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The Boston Celtics were outstanding on Sunday, as they secured an impressive blowout win against the defending champions Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their second-round playoff matchup.
The Cs came out firing off the gates, outscoring the Raptors 39-23 in the first quarter. They never let Toronto recover from that point on, as the game finished with a final score of 112-94 and Boston notching a convincing win in the series opener.
There's still so much basketball to be played from this point on, and it would be foolish to think that the Celtics will cruise to a series victory over the Toronto-based squad after just one game. However, there were some key takeaway from the game that will undeniably have a significant impact on the rest of what is shaping up to be a a must-watch series between two excellent sides.
Boston's D
The Celtics exhibited their defensive prowess again, proving the fact they have the key to stopping the Raptors.
Game 1's blowout loss is quite similar to the Celtics' 122-100 blowout win during the seeding games, and it is likewise comparable to how they defeated the Raptors on three other occasions in the regular season (they are 3-1 in the season).
Perhaps most importantly, Boston was tremendous with their transition defense, preventing the Raptors from relying on their patented transition game — something that has worked for them marvelously all season long. This resulted in Toronto having to rely on their half-court offense, which is not exactly the most impressive aspect of their arsenal. The fact that the defending champs shot terribly from the field in the game didn't help their cause.
In Game 1, the Celtics proved how important their defense will be in this series, and unless the Raptors are able to make the necessary adjustments, it might just turn out to be a one-sided series.
Law of Averages
Talk about a poor shooting night for the Raptors. This is not to take away from Boston's defense on the evening, which again was outstanding, but it also cannot be denied that Toronto just couldn't make their shots.
The Raptors went 31-of-84 overall for 36.9 percent. They looked even worse from distance, going 10-of-40 from 3-point territory for just 25 percent. Pascal Siakam shot 5-for-16, Fred VanVleet went 3-of-16, and Kyle Lowry made just 5-of-12 from the field. Combined, the Raps' top three players shot just 13-of-44 for 29.5 percent from the floor.
On the season, Toronto is shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from distance, so based on the law of averages, there's nowhere to go for this team but up. Granted that the Celtics' clamp down defense will likely decrease their efficiency from the floor moving forward, the discrepancy is just too significant to ignore. It is highly unlikely that the Raptors will be this poor from the field every single night, especially during a seven-game series.
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Sooner or later, the Raptors will start making their shots. The big question is: will it be enough to lift them against a Boston side who has proven time and time again that they are more than capable of defeating the defending champs?
Siakam is Key
We already touched on Siakam earlier, but it cannot be overemphasized how important his play will be for the Raptors in this series. He has been great for Toronto all season long, earning his first call-up to the All-Star squad.
Simply put, Pascal has been able to step up to the plate as the Raptors' number one option on offense since the departure of defending Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard over the summer.
This was not the Siakam that showed up against Boston in Game 1.
The Celtics were all over Siakam in this one, with the reigning Most Improved Player of the Year winner shooting just 31.2 percent in the game for 13 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists and a couple of steals. That's certainly not what you would expect from your star player on a series opener.
Boston pounced early on Siakam during the contest, preventing him from getting into a rhythm. The fact that he committed three fouls in the first period alone was likely the biggest contributor to his downfall. Nonetheless, he lacked the aggression you'd expect from a player that struggled early on, and it's as if the Celtics successfully got into Siakam's head. He had a poor start to the game, and he was never able to recover.
The Raptors will need much more from Siakam if they hope to stand a chance in this series against a well-oiled machine in the Celtics.
