(Field Level Media) Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Jaylen Brown scored 20 of his 21 points in the second half and the Boston Celtics host downed the Toronto Raptors shorthand 132-125 on Thursday night.
Grant Williams added a season-high 17 points off the bench, and Kemba Walker scored 15 for the Celtics, who extended their winning streak to four.
Chris Boucher scored a career-high 30 points, Norman Powell 25 and Terence Davis 22 as the Raptors lost for the second straight night. Kyle Lowry had 14 points and a career-high 19 assists.
Toronto once again played without three starters – Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby – and retains Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw due to health and safety protocols. Head coach Nick Nurse and members of his staff were also unavailable.
Still, the Raptors were within three, 122-119, on a pair of Boucher free throws with 2:45 left. Back-to-back buckets from Tatum and Jeff Teague helped restore Celtic’s lead to eight, while Boston countered with trio from Stanley Johnson and Boucher down the stretch to secure the win.
Toronto shot 21-of-50 (42 percent) from 3-point range.
The Raptors started the third with four points ahead, but Brown brought the Celtics back by scoring all of the team’s points during a 9-3 run for an 80-77 advantage at 7:59. Boston extended its lead to double digits, 99-89, on a 3-Williams pointer and went into fourth up 101-92.
Brown’s 3-pointer with 7:32 remaining gave the Celts 114-103, and Boston went on as many as 12 before Toronto rushed off a 10-1 run to make it a one-possession game .
The Raptors’ biggest lead came 56-47 in the second quarter on a 3-Powell pointer. Three free throws and a 3-point lead by Walker helped the Celts get back quickly within one, but Boston stayed ahead until 48.5 seconds, 66-65, on Tatum’s dunk. Toronto closed the period on a 5-0 run for a 70-66 advantage at the break.
Powell accelerated all scorers with 21 points.
The Raptors led 34-31 after one.