5 takeaways as Semi Ojeleye triggers Celtics’ comfortable win over Raptors

The Boston Celtics earned a 120-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday thanks to their 3-point shot and ball movement.

Five takeaways from a win the Celtics really needed to claim.

The Celtics needed a few positives.

Before Celtics fans say it’s all set, they need to remember Thursday’s game wasn’t exactly a fair representation of Toronto – the Raptors had a grueling time and stepped into TD Garden in the second consecutive night, with OG Anunoby on the bench. .

But the Celtics just clicked Thursday. The starters were excellent. The stars (including Kemba Walker) all performed like stars, even when they weren’t shooting well. The bench intervened. The defense had weight. After a brutal West Coast road trip with a series of tough games on the horizon, the Celtics needed a few bright spots, and Thursday’s game provided a lot.

Semi Ojeleye looked great on entry.

Assigned to a starting role, Ojeleye had one of his best games. He started off with a layup, then made six of his eight 3-point attempts en route to 24 points, and he feasted on the turns at the spacing created by the Boston slashers (to which we go arrive).

Having a reliable 3-point shooter in the starting lineup seemed to make a big difference for the Celtics, who struggled to find consistent starters. A match won’t (and shouldn’t) lock Ojeleye into that role, but a performance like Thursday might be enough to earn him another look. As always, the key for Ojeleye is to avoid turning icy when he misses his first 3-point attempt.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were facilitators.

As we noted above, Ojeleye – as well as Payton Pritchard, who scored 20 points on a 6 for 8 shot – have benefited tremendously from the Boston Slashers. Brown and Tatum were the slashers. Brown finished with 10 assists, while Tatum had nine. The defense crumbled, and when it crumbled, the Boston stars were ready and willing to make the right play. As the duo finished an 8-for-27 combined, they were crucial.

The fleeting mentality has made a world of difference. Boston is very good at attacking mismatches and punishing lower defenders, but doing so for an entire game is a recipe for stagnant attack. When the ball bursts, the baskets are much easier.

It’s a two-way street, of course: Celtics stars have to move the ball and their actors have to take the shots that the stars have created for them. If this continues, the Celtics will be in much better shape.

Grant Williams is slowly expanding his game.

Williams has quietly done a bit more with his offense over the past two weeks. Most notable, of course, has been his shot – Williams has hit 45.8% of his 3 points this season.

But it is also developing in other areas. On Thursday, Williams hit a pull-up to a dribble, a float after a multi-dribble practice, and he threw a pass along the baseline to an open shooter in the corner for a 3 point.

Productive actors make a big difference. It remains to be seen if players like Williams, Pritchard and Ojeleye can contribute consistently, but the cap goes up if they can.

Kemba Walker had a great night.

If Walker’s struggles are to be won every time they occur, it’s fair to note that he’s having a good game. Walker finished with 21 5v12 shooting points and buried a flurry of trebles – 5v7 behind the arc.

The Raptors are a good game for Walker, with two good-sized players defending him. But like Tatum and Brown, Walker has benefited a lot from a consistent production around him.