Tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET the Toronto Raptors will take on the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of their second round series. This is the first time that Toronto is facing Boston in the postseason, and to say the least, they are a tough team to beat. In a Game 6 thriller played on September 7, Jaylen Brown had 31 points and 16 rebounds, Jayson Tatum had 29 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, and Marcus Smart had 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Notably, these three players alongside Kemba Walker, have played a prominent role in advancing the Celtics this far in the season.
Raptors viewers and fans around the world know that the Raptors have been through many ups and downs of the NBA playoffs. With a win tonight, this would advance them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in the last five seasons. How do they plan on doing this? Well, a handful of their roster have experienced what it’s like to play in a ‘Game 7’ and additionally have a set of players who come off the bench with the determination to play the game wholeheartedly. Judging from the last game, a roster of “smalls” is what finished off the double overtime win for them. But really, and truly, will this be enough?
With a series like this, especially what transpired in Game 6, it’s no question that Game 7 will be another nail-biter but it’s also rather obvious that this team is in it to win it. Lowry played 53 minutes scoring 33 of the 125 points to keep the Raptors alive in this series. Norman Powell had 23, and Fred VanVleet with 21. In the third quarter of Game 6, the Raptors outscored the Celtics with 33 vs. 25, which was extremely pivotal for them to attain a lead at some point in the game. Averaging a combined 40.0 points in this series, Kyle Lowry (21.5) and Fred VanVleet (18.5) scored 54 points of the 125. This is nearly half of the points scored by two players who continue to play with their all through and through.
To say that the Raptors playing in more Game 7s vs. the Celtics would give them a higher advantage, is well, only a statistic. Raptors have played in 18 Game 7s, while the Celtics have played in 13 Game 7s. At the end of it all, it really comes down to who will play stronger on both sides of the court. It’s quite evident that offensively, both teams can score at a consistent pace but it’s their defence that will need to put a stop on their opponent. Quite literally, a stop. That’s what got the Raptors to tie the game, and eventually win in double overtime; otherwise the outcome would be a lot different.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it would be the 22nd time (315 scenarios) in NBA history that a team wins a best of seven series after losing the first two games. Sound familiar? Last year the Raptors overcame an 0 - 2 deficit against Milwaukee to advance to the NBA Finals. It’s clear that the Toronto Raptors have what it takes to win tonight, and are well on their way to another NBA Championship. Now we will just have to wait and see what tonight will bring. Grab your popcorn or your favourite snack (chips for me or just drink water if your Intermittent Fasting window has started), sit back, and let the NBA Bubble Game 7 begin.
