Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. NBA Playoff Basketball is going on!
That block by Marcus Smart will be replayed in years to come.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images.)
We will have a new NBA champion as we had another wild Game 7.
The Boston Celtics advanced to their third East Finals in four years after edging out the Toronto Raptors, who had a hell of a season.
It was a game of runs. The Celtics jumped out to a 19-7 run before the Raptors quickly took the lead before the first quarter ended. The Celtics then scored 11 unanswered in the second period and took the lead back by halftime. Toronto trailed by 9 early in the third before taking the lead back. But Boston came back to lead by 10 in the fourth before we had the intense finish.
It was an 89-87 lead by Boston with a minute left when Jayson Tatum missed a lay-up. Norman Powell had the runway for his own lay-up but Marcus Smart got him with a devastating pack. In the ensuing possession, rookie Grant Williams, who played admirable defense, went to the line for two free throws (Kyle Lowry would foul out). Grant missed both but Tatum was able to get an offensive board. HE was fouled and, this time, the free throws were converted.
The Raptors still had a chance to tie but the ball got stuck with Fred VanVleet. He put up a contested three-pointer that had no chance of going in. The Celtics would hold on for the win and the Eastern Conference Finals berth.
It just seems like the Raptors ran out of gas. Pascal Siakam did not have a great series. Maybe Toronto would’ve performed better if Lowry didn’t foul out and was there for the last 35 seconds. The ball movement came to a halt in the final quarter. But they were a three-pointer and a free throw rebound away from taking the series.
But credit to Boston. They came up with big shots from Tatum, Kemba Walker, and Jaylen Brown. And Marcus Smart came up with probably the best defensive play since LeBron James blocked Andre Iguodala in the Finals. They are ready for a slugfest against the Miami Heat.
The Raptors had a hell of a season. But that hell of a season wasn’t enough to defend their title. Now the Boston Celtics will take on the Miami Heat to see who the real beasts of the East are this year.
Bullet Passes
The NBA will claim that every game in the Raptors/Celtics series was won by the “road” team. Let’s not be dumb here, guys.
The Clippers/Nuggets were headed towards another sleeper. The Clips were up by 16 points and it seemed like a lead they would never relinquish. But then Denver woke up at the end of the third and scored 6 points to finish the quarter. Denver then went on a three-point barrage and hit the Clips with an 11-0 run.
The Nuggets clung to a two-point lead before Michael Porter, Jr. of the “I Need More Shots” camp drained a three, which was the only shot he made in the game. And then he came up big DEFENSIVELY (yup!) by blocking Ivica Zubac‘s dunk and getting a rebound from a missed three. A bit later, Porter would make four clutch free throws as the Clippers played the foul game. The Nuggets extend the series to six.
The NBA can be a really good movie to watch, at times. Porter talked about wanting the ball and he made big plays down the stretch.
The Clippers are suddenly now having 2015 flashbacks. Woof.
An old friend had agreed with me on how this Clippers/Nuggets series had been boring. I knew, for sure, that Game 4 put me to sleep. As far as most boring series, I remember that the Orlando Magic/Charlotte Bobcats (THE BOBCATS!) series in 2010 being a great substitute for Benadryl.
The Lakers can finish their series with the Rockets later on tonight. Danuel House, in the meantime, has been evicted from the bubble after an investigation. If the Rockets can play like they did in that fourth quarter, they might scare the Lakers for a bit.
NBA Playoff Scoreboard
Game 5: #2 LAC 105 vs #3 DEN 111 (LAC leads series, 3-2)
Game 7: #2 TOR 87 vs #3 BOS 92 (BOS wins series, 4-3)
Watch This Play
This Marcus Smart block will be replayed in highlight reels in the years to come.
When the Celtics needed it most, Marcus Smart came through with the block 🖐 pic.twitter.com/rpeKkgjRoS
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 12, 2020
Enjoy Lakers vs Rockets later! And everyone in the bubble, please take care!
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
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