Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out from Raptors' Overtime Win Over Celtics: Boston's Regulars Sharp at Both Ends

Through two preseason games, Boston's defense has looked outstanding, suffocating teams in the half court. Another constant has been Jaylen Brown getting off to a hot start to pace the Celtics' offensively.

Bobby Krivitsky

Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
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Despite the Raptors end of rotation and auditioning members rallying for an overtime victory, the more important developments took place earlier in the game. That includes Jaylen Brown leading the way with 23 points, Jayson Tatum scoring 18, pairing it with ten rebounds and four assists, Sam Hauser remaining nearly automatic from beyond the arc, and the Celtics' defense stymieing the Raptors' offense, especially in a half-court setting.

Now, for a deep dive into what stood out from Toronto's 125-119 overtime win in Boston.

Jaylen Brown Gets Off to Another Hot Start, Pacing Boston Offensively

The Celtics stuck with the same starting lineup as on Sunday as Derrick White was again out there alongside Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford.

Joe Mazzulla has said not to read too much into who starts in the preseason and that he's willing to switch up who starts depending on the matchup. Even so, perhaps this is the starting unit on opening night and much of Robert Williams' absence.

Malcolm Brogdon first checked into the game at the 4:36 mark, subbing in for Smart.

Sunday, Brown registered 12 points in the first eight minutes of Boston's win over the Hornets. On Wednesday, he matched that total in 8:40, doing so on 5/9 shooting, including 2/4 from beyond the arc.

As Mazzulla tinkers with different lineup combinations, he brought Sam Hauser and Grant Williams in late in the first frame, utilizing a group featuring Smart, Brogdon, Tatum, Hauser, and Williams.

That group didn't see much time together, but appeared functional. And Hauser capitalized on his opportunity to play in the opening quarter, swishing a three at the end of period buzzer.

While the Celtics often made one pass and got a shot up, making it harder for everyone to get in rhythm, they carried a 27-22 lead into the second frame.

Boston limited its turnovers to three, kept the Raptors off the free-throw line, and did an excellent job defending beyond the arc as Toronto went 0/6 on threes.

The Celtics didn't fare much better, shooting 3/13 on long-range attempts, but they produced 16 points in the paint.

Stingy Half-Court Defense, Better Ball Movement Propel Celtics to Double-Digit Halftime Lead

Boston heated up from long range in the second quarter, knocking down four of its first five threes. A play exemplifying the Celtics' improved ball movement from the first frame was when Smart got the ball on a kick out and made the extra pass, swinging it to Brown for a right-corner three.

With 2:30 minutes left in the first half, with Brogdon taking White's place alongside the regular starters, his aggressive approach, quickly attacking off the catch from the right wing and getting into the paint, got Brown open, resulting in a trip to the free-throw line on a shooting foul by Fred VanVleet.

That lineup will often close games while Williams is out, making their minutes together one of the primary developments to monitor during the preseason.

They closed out the quarter on a 10-2 run. Every basket came on a layup or a dunk from Tatum and Brown, with the exception of a pair of free throws by Brown.

The latter entered halftime with a game-high 19 points, converting on 7/11 shots, including 3/5 threes. Brown also grabbed four rebounds.

As for Tatum, after one made field goal in the first quarter, he attacked the rim more forcefully in the second, entering the break with 14 points, including two that came from leaving Thaddeus Young in the dust.

Tatum also entered halftime with a game high, eight rebounds. He also had three assists, dishing out some of his trademark hook passes.

In 14 minutes of playing time, Brogdon distributed a game-high seven assists, looking comfortable alongside Boston's top options.

As a collective, after shooting 44 percent in the first frame, the Celtics went into the break converting on 50 percent of their field-goal attempts. Aiding that was the improved ball movement mentioned earlier, which translated to 15 assists on 22 made shots and Boston knocking down 4/7 threes in the second quarter.

