The Toronto Raptors continued their preseason action, facing the Boston Celtics in the first of two preseason matchups. For both teams, the number of active players was substantially shorter than usual. The Raptors were missing Quickley, Barrett, Temple, Brown, Walter, and Olynyk with a variety of injuries. The Celtics were on the second night of a back to back, and kept their starters on the bench.
For Boston, their pursuit of a back-to-back championship has already started. Most of the guys on the floor were either fighting for a contract or their role on the team this season, and as a result, their intensity and effort was felt in every possession. Toronto, whose young roster is still finding their identity, weren’t able to match it in the first half, and had to fight back for the rest of the night. Despite the loss, strong contributions from Shead and Gradey and some of the Raptors’ offensive plays were the highlights of this game. The time ran out before the Raps could catch up, but their control in the second half helped make it close.
Toronto started Davion Mitchell, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl. Boston countered with Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Lonnie Walker IV, Jordan Walsh, and Neemias Queta.
Gradey Dick started off scoring, draining a 3-pointer. He looked for the ball a lot early in the game, moving without it or using screens to find himself space, often shooting in motion and off the dribble, something we only got used to seeing from him towards the end of last season. Despite the initial lead, everything was falling for Boston, and the combination of Lonnie Walker IV and Payton Pritchard created a double-digit advantage for the Celtics. The Raptors brought it within 7, but Boston went on a run to end the quarter up by 21 points.
In the second quarter, the Raptors looked to get more organized, getting the ball moving, but they continued to struggle to get shots to fall, and increasing turnovers created an even bigger gap. Every loose ball, every rebound, and every possession was a battle for the Celtics, never giving up on any play, allowing them to continue rolling, building up a 32 point lead as they headed to the locker room.
The biggest thing the Raptors lacked going into the second half was effort. Gradey was the first to answer the call, racing around, diving for a loose ball, and draining a pair of threes early in the quarter. Scottie stepped up too, and while a few of his shots weren’t falling, he found ways to score around the basket. The momentum was slowly swinging in the Raptors’ direction, depleting the Celtics’ lead to only 20. They ended the frame having outscored Boston by 10, and while they were still behind, they had something to build off of.
The Raptors kept fighting in the fourth, going on an early 17-7 run to start the quarter. Darko emptied the bench, and everyone chipped in to keep the run going. DJ Carton took over guard duties, dropping a dime to Fernando for a highlight dunk. Ramsey also helped out, with 9 of his own points. Battle’s sharpshooting kicked in 8 more points. As the quarter came to a close, they began fouling to try and catch up. Although they never did, they outscored the Celtics 42-24 in the final frame, and fell by only four points, after trailing by 34.
Poeltl, Shead, and Gradey led the team in scoring in this matchup, each giving Raps fans something to look forward to this season.
Poeltl continues to show his value, as a roller, trailer, and at times passer too. On a smaller team, his size is necessary, and will be as the Raptors face other matchups as well. Finishing with 14-13-2 on an efficient 6-10 from the field, he was the only starter that managed to stay positive in the +/-.
The truly intriguing thing about Shead is the speed that he plays with. His presence on the floor was evident in the first few seconds of him checking in. His first possession brought him to the free-throw line after he dove to the basket with force trying to get a layup. He found himself at the line a number of times throughout the night, mostly off of driving plays. He’s quick and agile, and can be challenging to stay in front of. His defence was high-effort too, making every effort to deny his mark the ball. Of course, it wouldn’t be a complete game without a few highlight passes as well, early in the game for Poeltl and later on for a windmill dunk by Fernando. He checked out with 14 points and 5 assists off the bench. For any Raptors fans that aren’t already acquainted with his game, it won’t take long.
Gradey showed out in this game too, and despite being out of rhythm early, he finished the game with 18 points, managing to shoot 50% from long range. His ability to space the floor with numbers like that could be huge this season. He’s doing all the little things too, fighting for loose balls and providing lots of energy on defence. He’s ready for a bigger role this year and he’s making it known.
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The Raptors will have one more chance against the Celtics in the preseason on Tuesday, when they face them for a second time, this time at home. The game will tip off at 7:00 PM ET, offering the Raptors the chance to hand the Celtics their first loss of the preseason.
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