Jaylen Brown tossed in a game-high 26 points and Jayson Tatum added 23 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 115-101 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Boston (53-25) has won its last nine home games against Toronto (43-35). The Raptors haven’t won in Boston since 2021. Boston has won 21 of its last 24 regular-season games against Toronto overall.
The Celtics received 18 points and seven rebounds from Neemias Queta, 17 points from Payton Pritchard and 10 from Derrick White.
Boston’s Nikola Vucevic played in a game for the first time since he fractured his right ring finger March 6 and had four points and four rebounds. Vucevic, who began the season with Chicago before he was traded to Boston, averaged 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in 12 games with the Celtics before the injury.
Ja’Kobe Walker led Toronto with 16 points. Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett each scored 15.
Toronto trailed 10-2 early, but closed the first quarter on an 11-4 spurt. It was tied 26-26 after the opening 12 minutes.
The Raptors used a 10-0 run to take a 38-30 lead with 8:43 remaining in the second quarter, but the Celtics tied the game 40-40 on a Queta dunk with 3:44 left in the half. Boston had a 54-46 halftime lead after Brown’s late floater.
Two Ingram free throws tied the game 75-75 with 2:27 left in the third quarter, but Boston took an 80-77 advantage entering the fourth.
Boston was up 89-79 following two Tatum free throws with 10:10 to play. It was the first double-digit lead for either team.
The Raptors drew within 98-91, but Queta’s putback dunk and White’s triple gave Boston firm control. The Celtics led by 18 — their largest lead of the game — with 2:20 to play. (Reuters)
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