The Celtics' aggressive, up-tempo approach also led to 14 more points in the paint, giving them 30 through two periods. Furthermore, it translated to 16 free throws, though they went 11/16 (68.8 percent) on them.

And while the Raptors produced 26 points in the paint, Boston's stingy half-court defense held them to 36 percent shooting from the field, including 2/18 (11.1 percent) from beyond the arc as the hosts took a 62-46 lead into the third quarter.

Celtics Continue Clamping Down Defensively, Mazzulla Continues Experimenting, and Hauser Continues to be Nearly Automatic

Grant Williams started in Derrick White's place in the second half. White didn't start the third quarter on Sunday, either. However, he checked in less than three minutes into the frame in that game.

With about 9:15 to play in the period, Tatum helped deny Precious Achiuwa at the rim, pushed the ball coast-to-coast, and finished with a layup met by minimal resistance from Toronto.

With 4:22 left, Smart cleanly picked Pascal Siakam's pocket, took off towards the other end, and got the ball to Horford, who shoveled it to Brown for a 15-foot floater, extending Boston's advantage to 81-62.

On the heels of a Raptors' timeout with 4:05 remaining, Mazzulla once again experimented with a lineup with at least three guards and a non-traditional center, playing Williams and Hauser alongside Brogdon, White, and Payton Pritchard. It's the first time Pritchard's in, but he quickly made his presence felt, drilling a three to give the hosts an 84-68 lead.

While it wasn't a buzzer beater, like the end of the first quarter, the ball swung Hauser's way, and he swished a three with 5.2 seconds on the clock, giving the Celtics, who held Toronto to 26 points in the period, a 90-72 advantage entering the final frame. 

That also gave Hauser 15 points on 5/6 shooting from beyond the arc. He's been nearly automatic in the first two preseason games, warranting minutes when the regular season arrives.

Raptors Outscore Celtics 38-20 to Force Overtime

The final frame belonged to Pritchard. After not playing until late in the third quarter, he quickly produced 12 points on 5/8 shooting, including 2/5 from long range. He also connected with Mfiondu Kabengele on an alley-oop, prompting an ovation from the TD Garden faithful.

However, the fourth quarter went the way of the visitors, erased an 18-point deficit to take a 108-106 lead on a Gabe Brown pull-up jumper with 1:30 left.

After Hauser tied the game at 106, the Celtics thought he did it again on a second-chance floater, but the officials whistled him for a charge. However, Mazzulla challenged the call successfully since D.J. Wilson slid in late and was leaning as opposed to being completely set. Hauser then tacked on the free throw, putting Boston ahead 109-108 with 1:11 remaining.

But on the Raptors' fourth chance to tie the game, Jeff Dowtin buried a pull-up jumper from nine feet, forcing overtime.

Toronto Completes Comeback with Overtime Victory

In the fifth frame, Toronto built a seven-point advantage, Pritchard hit a three to cut it to 121-117 with 53.3 seconds left, but a Brodric Thomas long-range attempt to cut the deficit to one didn't go down.

After that, the Raptors extended their advantage at the free-throw line, coming away with a 125-119 win.

However, the Celtics' regulars looked terrific at both ends while in the game.

Up Next

The Celtics travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, for a preseason rematch against the Hornets Friday night. The game tips off at 7:30 EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

Derrick White Discusses Playing for Joe Mazzulla, Welcoming Blake Griffin, and Working Alongside Malcolm Brogdon

Blake Griffin Shares His Initial Impressions of New Celtics' Head Coach Joe Mazzulla

Top 5 Plays from Celtics Win vs. Hornets in Preseason Opener

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' 134-93 Drubbing of Hornets in Preseason Opener

Marcus Smart Discusses Blake Griffin Signing, His Role as a Team Leader, and His Offseason Focus

Celtics Showing Interest in Multiple Former Head Coaches (Report)

Here's What Stands Out About the Celtics' Schedule

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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