RAPTORS NOTES • The Toronto Raptors finish a six-game road trip (Feb. 2-11), their longest in the first half, with the second game of a back-to-back set Thursday night when they visit the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The Raptors have won five of their last six games and are 4-1 on their current road trip. After starting the 2020-21 campaign with one win in seven games, Toronto has an opportunity against the Celtics to get back to .500 (12-13) for the first time this season. The Raptors play 10-of-15 games on the road in February. • The Raptors announced today that they will finish the 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida. Because of ongoing border restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mindful of public safety measures in Canada, the team has decided they will continue to play their home games at Amalie Arena. • Norman Powell scored nine of his game-high 28 points in the first quarter last night at Washington. Powell has now scored 20+ points in eight of his last nine games played (Jan. 22 – Feb. 10). He is averaging a team-high 23.4 points, while shooting .507 (74-146) from the field, .475 (29-61) from beyond the arc and .872 (34-39) at the free throw line during this stretch. Since Jan. 22, Powell ranks sixth in the NBA averaging 9.1 points in the first quarter. • The Raptors have tied a franchise record with 120+ points in five straight games (Feb. 2-10). Toronto is averaging 126.4 points and shooting .494 (221-447) from the floor, inlcuding .462 (85-184) from three-point range, over the last five. The Raptors have three players averaging 20+ points during the current streak – Fred VanVleet (27.2), Pascal Siakam (23.6) and Norman Powell (23.6). The last time Toronto scored 120+ points in five consecutive games was Nov. 21-29, 2018. • Chris Boucher posted his career-high third straight double-double (Feb. 6-10), and team high-tying seventh of the season, last night at Washington. Boucher finished with 17 points and a career-best 16 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench against the Wizards. Over the last three games, he is averaging 19.3 points and 12.0 rebounds. Boucher is just the second player in franchise history to record three consecutive double-doubles as a reserve, joining Donyell Marshall (March 9-13, 2005). • Kyle Lowry needs six rebounds to pass Amir Johnson (2,836) for fourth on the franchise’s career rebounds list and is nine away from passing Antonio Davis (2,839) for third. Lowry ranks first in Raptors history in assists (4,084) and third in scoring (10,126). Only three active players are inside the top-three all-time for a team in scoring, rebounds and assists, but none of those players are currently with that team; LeBron James (Cleveland), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) and Marc Gasol (Memphis). • Fred VanVleet (20.4) and Chris Boucher (13.9) rank second and third, respectively, in scoring among undrafted players this season – behind only Christian Wood (22.0). VanVleet’s franchise record 54 points Feb. 2 at Orlando was the most points scored by an undrafted player in NBA history.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – The Utah Jazz are on a historic pace to start the 2020-21 season. The Jazz matched its best start in franchise history at 20-5 with a 122-108 victory over the Boston Celtics Tuesday night at Vivint Arena. Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 36 points and dished out nine assists,…
Though he shot 50 percent from 3-point range (6-for-12) over his first two games since returning from a sprained knee, Payton Pritchard admits that the injury is still on his mind. “Definitely some mental hesitations. I don’t know, it’s still getting there,” he said before Tuesday night’s game against Utah. “I wouldn’t say 100 percent…
Poor shooting and a strong closing kick by Phoenix dropped the Celtics to 2-2 on their west coast road trip with a 100-91 loss. The day was pockmarked by frigid shooting stretches, as evidenced by Kemba Walker’s struggle to find the net in a 4-for-20, 14-point performance. Jayson Tatum, with 23 points on 8-for-22 shooting,…
• PG FROM THREE: On 1/3 at Phoenix, Paul George had his 10th game as Clipper with at least six three-pointers made. George passed J.J. Redick for the most such games in franchise history. On 2/3 at Cleveland, George was 8-for-9 from beyond the arc. It was the seventh instance in franchise history that a player had made at least eight three-pointers. George is the only player in franchise history to achieve the feat twice. George currently is first in the NBA in 3P% (.478, min 7.0 attempts) and fifth in three-pointers made (67). • LAST 13: The Clippers are 11-2 in their last 12 games. Since 1/10 the Clippers have the second-best record in the NBA, rank first in 3P% (.431), tied for first in plus/minus differential (13.3) and net rating (13.1), second in FT% (.851) and offensive rating (120.5), are third in points (118.8) and FG% (.491) and have the fourth-least amount of turnovers (11.9). • THIRD QUARTER DOMINANCE: The Clippers are one of the best teams in the NBA in the third quarter. In the third frame the Clippers rank first in plus/minus differential (4.7), 3P% (.485) and points (31.0), second in FG% (.525) and third in FT% (.850). • HOLDING LEADS: The Clippers are 16-2 this season when building a lead of at least 10 points. LA is the only team in the NBA this season to not lose consecutive games. • BEYOND THE ARC: On 1/10 vs. Chicago, the Clippers were 20-for-38 (52.6%) from beyond the arc. It was the fifth game in franchise history that the Clippers have made at least 20 three-pointers. Kawhi Leonard was 7-for-9 from the three-point line which tied his career high. Leonard was 5-for-5 in the third quarter alone, which was the most three-pointers he has made in a single quarter in his career. On 1/28 at Miami, the Clippers made nine three-pointers in the third quarter which was tied for the most three-pointers made in a single quarter in franchise history. On 2/3 at Cleveland, the Clippers made 20 three-pointers for the sixth time in franchise history and second time this season. The Clippers lead the NBA in 3P% (.423) and in most games shooting at least 50% from beyond the arc (6), and are second in most games with at least 15 three-pointers made (14). LA had a five-game streak with at least 15 three-pointers made (1/10 – 1/20) which was the longest such streak in franchise history. • HOT START: The Clippers went 4-1 through the first five games of the season. It is the 11th time in franchise history the Clippers have at least four wins in the teams’ first five games and the first time since 2017-18. The Clippers improved to 11-4 on 1/20 vs. Sacramento which is the third-best 15-game start in franchise history (13-2, 2016-17; 12-3, 1974-75). LA improved to 15-5 on 1/29 at Orlando which is tied for the second-best 20-game start in franchise history (16-4, 1974-75; 15-5, 2014-15 and 2016-17). • HOME SWEET HOME: The Clippers are currently on a five-game home win streak and have the fourth-best home record in the NBA at 8-2. At home, LA ranks second in 3P% (.411) and FT% (.837), third in plus/minus differential (7.4) and ninth in points (115.1). • DYNAMIC DUO: Paul George (24.4) and Kawhi Leonard (26.2) are the fourth-highest scoring duo in the NBA so far this season. • PERFECT FROM THE STRIPE: On 1/6 at Golden State, the Clippers were a perfect 25-for-25 from the free-throw line which was the third-most free-throws made without a miss in a game in franchise history. This is the 24th time in franchise history that the Clippers were perfect from the free-throw line. The last time an NBA team made at least 25 free-throws while remaining perfect was the Chicago Bulls on 2/2/19 at Charlotte. LA currently leads the NBA in FT% (.849). • KAWHI: Kawhi Leonard is the winningest player in NBA regular-season history with a 408-135 (.751) record.
