Game 7
To argue that the Celtics went all in yesterday would be an understatement. They most definitely wanted to put the game away. Up three to two in their semifinal round series, they understood the importance of taking advantage of the opportunity they had to advance to the conference finals on their first try. Even as they had a cushion, they knew all bets were going to be off with a loss. Being forced to prevail in a Game Seven against the gritty Raptors was a risk they did not want to take. And so they put everything on the line — so much that they went the final 22 minutes and 23 and a half seconds of the set-to without a substitution.
Indeed, the Celtics stayed with the five players — who, not coincidentally, comprised their starting lineup — they figured would best take the measure of the Raptors in the latter part of the third period and for all of the fourth quarter and both extra sessions. Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart would end up playing at least 50 minutes, with Daniel Theis not far behind at 47. They went full bore on both ends of the court throughout, taking rests only during timeouts and dead ball situations. Perhaps not surprisingly, the quality of their collective effort fluctuated; for instance, the first overtime was replete with misses and fouls, while the second featured clutch play after clutch play.
To be sure, the Raptors likewise rode their stalwarts, with Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby breaching the 50-minute mark. That said, their usage was typical, and, if nothing else, reflective of head coach Nick Nurse’s short-rotation predilections. The Celtics, meanwhile, were hitherto more inclined to employ more players, even if only to provide brief spells. Which is not to say the outcome definitively emanated from the frequency of substitutions, or lack thereof, employed by Brad Stevens. After all, correlation is not causation.
However, the way the Celtics labored to generate any sort of momentum when the going got tough yesterday does provide food for thought. They held leads in the fourth canto and in each of the extra periods, only to find themselves actually needing to play catch-up ball with time winding down. Needless to say, their post-mortems were filled with lamentations on botched chances, a now-familiar refrain dating back to the dramatic manner in which they snatched defeat from the throes of victory in Game Three.
And so the Celtics head to Game Seven tomorrow. No doubt, their starters will once again burn rubber for long stretches. And, no doubt, they will need to contain the unshakable resolve of the Raptors. They’re better — make that much better — on paper, but consistency in execution is another matter altogether. If they’re truly bent on upending the defending champions, they have to stay focused from the get-on and until the final buzzer. Not half a second earlier, and not until their job is done.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.