Toronto Wraps Up First Half With Respectable Loss To Celtics

The Toronto Raptors showed as much fight as they possible could Thursday night, but they couldn't find the final few points to knock off the Boston Celtics

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors deserve a lot of respect for what they've done so far season.

Some unlucky bounces to start the season and a little miscommunication with some new players cost them early, but they didn't fold after a 2-8 start. Instead, they clawed out of an early season hole to reach .500 just before the All-Star break. Then disaster struck as COVID-19 penetrated the Raptors organization for the first time this season.

Thursday night would have been an easy night to just pack it in. Toronto arrived in Boston shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday morning on the second night of a back-to-back without three starters and almost the entire coaching staff. But the Raptors didn't back down. As head coach Nick Nurse said late last month when Toronto fell to the Philadelphia 76ers, you always know you're going to get hustle and heart when you tune in to a Toronto Raptors game.

The Raptors gave the Celtics a run for their money. While they maybe have come up short, falling 132-125 in TD Garden, it was one very impressive Raptors game all things considered.

"I can only say that I am really, really proud of the effort our players threw on the floor tonight," Raptors interim head coach Sergio Scariolo said. "We were really a different team from yesterday. We really fought on most of the possessions, we shared the ball, 36 assists vs. 17 yesterday which I think a number that reflects in the difference in the two games."

Toronto hung around all night. Unlike Wednesday night when the Raptors couldn't get anything going offensively against the Detroit Pistons, Toronto's motley crew of castoffs had no trouble putting up points against Boston. In the first half alone Toronto put up 70 on Boston thanks to red-hot shooting from Norman Powell and Chris Boucher.

Once again, Kyle Lowry played facilitator, dolling out assists one after another to get his teammates involved. Whereas on Wednesday night they tended to miss their shots, this time Lowry's teammates repaid him. He tallied his 18th assist late in the fourth quarter finding Boucher for an above-the-break 3-pointer to pull the Raptors to within four with just over three minutes to go.

"It’s amazing," Powell said of Lowry's performance. "I really relied on him with guys being out to be a playmaker. He made everybody on the floor tonight better [by] talking, using his knowledge of the game, and relaying it down to the guys who are getting an opportunity to play more minutes and that playmaking gave us a chance to win."

Minutes later, the tandem did it again as Lowry found Boucher for another 3-pointer, setting a new career-high with 19 assists and lifting Boucher to the first 30-point performance of his career.

"I didn't know that it was a career-high, but for a player like Lowry at [34] and an assist guy like he is establishing a career-high in assists at this point is really, really admirable."

The problem for Toronto was Jayson Tatum. The Celtics' All-Star came alive for 18 points in the second half and did just enough to lift Boston to victory.

Toronto will head into the All-Star break two games below .500 and tied with the Chicago Bulls for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

"I think around the league everybody could use this break," Powell said. "Mentally, physically, and kind of recharge let everything go get some rest and get ready for the second half of the season."

Up Next: All-Star Break

With no Raptors players heading to Atlanta for the All-Star break, Toronto will have a week off to rest and recover before returning on March 11 against the Hawks in Atlanta