The Toronto Raptors had no problems with the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Friday night, defeating them by a lopsided 115-83 score.
With the loss, the Celtics move to 0-2 on the season and the Raptors go to 1-1 with their first win of the year.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE KEY TAKEAWAY
The Celtics look as if there hasn’t been any change from the 2020-21 season despite a new head coach taking over and a roster overhaul. Boston still is playing the same version of basketball that left them at .500 last season, barely making the playoffs. The inconsistencies in play that led to continuous bad shots and 25 turnovers have not gone away. Ime Udoka’s style is more reminiscent of a Brad Stevens-led team than his very own. New additions in Al Horford and Josh Richardson played well in their respective first games but didn’t make the difference that the Celtics needed when they were eliminated by the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs.
At the end of the day, it’s losing basketball that the team was supposed to move on from this offseason.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Al Horford reminded everyone why his departure hurt so much as he was a notable presence on both sides of the ball. He finished the night with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and a game-high four blocks.
— Josh Richardson shot the lights out of the ball from three, a pleasant surprise for the Celtics as the new wing shot a career-low from three-point last season. He finished with 12 points, three rebounds, and one steal while going a perfect 4-for-4 beyond the arc.
— Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes had himself a night, leaving the C’s looking for answers. The 2021 fourth overall selection scored a career-high 25 points and added 13 rebounds to his efforts.
WAGER WATCH
Jaylen Brown’s record-setting performance in the season opener likely excited many fans to place a wager on the Celtics forward to have another big scoring performance. Unfortunately for those who felt he’d hit the over of 22.5 points were left wanting more while those who bet on the under will be celebrating their success tonight. Brown finished with nine points, meaning that if you put $100 down on the under, you would be walking away with a $140 profit. Not a bad night if you were expecting a cool down for the 24-year-old.
UP NEXT
The Celtics head to the Toyota Center to face off with the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.
