Stout defense sends Raptors by Celtics

Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry drives to the basket ahead of Boston Celtics' Daniel Theis (27) during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry drives to the basket ahead of Boston Celtics' Daniel Theis (27) during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- No need for any big shots this time. Not the way the Toronto Raptors just kept getting stops.

Pascal Siakam had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Kyle Lowry added 22 points and 11 boards and the Raptors evened the Eastern Conference semifinal at two games apiece, beating the Boston Celtics 100-93 on Saturday.

Two days after winning Game 3 on OG Anunoby's three-pointer as time expired, the Raptors shut down most of Boston's perimeter shooters, and Jaylen Brown in particular.

Serge Ibaka had 18 points off the bench on 7-of-9 shooting and Fred VanVleet finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. The Raptors shot only 39.5% but believe they'll eventually put their offense and defense together on the same night.

"I think we can always get to another level. I feel like we can always do that and obviously everyone clicking at the right time, and once we have that we're a pretty special team," Siakam said.

Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics. They won their first six postseason games before dropping the last two. Kemba Walker had 15 points and eight assists.

"Obviously, we didn't play that well, I didn't play that well," Brown said. "We've got to bounce back and be ready to fight. That's what it comes down to."

The Celtics were 7 for 35 (20%) from three-point range. Brown missed his first nine attempts behind the arc and finished 2 for 11, and 4 for 18 overall. Tatum, Walker and Marcus Smart were all 1 for 6 on three-pointers.

"I think we made it a little bit tougher for them tonight but they still had a lot of shots that they were able to get off," Lowry said. "We're just trying to contain those guys: Tatum, Brown, Walker, even Smart. We've just got to continue to make it tough on those guys."

The Celtics were a half-second from taking a 3-0 lead, from which no NBA team has recovered, after Daniel Theis' basket gave them a two-point lead Thursday. But Anunoby's three-pointer got the defending NBA champions, who overcame a 2-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference finals, on the way to what they hope will be a similar recovery.

 After some cold perimeter shooting by both teams, the Raptors finally had a strong stretch late in the third, getting two three-pointers by VanVleet and another by Ibaka in a little over a minute to open their largest lead at 79-68. Toronto led by eight after three.

The Celtics never got closer than five in the final quarter, and when they did for the final time, Tatum was called for an offensive foul with 32 seconds left.

 TORONTO (100)

Anunoby 3-7 3-4 11, Siakam 10-23 1-2 23, Gasol 2-5 0-1 4, Lowry 5-16 8-8 22, VanVleet 6-19 0-1 17, Ibaka 7-9 0-0 18, Powell 1-6 3-3 5, Thomas 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 34-86 15-19 100.

BOSTON (93)

Brown 4-18 4-4 14, Tatum 10-18 3-5 24, Theis 4-7 0-2 8, Smart 2-8 3-5 8, Walker 4-9 6-7 15, Ojeleye 2-4 2-2 7, Williams 1-2 2-2 4, Williams III 3-4 0-0 6, Wanamaker 3-5 0-0 7. Totals 33-75 20-27 93.

Toronto31183219--100

Boston27222420--93

3-Point Goals--Toronto 17-44 (VanVleet 5-11, Ibaka 4-4, Lowry 4-10, Anunoby 2-4, Siakam 2-13), Boston 7-35 (Brown 2-11, Wanamaker 1-2, Ojeleye 1-3, Smart 1-6, Tatum 1-6, Walker 1-6). Fouled Out--Toronto 1 (Gasol), Boston None. Rebounds--Toronto 41 (Lowry, Siakam 11), Boston 45 (Tatum 10). Assists--Toronto 23 (Lowry 7), Boston 18 (Walker 8). Total Fouls--Toronto 21, Boston 20.

NUGGETS 110, CLIPPERS 101

Jamal Murray scored 27 points, Nikola Jokic had 26 points and 18 rebounds and the Denver Nuggets never trailed on the way to beating the Los Angeles Clippers.

Gary Harris and Paul Millsap each added 13 points to help Denver knot the series at a game apiece.

