It was not a very good night for Kemba Walker to contribute much less than his usual offensive production.
The Boston Celtics goalkeeper finished with just five numbers in the game. He fired a disappointing 2 of 11 from the area and 1 of 6 from beyond the arc while playing 52 minutes, the team’s best.
But head coach Brad Stevens needs them to see the full picture, highlighting how the Toronto Raptors defended Walker in Boston’s double loss in overtime 125-122 in Game 6 on Wednesday.
“In the first half, it’s not really fair to Kemba because they’re in a box and an opposite of him, betting on him. And we’re getting some wonderful shots against him in the first quarter,” Stevens told reporters after the defeat, as noted in NBC Sports Boston’s post-game policy. “Then, at that point, your task is to be a spacer or a cutter or an evaluator and watch everyone score. And then, when they come out, he has wonderful opportunities himself.
“So it’s not about Kemba or any of the three first-half attempts or anything like that,” Stevens continued. “That’s how they kept it. They took him away. It’s a wonderful sign of respect. “
Walker did not feel the same way as he blamed himself more on his shoulders, especially for his departure in the second half.
“I had in the box and one, deny the total of the first half. In the middle of the moment, I just couldn’t locate a rhythm. It looked great, it just wasn’t enough,” Walker said. Enough for my teammates tonight. Just a bad offensive night, horrible offensive night.
“… I have to find another way towards my teammates. I have to be bigger for my teammates ”, he added.
Here are some additional notes from Wednesday’s game:
– Again with the third trimester.
The Celtics took a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter on Wednesday. Unfortunately, Toronto cut that hole down to 4 problems in the middle, but it was another poor third quarter as the Celtics were outscored in 8 problems, ultimately allowing the Raptors to gain momentum.
Toronto beat Boston 22-12 midway through the quarter, adding a 12-2 run over a two-minute span. It’s a work in progress and a smart one.
“They play harder than we do in the first six minutes of this room,” Stevens said.
Walker added: “I wish I could tell you (why), I wish I could. In fact, we are aware of that, but it happens. It might not take long, we just have to be better. “
– Jaylen Brown had an undeniable response to what led to the Celtics being beaten.
“Just continue to be calm. I felt like we didn’t play as well as we needed to be on the line. There were big turnovers that killed us, ”Brown said. “And a lot of that is my fault, the guys with the ball in hand, we just have to go straight down to make bigger plays. And they are as a team, they did it, they made great plays in the home stretch and that’s why they got up here. It’s definitely a learning or training time for us, and we’ll be better in the next game. “
– While the Celtics ultimately fell in Game 6, they had some impressive individual performances.
Marcus Smart had a triple-double with 23 problems, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 50 minutes; Tatum finished just before a triple-double with 29 problems, 14 rebounds and assists in 51 minutes; Brown himself had a double-double with 31 problems. and 16 rebounds in 51 minutes himself.
The Celtics and Raptors will speak for Game 7 on Friday night with an announcement scheduled for 9 p. m.