Raptors Rewind- Boston Punk Raps

It was a slow start for both with just a 2-1 Boston lead after 2 minutes. Hedo gets burned on the D and makes up for it with a game tying 3 pointer and it was 6-6 in the early going in Boston. Celtics were not on fire heading into this one getting less than impressive wins over the Sixers and Knicks. The D was looking Swiss cheese like but the O was back to normal and that was keeping it close tied at 10 with Bosh's first field goal of the night. The battle of defenseless ball continued a wide open alley oop to K.G would make it 16-14. Demar would drive to the hole and score and it was even at 16. Celtics had hit 9 of their first 10 attempts and the score was tied at 18. Sometimes I feel like screw the defense let's just try and out score people. I know it is crazy but hey go with your strength and D is clearly not it for this team. Chris Bosh hits a jumper and Ray Allen gets rid or Demar on a screen and hits the counter 2. We are tied at 20. Rondo owns Jose and shows you why with the blow by for 2. Not long after Jose gets the hook.

Antonie Wright was in the game as well and drives and scores. Hedo hits a 3 pointer to give the Raps a short lived 25-24 lead. Wallace would but C's back on top and Rondo in a mismatch against CB4 would get to the hoop and draw a foul. Bargnani would get to the line and cut lead to one and Wallace would nail a clutch 3 near the end of the Quarter. Johnson an offensive foul the 5th turnover of the quarter for the Raps. Rondo is an equal opportunity blow by beat-down artist as he schools Jack to score for Boston to close the quarter. C's close the quarter with the largest lead of the night. It was 33-27 for them after 1.

2nd Quarter

Celtics were shooting 83.3% and Rondo had 8 points and 5 assists and this looked ugly early. After the Celtics opened with a score Jack would get the score plus the foul that he would cash in making it 35-30 men in green. Raps actually showing signs of D and Jack would score in transition and Raptors has lead cut to 2 at the 37-35. Amir Johnson shows hustle and gets a hook in the lane as a reward and Raps despite a terrible defensive effort trailed just by 2 with the score 41-39. Johnson would leave soon after with his 3rd foul.

Sheed hit his second 3 of the night and Bosh would answer with a 2 and trailed 46-43. Marco...3 ball and this game was tied as logic suggested it should not be. Pierce would hit a 3 and Bosh the counter punch 2 and Raps were in it. If they had this offense in Charlotte they could have won. However this is not Charlotte and getting a win was not going to be easy at all. The Pierce 2 has been changed to from a 3 to a 2 and we are tied at 48. The game was tied at 50 with 3 to play. Two easy baskets for Kendrick Perkins...Bosh gets a response and the lead was 2....Hedo makes a 3 and the Raps lead 55-54. That would be the score at the half and it makes little sense but the Raps lead 55-54.

3rd Quarter

Raps shooting 66.7% and Celtics 67%...D is just a rumour in Boston on this Black Friday in the U.S. Raps come out and score only to have Boston tie it with a 3 making score 57 all. Raps a little mini 4-0 run and they are on top making the odd steal and play to get the score in transition for Hedo. He has 15 points and looks like the Hedo we were suppose to get. Rondo just took the ball away from Bosh and no one running back allowed Rondo a chance to show his dunking styles. Pierce a basket and back to even at 61. K.G was robbed of a basket plus a foul..a terrible call. But it was made up quick as Ray Allen would make and get the foul call. Celtics took a 64-61 lead. C's would get an easy dunk and get the lead up to 5 points.

Raps were in the danger zone at the mid point of the 3rd quarter. How would the play in this final 5 minutes would be key for them. Early signs were not good as the Raps give up 2 more and commit a turnover leading to 2 more and the lead was 9. For anyone who does not believe Rajon Rondo is good he was giving you more evidence as he was pushing the Celtics to a 10 point lead. Raps offense had come to a halt and there lack of D the entire night was shinning through now. The game that was once tied now had the Celtics up 15 points....make that 17 and the Celtics lead 82-65. Bargs hits a 3 but that was needed like 4 minutes ago. Celtics closed that final 5 minutes like the championship contenders that they are taking a 87-72 lead to the 4th.

4th Quarter

Huge slam by Pierce and Chris Bosh is down on the play and slow to get up. Triano and Rivers exchange words and Raps frustration was boiling over. Bosh was ok but where was his team standing up for him. GET WELL SOON REGGIE...THAT IS WHERE WE NEED HIM. Raps got a little bit back into this thing after that blow up as a Hedo 3 pointer would cut the lead to 10 but I am serious disturbed at how no one stood up when the team's star gets taken down. Ray Allen would answer with a 3 pointer. Chris Bosh would answer that with a slam and he had 20.

Raps would continue to fumble and bumble with another turnover. C's don't cash in and Jack would score to get it to single digits briefly. Celtics would score and Raps would answer. Eddie House would hit a dagger 3 ball to make the lead a dozen. The time was slipping away and it was 99-87 with 7 to play. Raps just had given up to much ground to get back in this one. It is sad it took their star player getting kneed in the gut to wake them up. Celtics would weather the storm and take the lead back up to 14 points and lead 105-91. This game was lost at the end of the 3rd. However this 4th quarter was like a slap in the face to the Raptors and sadly most of the men in the white shirts just took it. Raps have just put it on cruise control so will I. They are on the way to falling to 7-10 as they trail 110-98. A hard foul by Jack with under a minute to play is nice but was needed earlier. Raps lose this thing 116-103.

Honestly what happened at the start of this 4th Quarter was wrong. I said it when T.J Ford was taken out in Atlanta. Again when Calderon was elbowed in the head later that year by the Hawks. Now tonight when Bosh gets a knee to the gut from Pierce. STAND THE HECK UP AND BE COUNTED. I want to see a raptor pop someone in the face and say we are not taking it anymore. Would that player get suspended. No doubt...but he would be an instant fan favourite and maybe make people think twice the next time. I can guarantee you that if Reggie Evans is in this game no way that goes with zero response. The heck with boxscores this is about HEART not STATS!!! Stand up for your star that has busted his butt for this team all year.