After losing to the Toronto Raptors in their second game of the season, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Steven admits the Canada-based team is “clearly better” than them right now.
The Celtics lost by 12 points to the Raptors in Friday's game at Scotiabank Arena, shooting only 40.4 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from the 3-point territory. Jayson Tatum, who led the team in scoring in their opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, made 16 points but on 37.5 percent shooting.
Meanwhile, the Raptors shot 46.7 percent from the field and saw Kawhi Leonard bag a double-double of 31 points and 10 boards.
Stevens' Celtics finished the 2017-18 season second in the Eastern Conference, behind the top-seeded Raptors. And the 41-year-old coach says the pecking order in the East still hasn't changed, per A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports.
“Toronto is clearly better now. We have to show some growth.” – #Celtics Brad Stevens.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) October 20, 2018
Boston is currently the favorite to win the East and reach the NBA Finals, thanks to a plethora of talent at their disposal that includes All-Star players Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, as well as a bevy of young talents like Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
However, their defeat to the Raptors certainly showed they have a lot of work to do and issues to address before claiming the East throne. Also, it only proves that as wide open as the East may be, winning it won't be easy.
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