The Boston Celtics erased a 22-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 98-93 at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night, completing a perfect 4-0 road trip and stretching their winning streak to five games. The Raptors surrendered the largest home lead in franchise history, according to Sportsnet Stats, after leading 59-37 midway through the second quarter.
Toronto could not have started much hotter. The Raptors shot 10-of-18 from three-point range in the first quarter and led 38-29 after one, then pushed the advantage to 22 points. But Boston, playing the second night of a back-to-back, steadily climbed out of the hole with a 29-10 run that put the Celtics ahead 66-65 midway through the third, and the visitors held Toronto to 19 points in the third quarter and just 13 in the fourth.
Tatum delivers down the stretch
Jayson Tatum paced the winners with 24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and he made the game’s decisive play with 25 seconds left, driving to the basket and drawing a shooting foul with Boston down one, then sinking both free throws to put the Celtics up 94-93. Sam Hauser then stole the ensuing inbound pass and made both of his free throws off the intentional foul to seal the five-point victory. Derrick White added 19 points and seven assists, while Neemias Queta was huge late with 11 points, 13 rebounds and a game-winning block.
Toronto still had a chance to finish the job, leading 93-90 with just over a minute remaining, but the Raptors could not score again as Boston reeled off the final eight points. Ja’Kobe Walter led Toronto with 17 points and Allen Graves added 13, but the home side’s shooting faded badly after the first quarter, going 6-of-25 from deep over the final three quarters.
Short-handed on both sides
Both teams were missing key players. Boston was without Paul George, ruled out with an illness a night after he scored 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting in a 123-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Toronto was without its two best players once again, with Scottie Barnes missing a third straight game with a groin strain and Kawhi Leonard out for a ninth straight game with swelling in his left knee — he has not played since October 23. The loss dropped the Raptors to 5-6, below .500 for the first time this season, while the Celtics improved to 10-2 and first place in the Eastern Conference. Boston now has three days off before hosting Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. George dropped 36 as the Celtics toppled the 76ers for the East lead, and the Knicks routed the Bucks 117-85 as Towns extended his double-double run.
