Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Raptors Preseason Finale

The top five plays from Friday's preseason finale between the Celtics and Raptors feature Jaylen Brown losing Thaddeus Young in transition and Jayson Tatum showing off his handles. Plus, beautiful ball movement by Boston, another highlight reel transition basket by Brown, and Justin Jackson delivering in the clutch.

Bobby Krivitsky

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
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The top five plays from Friday's preseason finale between the Celtics and Raptors feature Jaylen Brown losing Thaddeus Young in transition and Jayson Tatum showing off his handles. Plus, beautiful ball movement by Boston, another highlight reel transition basket by Brown, and Justin Jackson delivering in the clutch.

Jaylen Brown Loses Thaddeus Young in Transition

Grant Williams does well staying with Dalano Banton, resulting in the latter jumping away from the hoop to create separation. That raises the difficulty of Banton's shot, and Sam Hauser pinches in to grab the miss.

The Celtics need to take a team approach like this to rebounding, especially in Robert Williams' absence. Hauser doing that in the example above limits the Raptors to one shot and leads to Jaylen Brown's behind-the-back dribble to gift himself a breakaway layup.

Jayson Tatum's Turn to Show Off His Handles

Al Horford's drag screen gets Scottie Barnes off Jayson Tatum and allows the latter to build momentum as he attacks downhill. Khem Birch does his best to stay in front of him, but the 2021-22 All-NBA First Team member hits him with a series of crossover dribbles en route to two points at the rim.

Beautiful Ball Movement and a Pump Fake Gets Jaylen Brown an Open Three

After a fortunate bounce allows Horford to retain possession, Boston keeps Toronto in rotation as Horford kicks it out to Marcus Smart in the left corner, and he swings it to Jaylen Brown. Brown then pump-fakes Barnes as he comes flying at him and knocks down the open three.

Brown Takes on Four Raptors and Comes Away with Two Points

Surrounded by four Raptors' defenders, Young can't catch up to Brown, who sidesteps his way past Juancho Hernangomez. And with Banton worried about Payton Pritchard fanning out to the left wing, there's plenty of space for Brown to get to the rim, and he lays the ball in off the glass as Banton and Justin Champagnie try to prevent what's already a foregone conclusion.

Justin Jackson Smoothly Sinks Two-Footed Floater in the Clutch

While it wasn't enough to get the Celtics the win on Friday night, the play above features fantastic execution. They're playing with pace, starting with Pritchard getting downhill, decisiveness, and they keep the ball moving as Pritchard and Noah Vonleh immediately go into a dribble handoff.

Pritchard doesn't get the ball to Vonleh as he rolls to the rim, but he gets to the free-throw line and delivers a hook pass to Justin Jackson, lifting up from the corner. With the Raptors' defense scrambling to keep up, Jackson pump fakes Banton, and with Precious Achiuwa under the basket, he maintains control and pulls up for a two-footed floater, demonstrating a deft touch to get it to drop through the net.

Further Reading

What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Raptors in Preseason Finale: Concerns New and Old Surface

Malcolm Brogdon Explains Why He Chose Celtics Over Eastern Conference Rival

Suns Showing Interest in Celtics' Guard Derrick White

Danilo Gallinari Isn't Ruling Out Returning This Season, But His Focus is on Winning Each Day

Should the Celtics Trade for Jae Crowder?

Al Horford Discusses Celtics' Comradery and Welcoming Blake Griffin: 'He's one of us already'

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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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