DeRozan leads Raptors to victory over the Celtics

The Raptors look revitalized. In his first two games, Ibaka scored 33 points, including two mid-range jumpers after Portland cut the deficit to two points.

And the two new Raptors certainly delivered Friday.

Raptors president Masai Ujiri said he wanted Tucker for his toughness. “[I thought] ‘nothing’s happening, ‘ so I had a shower”. We haven’t practiced. I didn’t shoot around. Maybe we had a little bit to do with that. I love that about these two guys added to the guys that we have. The Trail Blazers took a 28-25 lead into the second. “I think we had some opportunities. that we didn’t make. I’m sure other teams will (look at that game)”. This version of the Raptors has always been about the team being greater than its individual parts as annual overachievers that got better each year. But the team likely would be squarely in lead for the final playoff spot if it simply split the crunch time games down the middle. “Just those small breaks we were making happen sometimes”. “But that’s not my job”.

Celtics paid the price for doing nothing (Bobby Manning): When I learned that IN wanted the whole boat for Paul George and the Bulls weren’t interested IN moving Butler all that much, I excused Danny Ainge for not unboxing the fireworks now. “It’s been my family for the last five, six years”.

Suppose I should have stayed upright to see the end of the Oscars as it turns out. The closest anyone ever got was Chicago, when they went up 2-1 before the Cavaliers firmly took back control and beat them with three straight wins.

What the Celtics have remains the envy of most teams around the league. Prior to this acquisition, the Toronto Raptors were on quite a skid, at one point losing 11 out of 16 games and dropping from second to fourth in the Eastern Conference in less than a month.

Toronto is on a five-game winning streak against the Knicks with four of those wins coming by double digits. It’s possible the Raptors loaded up for the stretch run only to make their loss to LeBron more competitive. Expect the momentum to be in Toronto’s favor on Friday night.

Ibaka scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Tucker finished with a team-high 10 rebounds – including two huge ones in the final minute-and-a-half – plus nine points to lift a retooled Raptors team that was missing Kyle Lowry. In the two wins the Celtics have against those teams, Thomas has averaged 19.5 fourth-quarter points. Serge Ibaka gives them a legitimate third option that can play defense, block shots, and space the floor with his shooting. “We were nonchalant on the offensive end”. The Celtics know they need to figure out how to close teams out, because they continually put themselves in far too hard situations by blowing leads. “So we have to fix that”.

The fourth quarter belonged to Lillard, Ibaka, and DeRozan. Our main goal was to get stops and we just played. So it definitely helps a lot.

Second, in regards to Ainge “believing in this team” and looking for a buyout candidate, I just don’t know where guys like Sully and Jones are going to find minutes. “That’s what he does”. They swarmed Isaiah Thomas, guarding him as well as any team has. He’s the definition of a tough guy.

“They are defensive minded, unselfish guys”. He was a big difference in that second half.

While the 3-point shot and small ball are ruling the current National Basketball Association, it might be the Spurs’ size and length that prove the ultimate factor. Now a decade later, Tucker represents the ideal role player for the team that gave him his first chance.

DeRozan said the addition of a player like Ibaka, who excels on defense and offense, has helped him. Brown missed the ensuing free throw, but Detroit couldn’t come up with the rebound, and Tobias Harris was called for a loose-ball foul. “Obviously with Kyle out we know we’ve got to step up”. We were just kind of playing.

Added DeRozan: “You have a vehicle, right?”

The explanation was logical, he thought it would get better and it didn’t and he got it looked at when he had the chance.

The Celtics are riding around in the same vehicle as last week.