Celtics Beat Raptors 98-93 as Tatum Seals Comeback

The Boston Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 98-93 on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, coming back from 22 points down to take a game the Raptors controlled for most of three quarters. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and his two free throws with 25 seconds left put the Celtics ahead for good.

Toronto runs out early

Toronto set the pace from the start. The Raptors won the first quarter 38-29 behind outside shooting from Ja'Kobe Walter and Allen Graves, and their lead reached 22 points at 59-37 midway through the second quarter. Walter finished with 17 points and five three-pointers, and Graves added 13 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Boston answered with a 16-0 run in the second quarter and cut the gap to 61-54 by halftime. The Celtics then took the third quarter 21-19 as Tatum and Derrick White settled the offense, and Toronto carried an 80-75 lead into the fourth.

The fourth quarter turns

Boston won the last quarter 23-13. Toronto scored only 13 points in the period, and the game tightened into a possession-by-possession finish with 12 lead changes recorded on the night.

RJ Barrett put Toronto back in front twice in the last two minutes, first with a floating jump shot for 91-90 and then with a running dunk for 93-90 with 1:14 left. Neemias Queta answered with a dunk at 0:54 to cut it to one. Tatum then went to the line at 0:25 and made both free throws for 94-93, and Queta added two more free throws at 0:15 to stretch the lead to three. Boston closed out the 98-93 win from there.

White scored 19 points with seven assists for Boston. Queta finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds, and Payton Pritchard added 14 points. Barrett had 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Toronto, and Immanuel Quickley scored 11.

Why it matters

Road wins built on defense travel well in the standings. Boston gave up 38 points in the first quarter and 13 in the fourth, and that swing decided the game. Toronto will look at the same numbers from the other side: a 22-point lead at home became a loss because the offense stalled late, with the Raptors held to 19 points in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth.

Key numbers

Final score: Celtics 98, Raptors 93. Quarter scores: Toronto 38-29, Toronto 23-25, Boston 21-19, Boston 23-13. Largest lead: Toronto by 22. Tatum: 24 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 10 of 12 at the free throw line. Walter: 17 points and five three-pointers for Toronto.