Chris Boucher returned to Ontario to face his former staff as Boston traveled to the Scotiabank Area in Toronto Friday night time for recreation #2 of the NBA preseason. The run-and-gun Celtics dominated many of the night time, however the scrappy third stringers of the Toronto Raptors hung round late and stole the sport from Boston 107-105.
After resting three gamers of their earlier recreation in Memphis, the Celtics continued this development in opposition to the Raptors by resting Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Sam Hauser. Jordan Walsh was additionally out with a minor hip harm. Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics teaching employees handed Payton Pritchard, Anfernee Simons, Josh Minott, Chris Boucher, and Neemias Queta beginning duties.
Grady Dick opened the scoring for Toronto with a triple earlier than Boucher struck again in opposition to his previous staff, hitting a tricky turnaround jumper over Murray-Boyles. Boston struggled capturing the ball early, hitting on simply 3 of 12 from the sector and a woeful 0-6 from downtown. A Minott dribble drive obtained the Celtics again degree with the Raps, because the rating was tied at 9-9 on the first timeout of the competition.
Luka Garza, Hugo Gonzalez, and Baylor Scheierman had been the primary gamers off the bench for Boston, as Pritchard lastly hit on Boston’s first triple on the halfway mark of the primary quarter. Gonzalez missed on consecutive defensive rebounding assignments and was instantly pulled from the court docket by Mazzulla.
Pritchard discovered the underside of the online on a operating drive, adopted by Minott and PP hitting back-to-back three-pointers to provide Boston an early lead, 20-18. The Raptors dominated the offensive glass within the first quarter, which led to a number of early substitutions, as Mazzulla tried to ship a message to his staff. Pritchard was a vibrant spot for Boston, as he had 10 first quarter factors, together with a candy dime to his former faculty teammate Boucher, who reduce baseline for an uncontested dunk.
Mazzulla lastly settled on a lineup of Scheierman, Pritchard, Tillman, Boucher, and Minott to shut the quarter, and so they prolonged the result in 8 factors after one, 27-19.
Anfernee Simons struggled early along with his shot and the tempo of the sport, as he had 3 fouls, 1 turnover, and went 0-2 from the sector. He got here again into the lineup to begin the second quarter rather than Pritchard and eventually hit his first shot in inexperienced with a dribble handoffand outstretched layup.
Boucher confirmed his size on a beautiful tip-in, his ninth level of the night time. Gonzalez scored his first factors of the night time hustling to place again a Minott miss. Toronto went on a 7-0 run halfway by way of the second quarter as they obtained again into the sport. Neemias Queta obtained pulled out by Mazzulla once more, because the Portuguese middle solely performed 6 minutes of motion earlier than getting pulled out of the sport for a second time.
The Luka Garza and Xavier Tillman tandem proved fruitful for Boston late within the first half as Boston held a 46-39 lead with 3 minutes to go. Chris Boucher hit back-to-back three-pointers in a one-minute stretch, going for 17 factors within the first half.
Joe Mazzulla drew up an superior sideline play, with Scheierman lofting a deft QB go excessive of Grady Dick to Josh Minott, who skied for the two-handed alley-oop dunk, extending Boston’s result in 14 factors. Pritchard led Boston with 18 factors because the Celtics cruised into the half up massive, 63-42.
Pritchard rattled in jumper on the elbow to begin the third quarter, as Boston was on a 24-3 scoring run. Minott swatted away a Jac’Kobe Walter dunk try leading to a large open Queta layup, Boston up, 74-51 early within the third.
Toronto was with out its starters Scottie Barnes, R.J. Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Shortly for his or her third preseason recreation, and it’s second stringers simply couldn’t match Boston’s depth. Grady Dick offering the lone vibrant spot for Raptor followers after three quarters.
The Celtics obtained constant effort and good performances throughout the board as 5 Boston gamers registered double figures in scoring throughout the third. Simons poured in 10 factors alone as Boston saved a lead of 10 factors on the finish of the third. Boston up 87-77 to finish the third as Toronto’s third stringers managed to maintain it inside placing distance.
Boston noticed its lead whittled right down to 7 factors initially of the fourth, earlier than Mazzulla went again to Luka Garza and Tillman to try to regular issues. Queta had a stunning recreation general registering his fifth turnover and third foul in 16 minutes of play. Rookie Hugo Gonzalez additionally didn’t have the best of video games as he went to the bench early and made means for Kendall Brown. Boston had Scheierman, Brown, Amari Williams, Harper Jr., and Bridges within the recreation trying to safe the win on the highway.
Harper Jr. hit a step again three-pointer and Kendall Brown reduce by way of the lane for his first rating of the night time, Boston up 10, 96-86. Scheierman was directing the staff offensively and assisted to Bridges who hit on his first three-pointer of the sport. Amari Williams hit 4 consecutive free throw makes an attempt for Boston because the deep bench seemed to shut out the sport on the highway.
Boston then recorded 3 terrible turnovers with 2 minutes remaining within the recreation which spurred the Toronto followers to get rowdy, because the Raptors obtained inside 6 factors. Undrafted Rookie Chucky Hepburn was everywhere within the forth quarter and hit a three-pointer to cap an 11-0 run. Scheierman fouled out of the sport and Max Shulga got here into the sport in a really excessive stress atmosphere.
Boston fully capitulated on the highway because the scores had been tied up at 105 factors with 4 seconds remaining. Mogbo laid up the profitable factors with 1 second to go, they win the sport 107-105. Boston recorded 29 turnovers on the night time and now return to TD Backyard for a 2-game residence stretch and subsequent face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night time.
