The Celtics erased a 24-point first-quarter deficit Tuesday evening in Toronto however couldn’t full the comeback, falling to the Raptors 119-118 to shut out their preseason schedule.
Boston, which went 4-1 in its tuneup video games, now will flip its eyes towards opening evening. The reigning NBA champions will open the common season subsequent Tuesday, Oct. 22, in opposition to the New York Knicks on the TD Backyard.
Listed here are six takeaways from Tuesday’s loss:
1. Starters go deep
This was gown rehearsal evening for the Celtics, with head coach Joe Mazzulla giving his high canine their longest run of the preseason.
Boston utilized an eight-man rotation for many of the recreation, not dipping deeper into its bench till midway by means of the fourth quarter.
Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford began for the Celtics and all performed no less than 23 minutes. Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Jordan Walsh had been the highest three reserve choices, with Neemias Queta additionally making one second-quarter cameo with the regulars.
Beginning guard Jrue Vacation and bench shooter Sam Hauser didn’t gown for the sport.
Tatum led a balanced Celtics scoring effort with 24 factors. White added 23, Brown 19 and Pritchard 15. Tatum, White and Pritchard tried a whopping 38 3-pointers within the recreation and made 15 of them (39.5%).
Boston’s benchwarmers saved issues aggressive late, with JD Davison hitting a go-ahead three with 26.1 seconds remaining. However Davison fouled D.J. Carton on the following Raptors possession, and Carton’s two made free throws proved to be the distinction.
2. Unfamiliar opening
After bulldozing by means of their earlier three video games, the Celtics rapidly discovered themselves down double digits to a sweet-shooting Raptors squad.
Toronto’s Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick mixed for 20 factors within the first quarter alone, hitting seven of their first eight 3-pointers. Toronto as a crew shot 71.4% from deep within the first and led by as many as 24.
The Celtics, in the meantime, went 2-for-12 from three over the primary 12 minutes.
An unsustainable disparity? You guess.
Down 46-27 after one quarter, Boston proceeded to attain the primary 19 factors of the second, buoyed by three triples from preseason MVP Pritchard. Tatum and Walsh additionally hit threes throughout that Celtics scoring blitz, with Kornet including a pair of layups.
The Raptors didn’t make a 3-pointer within the second quarter (0-for-13) and Boston took a 67-66 lead into halftime.
3. Tatum drops hammer
The spotlight of Boston’s ugly first quarter was the thunderous dunk that Tatum threw down over a helpless Bruno Fernando.
Seconds later, Tatum stole an errant Toronto move and took off for an additional dunk in transition, prompting a Raptors timeout. His back-to-back slams gave the Celtics a much-needed momentum enhance, and their 19-0 run started shortly thereafter.
Tatum’s numbers over his 18 first-half minutes: 6-for-12, 3-for-6 from three, 15 factors, six rebounds, 4 assists, two steals, plus-18.
Barring a regular-season regression, the Celtics’ centerpiece appears to have overcome the capturing issues that plagued him final postseason and on the Olympics. Tatum shot higher than 37% from three in all 4 of his preseason appearances.
4. Al Horford debuts
Horford took the ground for the primary time this preseason after sitting out the primary 4 video games for relaxation functions. The 38-year-old huge man confirmed some rust in his return, going 1-for-6 from the ground and 0-for-4 from three in his 23 minutes. He completed with two factors, two rebounds and one help.
Mazzulla cycled by means of a number of frontcourt combos, taking part in Horford with Kornet and Tillman for stretches. How he deploys that trio and Queta can be a key early-season storyline whereas the Celtics await the return of Kristaps Porzingis.
Horford spoke extremely of his three understudies in a pregame interview with NBC Sports activities Boston’s Abby Chin.
“I’ve been actually impressed simply with the development with them,” he mentioned. “… It’s simply thrilling if you see these guys actually take one other step. Though it’s the preseason, you may already inform that they’ve gotten higher.”
5. Lengthy search for Jordan Walsh
At this level, it might be stunning if Walsh didn’t have no less than a minor function with Boston this season. The 20-year-old gained’t all the time see as a lot taking part in time as he did Tuesday evening – his 24 minutes had been inflated by Vacation and particularly Hauser sitting out – however he confirmed extra this preseason than any of the opposite candidates for the rotation spot beforehand occupied by Oshae Brissett.
Walsh’s robust layup with lower than a minute remaining tied the sport at 115-115. He tried for an additional as time expired however couldn’t convert that one over 7-footer Branden Carlson. He completed with seven factors, three rebounds, one help and one steal.
On the very least, Walsh shouldn’t discover himself buried in Maine as an NBA sophomore. His enchancment after a forgettable rookie 12 months was one of many extra encouraging developments of Celtics camp.
6. No minutes for Lonnie Walker IV
Talking of being buried in Maine, the G League appears to be like just like the most likely landing spot for Walker after Mazzulla selected to not play him within the preseason finale.
The NBA-proven wing seemed good throughout each of Boston’s warmup video games at TD Backyard, however his odds of touchdown the crew’s remaining open 15-man roster spot all the time had been slim due to the Celtics’ precarious luxurious tax state of affairs. (Signing Walker, even for the veteran minimal, would set off near $10 million in tax penalties.)
The deadline for groups to set their regular-season rosters is 5 p.m. on Oct. 21, so we’ll know Walker’s destiny by then.
Guard Jaden Springer, who has a assured $4 million wage for this season, additionally didn’t see the ground Tuesday evening.
Philly harm scare
One non-Celtics harm state of affairs to watch: 76ers All-Star newcomer Paul George left Philadelphia’s preseason recreation in Atlanta on Monday with a hyperextended left knee.
George was recognized with a bone bruise and suffered no structural damage, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, a reduction for Philly. However sturdiness has been a serious concern for the 34-year-old. Earlier than taking part in in 74 video games for the Clippers final season, George missed no less than 26 in every of the earlier 4 campaigns. It’s unclear whether or not this newest harm will sideline him into the common season.
Heart Joel Embiid additionally has a difficult harm historical past, with the Sixers selecting to sit down the 2023 NBA MVP for your complete preseason to relaxation his knee. The flexibility to maintain their stars on the court docket would be the No. 1 X-factor for a 76ers crew that, on paper, has probably the most proficient rosters within the Japanese Convention after signing George this offseason.
This season’s first Celtics-Sixers matchup is on Christmas Day at TD Backyard.
Off the rim
The Celtics introduced particulars for subsequent Tuesday’s banner-raising and ring presentation festivities. Followers are inspired to be of their seats by 6:45 p.m., with the ceremony scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Tipoff for Celtics-Knicks will comply with at 7:30 on TNT. … The Celtics are, unsurprisingly, the preseason favorites to win their second straight NBA title. BetMGM Sportsbook had their championship odds pegged at +325 as of Tuesday, nicely forward of the runner-up Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (+650). Tatum is also BetMGM’s NBA MVP favourite at +800, with OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander second at +900. … ESPN rolled out Part 1 of its “NBA Rank” sequence on Tuesday, protecting the gamers ranked No. 51-100 coming into this season. Horford checked in at No. 96, with ex-Celtic Marcus Sensible rating 83rd. Count on all 5 of Boston’s top-choice starters to land someplace within the high 50.
Initially Revealed:
Trending Merchandise
