On April 5, the Boston Celtics cemented their status as the second seed in the Eastern Conference courtesy of a victory over the Toronto Raptors.
In a contentious game, the Celtics eeked out a victory despite not being at their best, primarily due to their efforts on the defensive side of the floor. When speaking to the media during his post-game press conference, Raptors guard Fred VanVleet credited the Celtics’ defense.
“Boston is one of the best defensive teams in the league for a reason,” VanVleet said. “But they kind of just guard up one on one, so it kind of slowed us down a little bit in the first half. I thought the second half, the ball was moving a little bit more, popping into our spots, and getting out in transition as well… Tonight was not great in terms of flow and rhythm, and energy. So you know, we got another shot at it on Friday; we are looking to see how we can be more effective.”
VanVleet came away from the game with 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists on 14.3% shooting from the field and 8.3% shooting from deep, as he struggled to help make an impact for his team.
Joe Mazzulla Speaks on Malcolm Brogdon
Throughout the regular season, Malcolm Brogdon has been seen as a front-runner for the Sixth Man of the Year award after making a significant impact on Boston’s overall success since joining the roster in the summer.
Following Boston’s latest win, head coach Joe Mazzulla detailed what it would mean for Brogdon to win the coveted award, especially since Brogdon sacrificed a starting role to help boost the Celtics’ chances of winning a championship.
“It would me a lot,” Mazzulla said. “The humility that he brings to our team, he takes pride in the second unit. And, in order to be a great team, you have to have people like that. And we have that from top to bottom. And different guys do different things. And, you know, Malcolm has come in here with patience, humility, and understanding and credit to the locker room for, you know, embracing and empowering him. And I hope he gets it. He deserves it.”
Brogdon has played in 67 games for the Celtics so far, contributing 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 44.4% from deep.
Malcolm Brogdon Reveals Challenges of Bench Role
During his post-game press conference, Brogdon discussed the challenges of coming off the bench after spending the majority of his career as a top offensive option.
“Coming off the bench, it can be a challenge, sometimes, to be honest,” Brogdon said. “Having a career where you start your whole career, then you come off the bench. There are nights when you’ve got to suck it up. And you’re, you’re not going to score as much or you’re not going to play as much. But that’s what I think makes a great team, having guys that are able to do that guys are able to sacrifice. Because it’s not me sacrificing every night, every night, it’s a different guy.”
The Celtics will face off against the Raptors again on Friday, April 7, before wrapping up their season with a game against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, April 9.
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Fred VanVleet Issues Statement After Celtics Beat Raptors