Raptors (15-7) at Celtics (13-9) Game #23 12/9/16

[tomrod]

No one can create their own shot on the C's. Except well... the guy people wanna trade

[Denis998]

loss

[jambr380]

Safe to say that the best case scenario this year is a 2nd round series loss to Toronto?

[YoungOne87]

what a disappointing drop off in the 2nd half

[jpotter33]

refs no longer being particularly kind.

Imagine that. They're ridiculously inconsistent from half to half.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Norman Powell?!?

I see that the Cs have resumed their habit of getting torched by no-names.

And I sure am glad IT isn't playing--he'd be useless!

Norman Powell is a nice player.

He's not THAT nice.

[Kuberski33]

IT can get in the paint Tommy but the problem with this team is he's the only guy who can do it. 

[alewilliam789]

Anybody else missing IT this half?

I thought we had all agreed that the team is infinitely better without him?

Nope. His individual offense is helpful at times, but his presence would only exacerbate the lack of ball movement we have right now, which is no coincidence that's when our offense went downhill.

You keep saying that while this team starts to get smashed because nobody can score.

The team is getting smashed because we're turning over the ball, not hitting shots, and not defending crap right now. Which one of those will IT help with?

Hitting shots and as the lead ball handler he helps creat plays for other players. Clearly Smart doesn't have the same effect on defense that many believed he did

[JOMVP]

The ball movement was so fluid in the first half between both units and it just... stopped.

[TrueFan]

Raptors are good.

We are just a fun decent team.

Might as well put Brown in there and develop the kid.

[Ilikesports17]

No one can create their own shot on the C's. Except well... the guy people wanna trade

lets not act like that was a particularly popular opinion.

[walker834]

One last run here come on.

[Vox_Populi]

Safe to say that the best case scenario this year is a 2nd round series loss to Toronto?

Eh, Toronto usually play awfully in the post-season. Their bench saved them a lot in last year's. That said, there's no question they have the second most star talent in the conference and so they'd be favorites to beat us.

[jpotter33]

Anybody else missing IT this half?

I thought we had all agreed that the team is infinitely better without him?

Nope. His individual offense is helpful at times, but his presence would only exacerbate the lack of ball movement we have right now, which is no coincidence that's when our offense went downhill.

You keep saying that while this team starts to get smashed because nobody can score.

The team is getting smashed because we're turning over the ball, not hitting shots, and not defending crap right now. Which one of those will IT help with?

Hitting shots and as the lead ball handler he helps creat plays for other players. Clearly Smart doesn't have the same effect on defense that many believed he did

You're obviously not watching the same game as everyone else then. Everyone did pretty well in the first half, but once again per usual in the second half it's only Horford and Smart consistently playing good D.

[Kuberski33]

The ball movement was so fluid in the first half between both units and it just... stopped.

Toronto picking up its defense had an awful lot to do with that.  It's easy to move the ball when the other team isn't playing much D.