The Boston Celtics know their second-round series with the Toronto Raptors is far from over.
On Tuesday, the Celtics defeated the Raptors in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to take a 2-0 series lead. Jayson Tatum led the way with 34 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but the Celtics got a big-time boost from Marcus Smart down the stretch, with him making five straight 3s to open the fourth quarter to cut into Toronto's lead and take control of the game.
Following the victory, Kemba Walker, who overcame a rough shooting night to hit some big-time shots himself, made it clear to the media that the Celtics won't take their foot off the gas despite being up 2-0.
"These guys aren't going away," Walker said of the Raptors, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. "They're going to come back even stronger."
The Raptors have been in this position before. In last season's Eastern Conference Finals, they trailed the Milwaukee Bucks 2-0 before winning four straight games to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals, where they outlasted the Golden State Warriors to win their first-ever title.
The Raptors no longer have two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard leading the way, but this team has fought all season long, finishing with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference despite missing the fifth-most games in the league to injury.
The Raptors will look to get themselves back in the series on Thursday, when they take on the Celtics in Game 3.
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