Boston remains the only team to have beaten Toronto in the Orlando bubble. The first time (122-100 on August 7), the game was without a stake. This time around, their 112-94 victory allows the Celtics to take the lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
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The Raptors, defending champions, had yet recovered Kyle Lowry, injured in the left ankle in the last game against Brooklyn. Lowry allowed the Raptors, the attack failing throughout the meeting (33% success), not to sink (17 points, 8 assists).
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But it was not until the end of the third quarter to see the leader pass the ten point mark, when Fred VanVleet was evolving light years from his usual standards: 11 points, 18.2% off the racket ( 17.6 points and 39% three-point success on average this season).
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The Celtics, for their part, had only to trust their five major to keep the lead acquired in the first quarter (+16). Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart finished the game with 21 points, Daniel Theis (13 points and 15 rebounds!) And Kemba Walker (18 points, 10 assists) with a double double, Jaylen Brown, is author of 17 points.
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Toronto now has two days to find a solution against Boston.
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