BOSTON – Four of the last five games between Boston and Toronto have been decided by three points or less.
So why would tonight’s matchup be any different, right?
They were able to match one another’s offensive output in each of the first two quarters, resulting in a 54-all tie at the half.
The game had a very reunion-like feel to it as Amir Johnson prepared to face his former team for the first time as a Celtic.
It was also the season debut for Kelly Olynyk, who grew up in Canada and around the Raptors' organization when his mother worked for the team.
Both came off the bench and had solid performances on the floor, with Johnson scoring six points to go with seven rebounds and Olynyk chipping in six points and two rebounds.
Despite the close-as-can-be score, the Raptors managed to spend most of the half playing with a lead courtesy of some strong perimeter shooting.
Boston Celtics
But their shooting cooled down as the Celtics’ defense began to get stops while scratching and clawing their way towards keeping the game as close as can be.
Here are three pointers from the first half of play.
ISAIAH THOMAS
Thomas continues to not just be a scorer, but an efficient one. In 16 minutes, Thomas scored 14 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field in addition to dishing out five assists. However, both Thomas and the Celtics would like to see those turnovers (3) down a bit in the second half.
TURNOVERS GALORE
Both teams were able to keep the game relatively close in part because of their ability to make the most of the other team’s mistakes. Toronto’s 11 turnovers led to 13 Celtics points, while Boston’s 10 miscues accounted for 11 of Toronto’s points.
TECHNICALS
The game’s intensity picked up in the second quarter, but the officials refused to let it get out of hand. So you know what that means … technical. Toronto’s Corey Joseph was the first to be hit with one, followed by Boston’s Jared Sullinger and later, Jae Crowder.