which creates an impossible decision for the weak side defender. Here the pick was never set (something you also see Bam Adebayo do) but the play unfolds the same.

So many players slipping on the court… 

That final timeout was unnecessary but I won’t lie that Kyle’s disbelief was hilarious.

Mark Jackson is the worst.