BOSTON — As the first quarter wound down on Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics were in a good place. For the first time this preseason, it was starters vs. starters, as the Toronto Raptors decided to roll with their starting five, while Boston had almost its entire roster available (Sam Hauser was the only one absent). With just over five minutes to go, they were up 11. It was all going swimmingly.
Then Immanuel Quickley stole the ball.
Anfernee Simons drove the length of the court, got into the paint, dribbled out to the corner, and tossed an errant pass right into Quickley’s waiting hands. He immediately kicked the ball up the floor to RJ Barrett for an easy layup. The very next possession, Luka Garza got called for an illegal screen.
It was the start of a small Raptors run to end the first quarter, driven by Boston’s own mistakes. Xavier Tillman got hit with an offensive foul, Simons threw the ball into the front row, Derrick White stepped out of bounds, Simons got the ball stolen—it was a mess.
By the end of the first frame, the Raptors were within five points of the Celtics. It may not seem like much. Being up by five after one quarter is a decent lead. But it’s all about closing the quarter strong.
Closing quarters is key for the Celtics
And once the fourth quarter rolled around, it happened again.
A three from White tied the game at 92 apiece with 5:04 remaining in the contest. Boston proceeded to dominate for the next three minutes, accruing a 12-point lead by the 1:53 mark. But one Toronto timeout changed everything.
“I think in that first quarter, they kind of changed their matchups up,” said White. “Got some good looks, but it kind of rushed us a little bit. So, that's something that we've talked about before, and so it'll be good to have on film and to learn from that. And then, when you're not making shots and you're constantly in transition defense, that's kind of how they got back into the game during the first.
“And then, fourth quarter, especially a team like this, they just pick up full and kind of make it difficult. But we were able to make enough plays and to find a way to get the win.”
The Raptors came out of the timeout like a ball shot from a cannon. They pressed all the way up the floor, forced Boston into mistakes, and reclaimed control of momentum. With nine seconds left, Jamison Battle nailed a 32-foot triple to tie the game.
It was a complete meltdown for the Celtics.
In the first minute of in-game action after the timeout, Boston turned the ball over on four straight possessions. All of the energy they had built up in the previous stint was long gone.
“A lot of times when you make a mistake, you kind of are dwelling on it, and you're waiting for that time out where you're going to get chewed out,” said Tillman. “That lets plays kind of build and build negatively. So, the best you can to make a play and kind of like wash it and stop thinking about it and just be present is the best way to get through those moments.
“And we didn't do that when they were making that comeback. We kind of were like, 'Ah s***. Here we go.'”
Joe Mazzulla has stressed the importance of closing quarters for years. For all the attention that will be given to the end of the court, the final moments of the first are just as important.
Had Simons not turned the ball over and given Quickley a free steal, the Celtics may have had a larger lead. Maybe Toronto wouldn’t have gained as much momentum.
But sometimes, bending is fine. Breaking is what’s unacceptable.
Luckily for the Celtics, Tillman was there to play Superman.
After a Mazzulla timeout with 10 seconds left on the game clock, Baylor Scheierman was on inbounding duty. He scoured the court looking for Simons, for whom the Celtics had drawn up the final play.
He wasn’t open.
But just as the five seconds were winding down, two Raptors defenders sank into the paint to take away Josh Minott in the dunker spot. Tillman rushed into open space, Scheierman found him, and he drilled a floater, the eventual game-winner.
Tillman’s teammates rushed onto the floor after Simons deflected Toronto’s full-court pass attempt in the closing seconds. TD Garden showered him with cheers. The quarter was closed. But it wasn’t pretty.
Managing momentum is tricky business. “I feel like once you know you made a mistake, it's [about] how fast can you snap out of it and keep going?” Tillman said.
Once an opponent catches wind of panic, they pounce. That’s exactly what the Raptors did in the first quarter. And when the Celtics were rolling in the fourth, they created their own panic.
But though the art of closing quarters may present itself as momentum, it can really be broken down into four dos and don’ts.
“There are themes that come up,” said Joe Mazzulla. “So, I think at the end of the first, I mean, it all comes down to live-ball turnovers. Live-ball turnovers equate to transition offense, equates to opportunities for them to play. And so, we obviously always want to end the quarter with the last shot, but I think the first, obviously, in the fourth, there were live-ball turnovers, but in the first, those live-ball turnovers lead to all the other things.
“So, we just have to be better at that. I think we got the two-for-one in that situation. But the themes are turnovers, transition defense, offensive rebounds, and fouls. When those four things occur at the end of quarters, it puts you in a tough spot.”
Wednesday night ended in elation for the Celtics. For Tillman. But Boston is still a work in progress. They managed to bend without breaking against the Raptors.
But managing mistakes and closing out quarters will make that process much, much easier.