BOSTON - The Celtics had every reason to be frustrated after their 113-103 loss to the Raptors.
The key word there: after.
But unfortunately for them, some of that frustration was being shown during the game as early as the first half. And it hurt them.
It was a tightly-called game - and a physical game - from the start, and though Boston eventually adapted to it, it took them a bit . . . and some complaining to the referees, too. Even Brad Stevens showed his displeasure on more than one occasion.
All in all, there were 61 personal fouls called and 76 free throws taken. It had the pace of a baseball game more than a basketball game. Boston edged Toronto in free throws, 41-35, but trailed 24-19 at halftime.
"It's a physical game but you have to be able to play through that physicality and you have to adjust to how the game is being called," Brad Stevens said. "And I thought that we did a better job of that in the second half; we didn't do a great job of that at the start of the game."
On top of that, two technical fouls were called on the Celtics in the second quarter. The first one went to Jared Sullinger with 7:19 remaining, who was called for an offensive foul on Luis Scola. It's unclear exactly why Sullinger was then hit with the tech, but he did toss the ball at Scola, who at the time was still sitting on the floor.
The next tech was handed to Jae Crowder with 3:33 left, much to the dismay of the Celtics around them.
Perhaps the physicality of the game got the best of the Celtics in this one. If that's the case, it's a bit uncharacteristic and will most likely be addressed going forward.
"I haven't seen it this year. That was the first time," Isaiah Thomas said. "Coach said it a few times in the huddle too. We can't have that. That's signs of a immature team, a young team, and we have to be bigger than that. At all times we just have to be even-keeled. Whether it's good or bad we can't get too high, we can't get too low."