Celtics Wrap: Boston Flips Switch In Second Half, Defeats Raptors

The Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors, 117-94, at TD Garden on Saturday night.

With the win, the Celtics improved to 7-2 while the Raptors dropped to 4-5.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Boston hit the gas at the right time to bury any chance of Toronto’s hard-working cast from climbing back.

After holding a measly 55-46 lead at halftime over a Raptors offense that entered the night ranked 23rd in scoring (90.1 points), the Celtics reminded Toronto of who they are — running away victoriously.

The once single-digit lead quickly erupted to double-digits and the Celtics never looked back. Efficiency outperformed grit as the Raptors couldn’t conceal their substandard 38.5% shooting from the field combined with a starting lineup in which all players finished with a negative plus-minus.

SIR. pic.twitter.com/Qsn4UQMh2a

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 12, 2023

Jaylen Brown followed up on his redemption night on Friday, leading all scorers with 29 points.

Perhaps the most critical component of Boston’s winning formula was the source of scoring that fueled its 5-0 start to the season: inside scoring. The Celtics crushed the Raptors in a 60-42 thrashing inside the paint, making up for Boston’s modest 15-of-44 shooting from beyond the arc.

The Celtics are a win shy of a clean 3-0 homestand sweep.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Brown took over with a 29-point showing. The two-time All-Star shot 12-of-20 from the field along with five rebounds and two assists.

— Jayson Tatum followed with 27 points, finishing as a game-leading plus-42, grabbing five rebounds and four assists.

— Toronto’s Pascal Siakam led the Raptors with 17 points and seven rebounds, which wasn’t nearly enough to compete in crunch time.

WAGER WATCH
FanDuel Sportsbook set the odds of Brown scoring over 25 points at +175. The 27-year-old cleared those odds as one of three Celtics to score over 20 points. A $100 wager placed on Brown would’ve resulted in a $275 total payout.

UP NEXT
The Celtics will next host the New York Knicks on Monday night, looking to notch a third consecutive victory. Tip-off from TD Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.