Celtics fans, ask and ye shall receive.
So many who were dissecting the Celts’ best-of-seven series against the Raptors were wondering. Wondering if Brad Stevens’ team would ever find the swagger it had used for six straight wins to start the postseason. Wondering if that Game 3 buzzer-beating dagger was going to entrenched in sad trombone Boston sports lore. Wondering the discomfort from Game 4 was going leave Boston on the brink of elimination.
The hope from the Green-Teamers was that the team that had suddenly given New England its best chance at a title could find their way back into that championship conversation.
They didn’t disappoint.
The Celtics completely dominated from start finish (with the exception of some fourth-quarter sloppiness), rolling over Toronto on the way to a 111-89 win and 3-2 series lead.
And on top of it all, the image portrayed throughout the 48 minutes was that of a team that can actually make a run at this thing.
On the surface the Celtics’ elixir was the re-emergence of their star players, particularly Jaylen Brown (27 points) who finally decided to prioritize his explosiveness at the hoop instead of solely living and dying with shots beyond the arc.
But it was so much more than the Big 3.
It was Brad Wanamaker (15 points) continuing to display offensive efficiency.
It was Marcus Smart (12 points) going back to doing the good Marcus Smart things.
It was Daniel Theis serving as the perfect complement to the key players on both ends of the floor.
And, most importantly, it was defense. And what a defense it was.
While the Celtics were finally figuring out the Raptors’ zone defenses thanks to some well-placed penetration, Toronto had no answer for Stevens’ group. It wasn’t complicated. Good on-the-ball pressure. Solid help on the likes of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. What it translated into was a first quarter that held Nick Nurse’s club to 11 points.
By the time halftime rolled around Toronto still only had 35, with the Celtics carrying a 27-point lead. The game was over and so were so many of the Celtics’ worries.