Despite a strong race to the finish line in the fourth quarter, the Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors in Friday night’s NBA In-Season Tournament game.
In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Boston and Toronto went toe-to-toe, exchanging baskets. Playing from behind, the Raptors rallied to force a tie with the Celtics, but one decision by Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovi proved costly in retrospect.
“I was down to two timeouts, and I was hoping to get him in faster,” Rajakovi said after Toronto’s loss, according to a CLNS Media video. “(Scottie Barnes) had already played 12 minutes straight. I needed 30 seconds to give him a break and get him back in the game. Unfortunately, that is my fault; I will bear responsibility for that.”
Barnes, who had 14 points, was taken out of the game for Precious Achiuwa with 4:32 remaining and did not return until there were 26 seconds remaining. By that point, Celtics guard Derrick White had already hit the game-winning 3-pointer to put Boston up for good.
After drawing a personal foul on Al Horford, Toronto responded with two free throws, trailing 108-103.
Overall, the Raptors put up a valiant effort despite not having nearly the same level of stardom as Boston’s new-look starting lineup.
“We had moments where we were playing really solid defense and really solid offense,” Rajaković added. “We’re talking about, like, one of the best teams in the league right now and we were able to hold them down to 108 points.”
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