MIAMI, Sept 4, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – OG Anunoby drained a buzzer-beating three-
pointer as the Toronto Raptors resuscitated their NBA title defense Thursday
with a 104-103 victory over the Boston Celtics.
Kyle Lowry, tasked with inbounding the ball with half a second on the clock
and the Raptors down 103-101, lofted a perfect arcing pass over Boston’s
towering Tacko Fall to Anunoby on the opposite sideline.
“I had confidence in him,” Lowry said. “We’ll take that win.”
Anunoby set his feet and fired and the Raptors narrowed the deficit in the
best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final series to 2-1 — avoiding an 0-3
hole from which no NBA team has come back to win a post-season series.
“We scrapped and clawed and fought,” said Lowry, who led the Raptors with
31 points, six rebounds and eight assists. “We never quit.”
Fred VanVleet scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and Pascal
Siakam scored 14 of his 16 after the interval and Anunoby contributed 12
points for the Raptors, who battled back from a 57-47 halftime deficit.
In a fourth quarter that saw seven lead changes — neither team leading by
more than four points — Boston looked set to take a stranglehold on the
series when center Daniel Theis, fed by Kemba Walker’s savvy pass through
traffic, slammed home a dunk for a 103-101 lead with 0.5 seconds on the
clock.
During the ensuing timeout, Boston brought in Fall, who tops out at 2.26m,
to defend the inbounds play, but he couldn’t hold back the 2019 champions.
Walker led the Celtics with 29 points. Jaylen Brown added 19 with 12
rebounds and Jayson Tatum chipped in 15, but Boston have a series on their
hands now.
“One game at a time,” Lowry said of the Raptors’ mindset as they look to
level the series in the NBA’s COVID-19 quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida.
“Great emotional moment right there (but) that’s over. Now we have to focus
on the next game.”