After a pair of first-round sweeps, both the Raptors and the Celtics continued their momentum in Game 1 of their semifinal series on Sunday afternoon. Ultimately, though, it was Boston that got Toronto’s best performance in their opener. Leading by 21 points from Jason Tatum and Marcus Smart, the Celtics took a 1-0 lead in the series with a 112-94 victory over the Raptors. Kemba Werker double-doubled his first career postseason with 18 points and 10 assists, and Jalen Brown also added 17 points and five rebounds for Boston. Overall, the Celtics had a score of six players in the double figure, including five players.
Kyle Lowry made his way to Toronto with 17 points, but made just 5 of his 12 attempts off the floor, a disruptive trend for the entire Raptors team. Boston shot 36 percent from the field from Toronto and 25 percent from long distances and they limited All-Star Pascal Siakam to just 13 points in 5-for-16 shooting. It was definitely a rough start for the Raptors, but they have the experience of falling behind early in the series. In the Eastern Conference Conference final last season, Toronto trailed 2-0 and lost to Milwaukee. She then won four straight games to advance to the finals. Toronto will now see grouping and bouncing again for Game 2 on Tuesday night. Here are three key takeovers from Game 1.
1. Boston’s defense was dominant
Both teams have top-level NBA defense, but it was Boston that really stood out in Game 1. Raptors struggle to get a clean look during periods of competition, and they also had a hard time generating transition opportunities – their preferred methods of one-point production. In the end, Toronto lost just 36 percent from the field and 25 percent beyond the arc, well below their season average. They only had seven fast-break points. Without adequate transition opportunities, Toronto was forced to operate more in the halfcourt, resulting in a weaker percentage. Assuming Boston will try to limit its chances of a quick break, Toronto will have to figure out how to make some simple appearances in the advancing halfcourt in the series. The nerves here obviously fall to Raptors coach Nick Nurse, who will have to make some adjustments by heading into Game 2.
2. Rappers need more than Siakam
After the departure of Kavi Leonard on Se Fison, Pascal Siakam set foot in the role of go-to guy for the Raptors. Siakam averaged an average career across the board and thrived in the All-Stars in Leonard’s absence, but the All-Stars are expected to enter his team in the post-season, and Siakam did not do that in Game 1. Siakam landed on the sidelines as early as possible, and he never got back in rhythm. He finished the game with just 13 points on a 5-16-shoot from the floor. He also lost all three of his three-point attempts, and reached the wrong line only four times. Most likely, when a player is struggling from the floor, he will attack the basket to draw some fouls and get himself ahead of the line. Siakam did not do that. Going forward, Toronto will need him to be more aggressive and productive, if he wants a chance in the series.
3. This minute plus minutes
Participating in the series, if Toronto had an advantage on paper, it was their size, as Boston played a relatively small lineup for most of the minutes. Toronto did not earn that profit on Sunday though. For Boston to play a lineup with four perimeter players, it is important that they get good minutes from their starting center, Daniel Thesis, and that’s exactly what they got in Game 1. This played for 25 minutes, and during that time he scored 13 points and 15 rebounds. He also added two blocked shots for good action. During his time on the floor, the Celtics outsourced the Raptors by 10 points, as he helped set the tone defensively. While Thisis is playing as well as he did on Sunday, it is very difficult to beat the Celtics.
