For the second consecutive year and the third in the last four seasons, the Celtics swept the season series over the Toronto Raptors with their 105-96 win on Monday night. Boston has not lost the season series to Toronto since the 2016-2017 campaign.
With the win, the Celtics advanced to 31-9. Their second-best 40-game start in the last 38 years, trailing just the 2007-2008 championship team, which went 33-7.
Like their win over Ime Udoka’s Rockets on Saturday night, the Celtics dominated the perimeter. Boston made 16 of their 39 three-pointers (41.0%), while the Raptors struggled, making just 4-of-32 (12.5%), marking their worst shooting performance this season and tying their season-low in makes.
Despite their abysmal three-point shooting, the Raptors were able to keep things close with their play in transition, scoring 30 fast break points, the most surrendered by the Celtics this season. The hosts shot 9-of-17 (52.9%) on the break, compared to just 29-of-78 (37.1%) in the halfcourt.
However, it wasn’t enough to overcome Boston’s balanced scoring attack.
For the second consecutive game and the 17th time this season, Boston’s entire starting finished with double-figures scoring.
RJ Barrett led the way for the hosts in the setback, finishing with 24 points, and Immanuel Quickley finished with 21.
Here are three takeaways from a quick pitstop in Toronto before the Celtics welcome Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs to TD Garden on Wednesday night.
Jayson Tatum takes over the third quarter
For much of the third quarter on Monday night, it seemed like another collapse was looming as the Raptors opened the frame on an 18-5 run, building their largest lead of the night at seven points. The Celtics were struggling, shooting 2-of-10 (20%) from the floor and committing three turnovers in the initial six minutes of the period.
Until a pivotal steal by Tatum turned the tide.
After a Derrick White turnover, Pascal Siakam had a fastbreak opportunity with Scottie Barnes and Quickley riding shotgun.
It was a three-on-one with Tatum, the lone defender back for the Celtics.
Siakam passed to Barnes at the free throw line, and Barnes looked to kick it back to Siakam, but Tatum poked it away – Tatum then kept the ball inbounds, leading to a Jrue Holiday floater on the other end.
That was just the beginning of Tatum’s third quarter takeover.
The All-NBA wing finished with nine points in the frame, with each of his makes coming in the restricted area – two of which were emphatic dunks.
Tatum scored or assisted on all five of Boston’s makes in the final six minutes of the frame, as Boston responded to the 18-5 Toronto run with an 18-2 run of their own.
Tatum scored or assisted on 71.4% of Boston’s make in the frame.
Tatum provided the spark, and suddenly, the Celtics were alive – holding Toronto scoreless the final 3:22 of the period, building a nine-point lead that they never relinquished.
With the turnaround, the Celtics outscored Toronto 23-20 in the third quarter, advancing to 21-1 on the season when they win or tie the third quarter.
Defense shuts down a red-hot Raptors offense
On the opening offensive possession of the game, Holiday blocked a 6-foot floater from Quickley. Although the Raptors retained control, Holiday stripped the ball away from Barnes, establishing the defensive tone for the rest of the night.
Toronto entered Monday night averaging 124.3 points per game since they acquired Barrett and Quickley in a trade from the Knicks. Over seven games, the Raptors posted a 122.3 offensive rating.
Boston held the sizzling new-look Raptors offense to just 96 points on 38-of-95 (40%) shooting and blocked nine shots – As the hosts checked out with a 93.9 offensive rating.
The Celtics limited Toronto to just one 30-point quarter and held them to 20 and 21 points in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. The hosts managed only 41 points in the entire second half.
Boston threw different looks at Toronto throughout the night – including a zone that threw off Toronto during Boston’s third quarter run.
“That’s something we’ve been working on, that we feel like can be helpful down the road,” Tatum said on the zone look postgame. “We f— it up sometimes, but just our communication -I think we’re always just talking, everybody has to be out there talking. It’s like, fun being in that defense because we’re still figuring it out ourselves.”
Monday night marked the sixth time the Celtics held their opponent under 100 points this season – and the second instance against Toronto.
Best backcourt duo in the league
As the Celtics clung to a narrow four-point lead with less than 90 seconds remaining in regulation, the Raptors sent a double-team at Tatum. Tatum alertly passed out of the double-team, finding Derrick White in the corner. With the shot clock winding down, White launched a corner three right in front of the Raptors’ bench.
Mirroring the shot from almost two months ago, White once again delivered the decisive shot, only this time, it came from the opposite corner.
The triple marked his 10th point of the fourth quarter and capped off a 22-point scoring night for the 29-year-old guard, who entered the game shooting 19-of-55 (34.5%) from the field and 9-of-28 (32.1%) from three over this last six games.
“For him to have the confidence and for his teammates to have the confidence in him to still hit him, he has to play that way,” Joe Mazzulla said postgame. “I thought him and Jrue did a great job tonight just making plays on both ends of the floor.”
With Jaylen Brown out due to a right knee hyperextension, the Celtics needed someone to step up — and Boston’s lethal duo of White and Holiday answered the call.
“The Stock Exchange” each scored a team-high 22 points, combining for 44 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The duo accounted for 18 of Boston’s 21 points (85.7%) in the fourth quarter.
While White emerged from his recent shooting slump, Holiday showcased one of his most impactful offensive performances of the season – as he gets increasingly more comfortable in his new role.
“Everybody forgets when Derrick first got here, the adjustment that it took for him, and Jrue is in that category now,” Mazzulla said on Holiday postgame. “He’s just learning how to affect the game differently, and you can see him getting more comfortable on both ends of the floor.”
Related
