Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens couldn't have enjoyed what he was seeing from his team as the Toronto Raptors ripped off a monster fourth-quarter run, but Stevens resisted the urge to call a timeout, seemingly intent on seeing if his team could steady itself as the game slipped from its grasp.
One of Boston's biggest weaknesses last season was an inability to respond to adversity. Having posted two 20-point victories to start the exhibition season, the Celtics hadn't really encountered much white-knuckle time before Friday's game in Toronto. But there was Stevens, stoic as always, quietly observing his team as the Air Canada Centre rocked as if the calendar read early May, not early October.
The Raptors outscored Boston by 18 points over a six-minute span to emerge with a 116-109 triumph.
"When you have guys that are competitive, sometimes they try to do too much and it snowballs. That's what happened," said Stevens, referencing how a Boston team that scorched the field most of the night went ice cold as Toronto rallied. Boston shot 49.3 percent overall, but was 1-of-7 (14.3 percent) and turned the ball over five times during Toronto's fourth-quarter outburst.
"We have to get better at that," Stevens said. "We talked about being able to respond in any situation, so that was something new for this team. Hopefully we have that again, as far as having to respond again in the preseason."
The Celtics played a whopping 49 regular-season games last year that were within five points in the final five minutes. That was tied for the fourth-most in the league and Boston was a cringe-worthy 15-34 in those games, its .306 winning percentage the second-worst mark in the NBA (behind only Milwaukee at .250).
If the Celtics are to take a step forward this season, regardless of the size of the stride, they must be better at pulling out close games and particularly responding when teams make late-game charges.
If Boston had simply been able to limit the damage during Toronto's run, it might have still given itself a chance to win late. The Raptors went up 14 with little more than three minutes to play. The Celtics clawed back to within six in the final minute but simply didn't have enough time to mount a legitimate rally.
Stevens saw a lot to like during Friday's game but finding a way to respond to adversity is a must for these young Celtics.
SEEKING PRESEASON DIVERSITY
Save for the occasional out-of-the-country foray, the Celtics haven't played a preseason game against a non-Atlantic Division opponent since the 2009-10 season (and even that year featured six games with division rivals). Stevens would like to see a more diverse schedule with at least a couple of new opponents.
"I’d rather have more of a mix of games than this; it’s something that we’ve talked about," said Stevens. "Exhibition games have been scheduled before I got here, for each of the last two years. We talked about it as a staff and I think we’ll probably diversify our schedule a little bit more as we move into the future."
With two preseason and four regular-season games against each of their division foes, the Celtics play more than a quarter of their total games -- 24 out of 90 preseason/regular-season tilts -- against the teams closest to them geographically. But limiting travel doesn't promote regular-season success.
"It’s a lot less about traveling and I’d rather see different styles right now and get a six-team sample instead of four," Stevens said. "These are the games on our schedule and it gives us a great chance to adjust, a great chance to try new players and let them see new things. But that’s for both of the teams, not just for us."
LOOSE BALLS
• Managing minutes? After scoring 20 first-half points while catching fire before the intermission, Celtics guard Avery Bradley played less than four minutes in the second half. Stevens suggested he was managing minutes by resting Bradley, pointing to the team playing its third game in five nights and with a back-to-back looming Saturday. It seems likely that Boston, already playing without Rajon Rondo, Jeff Green, James Young and Vitor Faverani, might rest some additional bodies Saturday given the game-heavy schedule this week.
• Turner taking advantage of reps: Newcomer Evan Turner continues to distinguish himself this preseason. Showcasing his ball-handling and an ability to create for others, Turner handed out four assists Friday to go along with 12 points, six rebounds and a block in 32 minutes. Turner looks strong in transition, particularly when he creates easy looks for teammates. With Green having missed the past week with a calf strain, Turner has made the most of his reps and could put additional stress on Stevens as he's determining minutes and roles at the wing positions.