Inside The Celtics

Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Raptors Game

The top five plays from the Celtics-Raptors game features a nifty layup by Marcus Smart, he and Jaylen Brown teaming up for a perfectly executed give-and-go, a Grant Williams block, and two other plays worthy of this spotlight.

Bobby Krivitsky

Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP

Admittedly, Sunday night's game between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors did not feature many highlight-reel plays. Though they were more challenging to find, there were still five moments from this matchup worthy of this spotlight. Without further ado, here they are.

Marcus Smart's Scoop Shot

Isaac Bonga gets high in his defensive stance; Marcus Smart sees that, along with the lack of a rim protector since Pascal Siakam is at the top of the key. He then throttles down, knifing between Bonga and Scottie Barnes. Svi Mykhailiuk doesn't commit to rotating to the rim because his man, Romeo Langford, is in the near-side corner, and Smart capitalizes, scooping in a nifty, underhand layup.

Smart is playing very well as the Celtics' point guard. In their win against the Raptors, he contributed 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and per usual, he made his presence felt on defense.

Grant Williams Denies Pascal Siakam

Siakam beats Jayson Tatum off the dribble, but Grant Williams does an excellent job of quickly rotating over, and he leaps off two feet and swats Siakam's layup, doing so with enough restraint that the ball goes right to Tatum, igniting a Celtics' fast-break.

Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart Team for Well-Executed Give-and-Go

Jaylen Brown lofts the ball to Smart, who's posting Fred VanVleet on the wing; with Siakam face guarding Brown, Boston's All-Star forward cuts hard to the basket, beats Siakam, collects the bounce pass from Smart, and elevates off two feet for the dunk.

Jaylen Brown Goes Behind-the-Back

Brown sells that he's going to shoot off the catch, then attacks the closeout and draws the attention of three defenders. With the Raptors' defense compromised, Brown goes into his bag for a behind-the-back pass to Williams, who knocks down an open three from the wing.

Marcus Smart's Dime to Grant Williams

As Smart backs down VanVleet, he's thinking pass first. Williams is active throughout the possession, initially coming from the strong side corner, which results in Mykhailiuk planting himself underneath the hoop. Williams sees that and stops short of the opposite corner. Instead of staying stationary, Williams cuts back in the direction he came from, and Smart delivers a dime to get him a layup.

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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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