Serge Ibaka shows frustration with Kyle Lowry as Raptors go down to Celtics in Game 5

Boston Celtics secured a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Raptors during the Eastern Conference semi-finals Game 5 on Monday (Tuesday IST). The Celtics won with a massive 111-89 margin while shooting an impressive 49.4% from the field. The Raptors' loss came after a two-game winning streak which levelled the series 2-2. 

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Celtics vs Raptors: Serge Ibaka losses his cool after Kyle Lowry gets a technical in third quarter

During the third quarter, the Raptors were trailing by 25 when Kyle Lowry began arguing with referees after he received a shooting foul on Jayson Tatum. The referee, Eric Lewis, awarded Lowry with a technical foul while the score was at 82-58. With the Raptors on the losing end, Serge Ibaka ended up yelling at Lowry. "Come on man, we’re losing!” Ibaka said, unamused at Lowry's mistake. While Lowry looked to continue his argument, Fred VanVleet tried to calm Serge Ibaka down as the game continued. 

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During a postgame interview, VanVleet addressed the Serge Ibaka-Kyle Lowry altercation, clarifying that both players and the Raptors have decided to let go of that incident. VanVleet explained that both players had their moments on the court, aware that things like this happen when there is a lot at stake. He pointed out that during the NBA playoffs, fans get to witness more of these interactions between teammates. However, according to VanVleet, "it wasn’t as bad as it looked" and such things will continue. 

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NBA playoffs: Celtics vs Raptors highlights

While the Celtics stepped up their game, the Raptors' shooting was limited to 38.8% from the field. The Celtics performed both defensively and offensively, with Jaylen Brown scoring 27 points, never letting the team trail. Kemba Walker added 21 points, while Jayson Tatum recorded 18 points. Daniel Theis and Brad Wanamaker both scored 15 points, while Marcus Smart chipped in with 12. 

On the other hand, Fred VanVleet scored 18 points for the Raptors, while Norman Powell added 16 points. Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Matt Thomas scored 10 points each. The defending NBA champions made mistakes early in the game, turning over the ball five times within the first nine minutes. During the second quarter, the Raptors missed 13 back-to-back shots after the Celtics took a 60-32 lead. "Tonight our defence really set up our offence," Walker said during a postgame interview. Though the Raptors had a good third quarter, they couldn't overcome the 87-63 lead in the final period. Game 6 is scheduled for Wednesday, 6:30 pm EST (Thursday, 4:00 am IST) at the NBA bubble. 

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(Image credits: AP)