Toronto Raptors V Boston Celtics (Celtics lead 2-0)
Thursday’s game was a must-win for the Raptors. 3-0 is a hole that no NBA team has ever come back from, despite talent and playoff experience. The question remained, Which Raptors team was going to show up? The team who is outmatched and defeated or the team who rampaged through the bubble?
The Raptors came out with a lot more intensity than the first two games. The team knew their purpose for this game, but alas, the Celtics would still have the lead after the first quarter, 33-28. At least the Raptors were still in the game.
Over the second half, the Raptors showed that they still had it in them, as they managed to push ahead of the Celtics. The fourth shaped up to be an all-out battle as the Celtics looked to end the Raptors chance at a repeat.
The Raptors took the lead with 4:12 left in the fourth quarter. G Fred Van Fleet hit back to back threes to start the fourth quarter turning this game into a back and forth quarter. It was going to come down to the last possession.
The Celtics got the ball back after a Van Fleet layup tied the game up at 101, with 21.5 seconds left. G Kemba Walker took the ball for the Celtics and was either going to take the last shot or create a shot. He managed a beautiful no-look pass to C Daniel Theis for the dunk.
Only .5 seconds were left on the clock, giving the Raptors enough time to get off one last shot to tie or win the game. G Kyle Lowry was going to take the ball out. The Celtics put in 7’7 C Tako Fall to guard the inbounds and stop Lowry.
Lowry floated a perfect pass to F OG Anunoby with F Jaylen Brown closing in fast for the block. Anunoby shot it in time and swish, right through the net.
The Raptors survived, 104-103. They won the game with the second buzzer-beating game-winning shot of the 2020 playoffs. The series is 2-1, and the Raptors just killed any momentum the Celtics had made.
The Raptors were led by Lowry (13-23FG 2-8 3PT 2-2FT 31PTS 6REB 8AST 2STL 3TO 46MIN), although playing 46 of the 48 minutes must have taken a toll. The rest of the starting lineup was good, and all scored in the double digits. F Pascal Siakam and Van Fleet do need to work on their shooting. Both were well under 40% shooting in this game.
The Celtics were led by Walker (29PTS 3AST 3STL) and F Jaylen Brown (19PTS 12REB 4BLK). The Celtics played well enough to win, but their young superstar F Jayson Tatum (15PTS 5-18FG) had a terrible offensive night. The role players need to come out better in game four to avoid a tied. They need to improve their shooting from beyond the arc; they shot 9-29 or 31%.
Game four should be another crazy game. The Celtics know they were close to being 3-0, and the Raptors need to tie this series up.
Los Angles Clippers V Denver Nuggets (Game 1, Western Conference Semi-finals)
The Nuggets had to exude tons of energy in their series against the Jazz after they got down 3-1 and pull off the exciting comeback to advance to their next round. Still, the series took the toll on the Nuggets because the Clippers straight up took it to the Nuggets in game one.
The Nuggets held their own in the first quarter and were able to keep the game tied at 31, but that would be the last time they would enjoy a close game. The Clippers began destroying the Nuggets in the second quarter. They took a 69-51 lead heading into the half, and this game was officially over. The Clippers won in a landslide, 120-97.
Nobody was leading anything for the Nuggets. They need to get some rest and try to compose themselves for game two. The Nuggets shot 9-36 from 3 point range or 25%. Moving forward, they will need to knock down perimeter jump shots to beat the Clippers.
The Clippers were led by F Kawhi Leonard (12-16FG 1-2 3PT 4-4FT 29PTS 2REB 3AST 2STL 1BLK 2TO 32MIN) and didn’t even have to crack 35 minutes. He will still be super fresh in game two, which is awful news for the Nuggets. The Clippers had four other players score in double digits and shot 57% from the field.
The Nuggets need a completely different gameplan going into game two. Still, they don’t stand a chance. The Clipper look focused after their series with the Dallas Mavericks.