Crazy Stat Should Make Boston Celtics Fans Confident in Game 7
The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors are about to square off in a winner-take-all Game 7. The winner earns a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals while the loser goes home. If the previous six games are any indication, Game 7 should be epic. If history is any indication, the Celtics will be the team advancing.
The Celtics and Raptors have played a thriller of a series
It began like it was going to be a Boston Celtics sweep. Now it’s coming down to the wire. The Celtics and the Toronto Raptors are set to face off Friday night in what should be an exciting Game 7 after a chippy, double-overtime thriller in Game 6.
The fact there is a Game 7 is a story in itself. The Celtics appeared to be on the way to a convincing series victory after taking the first two games. Boston appeared on its way to a 3-0 series lead when they held a 10-point halftime lead in Game 3. The Celtics even led by two points with a half-second remaining on the clock. Toronto somehow managed to throw a cross-court pass on an out-of-bounds play and OG Anunoby drained a game-winning 3-pointer.
Anunoby’s desperation 3-pointer swung momentum significantly as the Raptors took Game 4 and evened the series at two games apiece. Boston cruised to a Game 5 victory before the Raptors won Game 6 in a double-overtime thriller.
Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors played a heated Game 6
Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors was an instant classic. With their backs against the wall, the Raptors outlasted the Celtics 125-122 in double overtime to force a deciding Game 7. The game was heated and both teams had words with each other after the final whistle.
Kyle Lowry played 53 minutes and connected on a very tough jumper with 11.7 seconds remaining as the Raptors lived to fight another day. Lowry finished with 33 points, and Norman Powell collected 23, including a key three-point play down the stretch. Boston was led by Jaylen Brown’s 31 points and 16 rebounds, while Jayson Tatum had 29 points.
Despite failing to close out the series, Brown is looking forward to Friday’s Game 7. “We had a lot of opportunities down the stretch and we didn’t take care of the all as good as we needed to,” Brown said, according to ESPN. “That’s fine. We’re heading into a Game 7. We feel good about ourselves.”
Crazy stat should make Celtics fans feel good about Game 7
While Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown says he feels good about the Celtics’ chances in Game 7, one obscure statistic also favors Boston. As they say in most winner-take-all games, records and stats can be thrown out the window.
According to ESPN Stats & Info., the Toronto Raptors became just the third team to force a Game 7 after having played multi-overtime games in the series. The Raptors joined the 1974 Milwaukee Bucks and the 2009 Chicago Bulls. Both the Bucks and the Bulls wound up losing their Game 7 meetings. Their opponent? The Boston Celtics.
