Celtics vs Raptors: Toronto Prevails in Double OT to Force Game 7

By M.G. Alison. Sep 10 2020, 07:50 AM EDT

The Boston Celtics will have to do what it has failed to do a couple of times in this Eastern Conference semifinals series - that is put an end to the defending champions' title hopes.

Celtics point guard Kemba Walker remained confident that they can do it and promised Boston that they will be ready for Game 7 on Friday night, September 11.

The Toronto Raptors showed what champions are made of as they prevailed in two overtimes, 125-122, to force a Game 7 and kept their hopes alive of defending their Eastern Conference title.

Walker told ESPN that he remains confident of the Celtics because they are great players and very competitive. He pointed out that Wednesday night's Game 6 was hard fought and that they could have given up but they did not.

Indeed, the Celtics were in there in the whole regulation and in the two extra five minutes, but Walker was not.

He was held to just five points on a 2-for-11 shooting after playing for 52 minutes and just like in Game 4, the point guard was not able to make the plays that he did in their first three games of the series or even against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the Playoffs.

In a Latin Post article, Walker took the blame for their 100-93 Game 4 loss that allowed the Raptors to even the series at 2-all. It was in that game that Walker started to unravel, managing only 15 points on 4-for-9 shooting and eight assists.

The Celtics point guard said then that shooting just for nine is unacceptable, especially that they are up against the defending champions.

And the same as in Game 3, when the Celtics had the chance to put Raptors at a 3-0 disadvantage, OG Anunoby and Kyle Lowry once stepped up to thwart them.

In Game 3, Lowry threw a pass to Anunoby for a buzzer beater trey. In Game 6, another trey from Anunoby put the Raptors ahead with just under a minute left, said a report by CBS Boston.

And a jumper by Lowry with 11 seconds left allowed the Raptors to still be in the running in the 2020 NBA Season.

Lowry finished with 33 points for the Raptors, who also had 23 points from Norman Powell, including a pair of freebies with five seconds left in the ballgame.

Jaylen Brown topscored for the Celtics with 31 points and 16 rebounds, while Jayson Tatum chipped in 29 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.

But what makes Game 7 more interesting is that it has been set up by a heated exchange of words between both teams after the buzzer has sounded to end Game 6.

Marcus Smart, who finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Celtics, complained that he was pushed by Marc Gasol at the final play of the game.

And this sets up Game 7 between the Celtics and the Raptors as a more exciting game to watch.