CELTICS NOTES
LAST GAME SACRAMENTO 116, BOSTON 111 – Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA (2/3/21) Jayson Tatum missed a game-tying three pointer with the clock winding down as the C’s fell to the Kings 116-111…Tatum finished with a game-high 27 points to go along with 10 assists and nine rebounds…Tristan Thompson added a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Jaylen Brown added 21 points, three rebounds and four assists…Daniel Theis added 11 points and four assists…The Kings were led by De’Aaron Fox and his 26 points and 11 assists while Harrison Barnes added 24 points and six assists…Tyrese Haliburton scored 21 off of the bench for Sacramento as well.
BROWN GOES OFF AGAINST CLEVELAND… Jaylen Brown netted 33 points on 13-of-20 shooting in just 19:14 of game time against Cleveland on Jan. 24 en route to the C’s 141-103 win…It was the most points scored by a player in under 20 minutes of game time during the shot clock era. TATUM NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK… Jayson Tatum was named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week for the week ending Jan. 10 when he averaged 33.0 points to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 52.0 percent from three…It was the second time in Tatum’s career that he was named Player of the Week and the first time during the 2020-21 season. BROWN/TATUM ENTER ELITE SCORING DUOS THROUGH FIRST 10 GAMES… Jayson Tatum (269) and Jaylen Brown (263) have each surpassed the 250+ point mark through the first ten games of the 2020-21 season…They became just the third pair of teammates in the past 20 seasons to each record 250 or more points in their team’s first ten games…They join Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant (2001-02) and Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant (3x, 2016-17 through 2018-19). PRITCHARD HAS IMPRESSIVE GAME OFF BENCH AGAINST TORONTO… Payton Pritchard had 23 points and eight assists on 8-of-13 shooting against Toronto on Jan. 4…According to the Elias Sports Bureau he is just the fifth Celtic rookie since 1970-71 to have at least 20 points and five assists while shooting 60% from the field coming off of the bench. TATUM AND BROWN SHOW OUT IN SEASON OPENER EACH NETTING 30+ POINTS… Jayson Tatum recorded 30 points including the game-winning three-pointer while Jaylen Brown added 33 points on opening night against Milwaukee on Dec. 23…According to the Elias Sports Bureau they are the first duo in C’s history to record 30 points or more in the season opening game in franchise history. TEAGUE POSTS TERRIFIC GAME OFF THE BENCH FOR C’S IN OPENER… Jeff Teague made his presence felt in his first game as a Celtics becoming the first Celtics reserve to tally at least 19 points and four three-pointers in the team’s opening game since Walter McCarty on Nov. 2, 1999….Teague finished the game against Milwaukee on Dec. 23 with 19 points and a perfect 4-for-4 from three.
Watch out, NBA. Jayson Tatum still is climbing. NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen predicted in an article Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix published Thursday the Boston Celtics forward will win the NBA scoring title one day and reckons he’ll be good enough to lead an offense to victory in the NBA Finals. Hanlen, who has worked […]
The faces are going to change. When one of the core five misses time – Tuesday night, and for the next two to three weeks, that person will be Marcus Smart – Brad Stevens will go deep on his bench looking for someone to help the remaining regulars make winning plays. From Semi Ojeleye to…
Sign In Kemba Walker is trending in the right direction, and head coach Brad Stevens can see it. The Celtics point guard played a season-high 31 minutes Tuesday night, his seventh game this campaign, and helped Boston earn a 111-107 win over the Golden State Warriors. Walker finished with 19 points on 6-for-18 from the…
With little more than two minutes left in the second quarter, Kevon Looney planted his foot, rolled his ankle and grimaced. Soon after, the Warriors’ only center limped off to the locker room. The Warriors entered Tuesday night with only one healthy center and, by halftime, they had none. Despite a hot start and 38…
Boston Celtics draft-and-stash prospect Yam Madar continues to shine in the Israeli Basketball Premier League with the Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball club, where the future Celtic floor general got into a mano-a-mano duel with former University of Florida (and current Maccabi Tel Aviv) standout Scottie Wilbekin. While Wilbekin and Maccabi took the contest with the…
It seemed like Kemba Walker’s struggles came to a head on Saturday night. Against the Los Angeles Lakers, Walker did a lot of good things down the stretch, like pulling down rebounds, making steals and even getting a block on Anthony Davis. But with the ball in his hands on the final possession, Walker missed […]
The view from left field 