5 takeaways as Semi Ojeleye brings the Celtics comfortable win over Raptors

The Boston Celtics came to a 120-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday based on their 3-point shooting and ball movement.

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

The Celtics needed some positives.

Before Celtics fans declare that everything has been resolved, they should remember that Thursday’s game wasn’t quite a fair portrayal of Toronto – the Raptors had a grueling stretch, entering TD Garden on the second night from a back to back, with OG Anunoby on the couch. .

But the Celtics just clicked on Thursday. The starters were excellent. The stars (including Kemba Walker) all played as stars, even if they didn’t shoot well. The bank hit. The defense had some weight. After a relentless west coast road trip with a tough chunk of games lurking, the Celtics needed some positives, and Thursday’s game delivered a lot.

Semi Ojeleye looked great as an appetizer.

Ojeleye was assigned a starting role and had one of his better games. He started with a lay-up, then did six of his eight three-point tries on the way to 24 points, and feasted on the corners of the gap created by Boston’s slashers (which we’ll see).

Having a reliable three-point shooter in the starting line-up seemed to make a big difference for the Celtics, who have struggled to find consistent starters. One game won’t lock Ojeleye into that role (and shouldn’t), but a performance like Thursday might be enough to give him another look. As always, the key for Ojeleye is to avoid getting freezing if he misses his first three-point try.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were facilitators.

As we noted above, Ojeleye – as well as Payton Pritchard, who scored 20 points in 6-for-8 shots – benefited greatly from the Boston slashers. Brown and Tatum were the slashers. Brown finished with 10 assists, while Tatum brought in nine. The defense collapsed, and when it collapsed, the stars of Boston were ready and ready to play the right game. Although the duo finished a combined 8-for-27, they were crucial.

The transient mindset made all the difference. Boston has a lot of talent for attacking mismatches and punishing inferior defenders, but this for an entire game is a recipe for stagnant offense. When the ball pops, baskets are much easier.

That’s a two-way street, of course: the Celtics’ stars have to move the ball, and their role-players have to take the shots the stars have made for them. If that continues, the Celtics will be much better off.

Grant Williams is slowly expanding his game.

Williams has been quietly doing a little more with his attack over the past two weeks. Most notable, of course, was his shooting – Williams has hit 45.8 percent of his 3-pointers this season.

But he is also expanding in other areas. On Thursday, Williams hit a one-dribble pull-up, a floater after a multi-dribble drive, and hurled a pass down the baseline to an open shooter in the corner for a 3-pointer.

Productive role-players make a big difference. It remains to be seen if players like Williams, Pritchard and Ojeleye can contribute consistently, but the ceiling rises if they can.

Kemba Walker had a good night.

If Walker’s struggles are a takeaway every time they occur, it’s only fair to note when he’s got a good game. Walker finished with 21 points in 5-for-12 shots and buried a flurry of triples – 5-for-7 from behind the arch.

The Raptors are a good match for Walker, with two players a good size for his defense. But like Tatum and Brown, Walker benefited quite a bit from the constant production around him.