Paul George scored 22 points for the Clippers, who got 15 from Ivica Zubac and endured a rare off night offensively from Kawhi Leonard. The two-time NBA Finals MVP had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, but shot only 4 for 17.

Leonard had scored at least 20 points in 27 of his last 28 playoff games -- and had at least 29 in all seven playoff games this season.

The Clippers trailed by 23 and got as close as five in the fourth quarter. Murray and Harris made three-pointers on consecutive possessions down the stretch to help keep the Nuggets on top, and Patrick Beverley (University of Arkansas) was ejected with a pair of technicals with 1:04 left to seal the matter.

Murray made two free throws for the technicals, Grant added another for a personal that was called and the lead was 11. George dribbled the ball off his knee on the next Clippers' possession and the outcome was academic from there.

Denver set the tone from the outset, starting off on a 14-2 run and eventually going up 44-23 before the first quarter was even complete. Jokic and Murray outscored the Clippers by themselves in the opening 12 minutes, 26-25.

It was 72-56 at the half, the Clippers' third-largest intermission deficit of the season.

DENVER (110)

Grant 1-9 3-4 5, Millsap 5-11 1-1 13, Jokic 10-17 2-2 26, Harris 4-8 1-2 13, Murray 10-21 4-5 27, Craig 1-4 1-2 3, Porter Jr. 5-10 0-0 11, Plumlee 1-2 0-0 2, Morris 4-9 1-1 10. Totals 41-91 13-17 110.

LA CLIPPERS (101)

Leonard 4-17 5-7 13, Morris Sr. 3-9 3-4 11, Zubac 6-8 3-4 15, Beverley 1-2 0-0 2, George 7-19 4-5 22, Mann 0-0 0-0 0, Green 4-6 0-0 10, Harrell 3-6 4-8 10, Jackson 1-3 0-0 3, Shamet 1-2 0-0 2, Williams 6-16 1-1 13. Totals 36-88 20-29 101.

Denver44281721--110

LA Clippers25312124--101

3-Point Goals--Denver 15-40 (Jokic 4-5, Harris 4-7, Murray 3-8, Millsap 2-5, Morris 1-3, Porter Jr. 1-5, Craig 0-2, Grant 0-5), LA Clippers 9-32 (George 4-10, Green 2-3, Morris Sr. 2-5, Jackson 1-3, Leonard 0-3, Williams 0-6). Fouled Out--None. Rebounds--Denver 45 (Jokic 18), LA Clippers 52 (Green 11). Assists--Denver 18 (Murray 6), LA Clippers 20 (Leonard 8). Total Fouls--Denver 23, LA Clippers 17.

Boston Celtics' Daniel Theis (27) blocks a shot by Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Boston Celtics' Daniel Theis (27) blocks a shot by Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Boston Celtics' Daniel Theis, fights for position for a rebound with Toronto Raptors' Marc Gasol (33) during the second half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Boston Celtics' Daniel Theis, fights for position for a rebound with Toronto Raptors' Marc Gasol (33) during the second half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry (7) reacts during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game against the Boston Celtics Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry (7) reacts during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game against the Boston Celtics Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry (7) celebrates in front of Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum (0) during the second half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry (7) celebrates in front of Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum (0) during the second half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum (0), right, drives around Toronto Raptors' Marc Gasol (33) and Kyle Lowry (7) during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum (0), right, drives around Toronto Raptors' Marc Gasol (33) and Kyle Lowry (7) during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' head coach Nick Nurse directs his team during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game against the Boston Celtics Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' head coach Nick Nurse directs his team during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game against the Boston Celtics Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry (7) drives to the basket between Boston Celtics' Robert Williams III, left, and Kemba Walker, right, during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry (7) drives to the basket between Boston Celtics' Robert Williams III, left, and Kemba Walker, right, during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' OG Anunoby (3) drives to the basket ahead of Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' OG Anunoby (3) drives to the basket ahead of Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry (7) questions a call with referee Bill Kennedy (55) during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game against the Boston Celtics Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry (7) questions a call with referee Bill Kennedy (55) during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game against the Boston Celtics Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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