The Celtics didn’t exactly start this one with fresh legs, and the opening minutes showed it. Boston looked like a team on the back end of a grind, while Toronto came out firing from deep and quickly pushed the game into uncomfortable territory. The Raptors built a nine-point cushion, stretched it all the way to 22, and had Boston staring at a rough night before the Celtics finally settled in and turned the whole thing around for a 98-93 win.
What changed the game was the stretch before halftime. Boston ripped off a 16-0 run, won the quarter by two, and cut the deficit to seven at the break.
That surge grew to 21-2, which briefly put the Celtics in front, though Toronto answered late enough to carry a five-point edge into the fourth. The Raptors pushed it back to six, but Boston closed with a 15-4 finish to complete the comeback.
Jayson Tatum was at the center of it all. He finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and 12 trips to the line.
He also did the kind of work that doesn’t always jump off the page but keeps a team from spiraling when things get messy. Early on, even as the Celtics fell behind by 22, there was no panic.
Later, when Boston needed a response, Tatum delivered with a big shot, found Neemias Queta for another bucket, and got himself to the stripe.
Derrick White was every bit as important. His line - 19 points, seven assists, and four blocks - tells part of the story, but the real value was how often he showed up in the middle of winning plays. One blocked shot in the second quarter helped spark the comeback, and that sequence turned into one of the biggest swings of the night.
That stretch included the Tatum four-point play, a flagrant foul, and a Baylor Scheierman three-pointer that helped flip the energy in the building. Going from down 22 to winning the quarter was more than just a good run; it was a full reset for Boston.
The Celtics also got a strong night from Queta, who finished at plus-27. He wasn’t as effective during a late stretch when Toronto was trimming the lead, but he came through defensively down the stretch and helped close the game at the free throw line.
Scheierman gave Boston real minutes, too. He played 29 minutes, hit 3 of 5 from three, grabbed seven rebounds, handed out three assists, and added two steals and a block. Sam Hauser was also excellent, finishing with nine rebounds and sealing it with a steal on an inbounds pass with 14 seconds left.
Boston’s shooting wasn’t pretty. The Celtics hit 41.1% overall and 35% from three, which fits the kind of night this was: long trip, tired legs, and a game that had to be won with resilience more than rhythm.
The Raptors, meanwhile, were scorching early and then went ice-cold. Toronto shot 16-for-43 from deep overall, but the split tells the story better: 12-for-20 to start, then 4-for-23 the rest of the way.
The defense started to take over before halftime, too. Toronto didn’t commit its first turnover until 3:21 remained in the second quarter. Boston turned three turnovers into nine points by halftime, then added 10 more points off 12 Raptors turnovers in the second half.
White’s second-quarter block was one of the turning points, but Boston’s discipline on the other end mattered as well. The Celtics gave up 12 offensive rebounds and 18 fast-break points, so they didn’t exactly control the game in the areas they wanted. Toronto was only 4-for-15 on second-chance attempts, though, and Boston still finished plus-4 in second-chance points.
One other note from the night: the Celtics continue to be sharp when it comes to challenges. The source of the trust is clear - Joe Mazzulla has leaned on his players before going back to Matt Reynolds, who is normally in charge of okaying challenges - and Boston has been getting those calls right.
There were also a few individual details that mattered in the flow of the game. Jamal Shead was 0-for-4 from three, and Boston did a good job of living with those looks rather than overreacting. Hugo Gonzalez played 8:25, while Luka Garza started but logged only 10:55 as Mazzulla moved away from the double-big look.
In Other News...
Former Raptor Gary Trent Jr. Is Suddenly At Center Of NBA Scrutiny
Gary Trent Jr. has found himself back in the spotlight for reasons that go well beyond his play on the floor. The former Raptors wing, now with the Milwaukee Bucks, is reportedly at the center of an NBA investigation into whether his four-year contract was used in a way that could amount to salary cap circumvention, a development that has put the deal under a microscope across the league.
For Toronto fans who watched Trent during his time with the Raptors, the scrutiny adds another strange chapter to a career that has already taken an unusual turn. The reported questions around the contract have only grown louder because of his declining performance and the way the deal progressed, and if the league determines something improper happened, the Bucks could be looking at serious penalties, including draft pick forfeitures and suspensions. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors May Have Found A Cheap Frontcourt Upgrade Worth Watching
Kyle Filipowski has started to look like the kind of frontcourt swing piece the Raptors tend to keep an eye on when theyre hunting for value. The Jazz big man has seen his playing time climb lately, and the appeal is obvious for Toronto: a young, affordable player with enough skill to potentially fit into a roster that is still sorting out its long-term shape up front.
For the Raptors, the attraction goes beyond just adding another body to the rotation. Filipowskis contract status makes him a realistic name to monitor, and his blend of size and versatility gives Toronto a possible cheap upgrade without having to chase a splashier move. The question now is whether Utah would actually entertain the kind of trade package Toronto could put together, and how far the Raptors would be willing to go to make the deal happen. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Weigh A Blockbuster Frontcourt Move As Kawhi Plans Return
Kawhi Leonard has finished treatment for the left knee swelling that had kept him on the shelf and is now beginning the return-to-play process with the Raptors, a welcome development for a team that has been waiting to see what its full frontcourt picture might look like. His progress comes at a time when Toronto is also being linked to a much larger roster idea, one that would reshape the middle of the lineup rather than simply tweak it.
Domantas Sabonis has emerged as a name to watch after recently changing agents, and the Raptors have expressed interest in the Sacramento Kings big man as they look for ways to strengthen the roster. No deal has been announced, but the possibility alone gives Toronto a lot to sort through, especially with Leonard working his way back and the front office weighing whether to stay patient or chase a bigger swing. [Read more 🡒]