The fifth game of the series between the Raptors and the Celtics has no history, with the green-and-whites leading 14 at the end of the first quarter and 27 at half-time, comfortably managing the advantage in the second half and taking the lead in the series, just one win behind conference finals.
After a sub-rhythm Game-4, the Celtics got off to a strong start on both sides of the pitch, keeping the defending champions just 11 points scored and 25 on the other side in the first quarter. The Boston defense was the absolute star of the match, putting Marcus Smart on Kyle Lowry and defusing the fuse of the Raptors’ attack, capable of scoring only 42% on the iron and 30% three-point for an overall offensive rating of 92.7 – far too little to worry the opponents.