The Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors in an overtime thriller. These teams came in on opposite ends of the standings, with the Celtics at 10-3 and the Raptors at 2-11, but the game was competitive the entire way, coming down to a Jayson Tatum buzzer-beater. The Celtics 126-123 win gives them an 11-3 record, while the Raptors fall to 2-12. Both teams dealt with injuries, as the Celtics were without All-Defensive Guard Jrue Holiday. Meanwhile, Toronto was missing Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and Bruce Brown.
A Close First Half
Without Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics ran the double big lineup once again, starting Neemias Queta. Boston built an early 10-point lead, but the Raptors did not lie down from there. RJ Barrett had a strong start with 6 first quarter points, while Ochai Agbaji scored 8. Toronto quickly trimmed a 14-4 deficit down to a one possession game. The Raptors are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA and rebounding has been an issue for Boston. Toward the end of the first quarter, Tatum began to heat up. Tatum scored 13 points in the quarter on 4-of-7 shooting. At the end of the first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 28-26.
In the second quarter, Jaylen Brown and Jakob Poeltl led the way for their teams. Brown was getting to the paint and the free throw line effectively, getting buckets inside. Poeltl, on the other hand, was taking advantage of a matchup on Queta and got many rebounds and hook shots over the Celtics center. He scored 16 points in the first half on 7-of-9 shooting. The Raptors pulled into the lead off a 9-0 run. The Celtics pulled back in front before the half, but the game stayed close throughout. It was an even second quarter, and at halftime, the Boston Celtics led 56-54. Tatum scored 16 in the half, while Brown had 11 and Derrick White had 10.
A Nail-Biting Finish
Toronto took the lead again in the third quarter and this time they held onto it. Poeltl continued to kill the Celtics with tough shots in the paint that Kornet and Queta could not stop. The Celtics eventually responded when Payton Pritchard got hot off the bench. Pritchard drilled a couple of threes to help Boston take back the lead on an 8-0 run. Other bench players contributed for Boston, with Sam Hauser and Jordan Walsh knocking down shots. The bench helped spark a Celtics run, but the game remained tight. Through three quarters, the Boston Celtics held an 86-85 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Raptors moved back in front. They were dominating in the paint and outrebounding the Celtics on both ends. Poeltl was the driving force, as he seemed to make every touch shot in the paint with helpless defense from Queta. The lead went back and forth as both teams traded baskets. A big and-one from Al Horford put the Celtics up by three with five minutes to play.
Horford then nailed a corner three a few possessions later, but an RJ Barrett three and a Poeltl free throw brought it back to a one-point game. A few possessions later, a Davion Mitchell and-one gave the Raptors a 110-109 lead with two minutes left. The game was then tied 114-114. The Boston Celtics got the last shot, but a Tatum miss sent the game to overtime.
Boston Celtics Win In Overtime
Both teams traded buckets in the overtime period until a Brown corner three gave Boston a two-point lead. Then, an RJ Barrett layup tied the game in the final minute. In the final possessions of overtime, a Barrett layup was blocked by Brown and Queta, giving Boston the final shot. The Celtics drew up a play where Tatum had the ball on the wing and looked to pass to Brown off a screen, but Brown was knocked down with no foul call. So, with the clock ticking, Tatum had to hoist up a three and he buried it. The Boston Celtics won at the buzzer, 126-123.
Final Thoughts
This win pushes the Boston Celtics record to 11-3. Tatum finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Brown scored 27. White and Horford each had 18 points. They did not play their best and probably should have won by more, but a win is a win. The Toronto Raptors drop to 2-12 despite excellent games from Poeltl and Barrett. Poeltl scored 35 on 16-of-19 shooting while Barrett had a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists.
