The primary Celtics-Raptors matchup of the season was an extra time thriller selected a last-second 3-pointer.
Spherical 2 was the polar reverse.
Boston manhandled a rebuilding and shorthanded Toronto squad Tuesday at TD Backyard, successful 125-71 to shut out 2024 on a optimistic observe.
The 54-point margin of victory was the biggest ever in a Celtics house sport and second-largest in franchise historical past, trailing solely a 56-point waxing at Chicago on Dec. 8, 2018. It additionally was a palate-cleanser for Boston after an inconsistent December that included losses in four of its previous six games.
Joe Mazzulla’s membership now will head out West for the primary time this season, kicking off a four-game street journey Thursday night time in Minnesota.
Jayson Tatum scored 18 of his 23 factors throughout an overwhelming third quarter for the Celtics, who outscored the Raptors 45-18 within the body after holding a 10-point lead at halftime. Derrick White scored an environment friendly 16 factors within the sport (6-for-8 capturing, 3-for-3 from 3-point vary) and blocked 4 pictures, and Jrue Vacation (14 factors) went 4-for-5 from three and swiped three steals after lacking three video games with a shoulder harm.
Mazzulla stated getting Vacation “again wholesome was big-time,” although the veteran guard admitted his harm hadn’t utterly healed and “in all probability” will linger.
“I simply assume he brings stability, particularly defensively,” Mazzulla stated. “It’s one other man that may strain the ball, it’s one other man that would guard completely different positions, it’s one other man that would execute defensively in numerous methods. After which he didn’t get a ton of seems to be, however he made those that he acquired. So I feel his impression in his presence means extra to us than he in all probability realizes.”
Payton Pritchard delivered one other standout efficiency off the bench, ending with 19 factors (5-for-8 from three), six rebounds, 4 assists and three steals. Mazzulla sat his starters after the third quarter and pulled prime reserves Pritchard and Sam Hauser (12 factors, 4-for-7 from three) shortly thereafter.
Jaylen Brown (12 factors, 9 rebounds, three assists, one steal) sported a big ice pack on his proper shoulder late within the sport after showing to tweak it earlier. The Celtics performed with out beginning middle Kristaps Porzingis, who sat out his third straight sport with a sprained ankle.
Toronto’s 71 factors scored had been the fewest by a Celtics opponent since 2013.
Although the Celtics made 50% of their 3-pointers within the win, their capturing was frigid to begin the sport: 0-for-8 from the ground, 0-for-6 from three and nil factors within the first 4:25, with Brown lastly breaking that drought with a driving layup.
However as a result of the Raptors, who’ve misplaced 11 straight, are one of many NBA’s weakest groups and had been taking part in with out two of their prime three main scorers (RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick), in addition they made only one basket throughout that span. As soon as Boston discovered its stroke, it surged forward, scoring on 5 straight possessions, together with 4 made threes.
White hit two of these triples as a part of a 10-point first quarter that additionally featured one steal and two blocks, the second of which loudly denied Chris Boucher on the rim. White capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating floater that put Boston forward 23-12.
Pritchard additionally made two first-quarter 3-pointers and two extra within the second, together with a 32-foot lengthy ball over Davion Mitchell. After a three-game stretch by which he shot 15.8% from past the arc, the NBA Sixth Man of the 12 months favourite is 14-for-26 (53.8%) over his final three contests.
“I feel the protection (helped),” Pritchard stated. “(When) we’re taking part in lively like that, getting steals and operating out, it simply permits simpler pictures. However not like taking part in a half-court-style ball. I really feel just like the circulate is simply simpler, particularly whenever you’re getting up and down. The ball is simply popping. You’re going to play higher. You’re going to shoot higher.”
After lacking their first 14 threes of the sport, the Raptors transformed 5 of their subsequent seven, stopping the Celtics from including to their lead throughout an erratic second quarter.
Boston seemingly prioritized inside protection towards Toronto huge man Jakob Poeltl, who put up 35 and 12 within the groups’ first assembly of the season. Poeltl tried only one shot within the first half, although he was in a position to snag 10 rebounds towards a Celtics group that was down its top frontcourt player in Porzingis.
The Celtics’ guards shot the ball successfully within the first half — White, Vacation and Pritchard had been a mixed 8-for-12 from deep — however the remainder of their roster tried 13 threes and missed all of them. Tatum scored simply 5 first-half factors for the second straight sport. The Celtics, who got here in averaging 119.5 factors per sport (fourth-most within the NBA), had been almost 20 factors off that tempo at halftime.
But Boston nonetheless led by double digits, 45-35, after an 80-point first half that was tied for the lowest-scoring in any NBA sport this season. The Celtics then pulled away throughout a dominant third quarter, throughout which they doubled their scoring output and ballooned their lead from 10 factors to 37.
Tatum snapped his chilly spell by hitting back-to-back threes within the first two minutes after halftime. He scored 18 within the body, as many as Toronto totaled as a group. The Celtics went 10-for-12 from three, poured in 45 factors after which yanked their starters initially of the fourth quarter, up 90-53.
What modified? One easy truth, in response to Mazzulla: “Pictures had been getting into.”
Boston’s onslaught continued as soon as the backups entered. The Celtics outscored the Raptors 35-18 within the fourth and acquired some high quality minutes from Jordan Walsh, who went 4-for-6 from the ground and 1-for-2 from three in his second encouraging outing of the week. Neemias Queta blocked two pictures within the fourth quarter, and Jaden Springer threw down a rim-rattling dunk with 2:55 remaining.
The Celtics now will start a frightening January schedule headlined by 9 street video games towards Western Convention opponents, together with the groups ranked first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth within the West standings as of Tuesday.
“It’s going to be a troublesome month,” stated Vacation, who beat the first-half buzzer with one in all his 4 3-pointers towards Toronto. “I feel many of the month we’re gone. We’ve been house lots, which is sweet for this December, however to begin the New 12 months, we wish to begin it off with a terrific street journey and actually get again to type.”
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