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The Toronto Raptors set a new franchise record, and it's not a good one, according to Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic on X. They lost on New Year's Eve to the Boston Celtics by 54 points. It marks the worst loss in franchise history. After a close first half, the Celtics pulled away and showed their dominance. They outscored the Raptors 80-36 in the final two quarters. While Toronto is a rebuilding team and Boston is a contender, it's rough, nonetheless.
However, this marks another bad stretch for the Canadian franchise. They've allowed 555 points through four games. It's tied for the most points allowed in a four-game stretch since 1991. Still, the Celtics didn't have an amazing performance on the offensive end. Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were the only players with more than 20 points.
Still, it's the Celtics' depth that kills teams. That, and their defense. Usually, teams are elite on one side of the ball but Boston is that on both offense and defense. For instance, the Raptors shot 31% from the field and 25% from three. They also forced 21 Raptors turnovers on the night, compared to their 13.
Funny enough, they had another less-than-appealing record for the fanbase. The Raptors had a franchise-worst 31 turnovers in Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Fast forward two days, and they achieved another record. This time, it might be even worse than Sunday's.
The Raptors franchise record vs Celtics should be remembered for what not to do
Although Toronto is a young team, this is a case of what not to do. The talent discrepancy is there, but a Celtics team led by head coach Joe Mazzulla doesn't quit. They keep playing until the final buzzer. Regardless of that, it's a learning lesson for Toronto and their star player, Scottie Barnes.
Boston is the top dog in the NBA, as evidenced by their 2024 NBA title win, and this dominant win. They're lethal on both sides of the floor. Still, opponents might not respect Toronto as much as they should. For instance, the Raptors were called the ‘Guangdong Dragons' on live TV by the Houston Rockets announcer.
Limiting losses like these might eliminate those comparisons. However, Barnes can't carry the team by himself. They need some additional scoring punch and help around their franchise player. For now, the Raptors will end 2024 on a sour note and hopefully eliminate that taste heading into the New Year. Still, it might be a lingering theme for the remainder of the season.
