The Eastern Conference is starting to become scary again. After clearly lacking behind the superiorly talented Western Conference in the past couple years, the East is making a comeback. Obviously, we still have the defending champions in the Cleveland Cavaliers, but this year, we’ve seen the emergence of some real competitors immediately after the 1 seed. Teams like the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, and Toronto Raptors all have shown the ability to beat anyone and could cause some fear in the hearts of LeBron James and company come playoff time.
We’ve already seen animosity among the group, as there were some extra headlines attached to a matchup between the Celtics and Wizards due to a skirmish between Boston wing Jae Crowder and Wizards point guard John Wall.
After last night’s game between the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics in which Toronto came out on top 107-97, it’s fair to say there is no love lost between any of the top dogs in the Eastern Conference. Towards the end of the second half, we saw tempers flare as Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll gave a hard push to Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas on a fastbreak opportunity, resulting in Carroll getting a flagrant foul.
At the conclusion of the play, we saw Jae Crowder and DeMarre Carroll get into it, as Crowder raced over to defend his point guard. Thomas obviously had words for Carroll as well, as it looked like a breakaway fast break chance and an almost certain two points for the Celtics. After the game when Thomas was asked about the play, the 5’9″ dynamo ripped Carroll and his antics.
The Raptors and Celtics both have had similar seasons, playing inspired basketball though Toronto hit a rough patch before the All-Star break. Both teams boast talented guards and interior play tough enough to make some noise come playoff time.
With Isaiah Thomas fueling this revamped Celtics team and the Raptors recent acqusition of Serge Ibaka, both these teams figure to continue being formidable threats. As we head down the home stretch of the NBA season and playoff standings become tighter, expect to see plenty more chippiness, especially in the Eastern Conference where teams at the top are ready to give the Cavs a run for their money.
