The Boston Celtics put together a fourth-quarter run which paved the way to victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday with a 109-97 verdict at Scotiabank Arena.
Boston snapped a two-game losing skid with the win and improved to 11-10 on the campaign. The C’s now have won four of the last six. The Raptors fell to 9-12 on the season.
You can check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Celtics may have got back in the win column, but Jayson Tatum, the lone multi-time All-Star on the roster, struggled from the field. Tatum finished 2-for-16 from the floor and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc for eight points. It was his first game in single digits this season and the worst single-game shooting performance. Tatum has been up-and-down this season, and his struggles have been highlighted throughout the recent stretch. He is 15-for-55 including 4-for-21 from long range during the last three games.
It’s worth noting, though, that Tatum did come away with 10 assists, which was a team high and new season high, and seven rebounds. He was plus-13 in the game. He was getting teammates involved as Toronto defenders focused on him, which was a positive sign during an otherwise underwhelming performance.
Still, the Celtics will need more from Tatum from a scoring perspective.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Al Horford recorded his eighth double-double of the season (18 games). Horford finished with 17 points on 5-for-9 from the field with 11 rebounds and two assists.
— Grant Williams had another productive night with 15 points on 4-for-7 from the field including a trio of 3-pointers. He also did the little things well like setting screens, and impacting the games in more ways than just scoring.
— Fred VanVleet led all scorers with 27 points on 8-for-16 shooting for the Raptors.
WAGER WATCH
Horford had a propositional bet with total points, rebounds and assists set over/under 22.5 (-115), according to DraftKings Sportsbook. He exceeded that rather easy with 30 entering the fourth quarter, which is what he finished with, as well.
UP NEXT
The Celtics return to TD Garden on Wednesday to host the Philadelphia 76ers.
