Boston pulled out a gritty 98-93 road win against the Toronto Raptors last night, and it wasn’t pretty. It went right down to the wire at Scotiabank Arena, with Neemias Queta delivering the game-winning block late in the contest to seal a tense victory. Queta was absolutely huge, racking up 11 points and 13 rebounds, proving to be the difference-maker when it mattered most.
Raptors Came Out Firing, Literally
The Celtics, playing the second night of a back-to-back, found themselves in a hole early against a hobbled Raptors squad. Toronto, missing Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard, started Jamal Shead, RJ Barrett, Ja’Kobe Walter, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Jakob Poeltl, but they didn’t play like a team missing stars. They exploded with an impressive shooting display right from the jump, going 3-8 on three-pointers in just the first four minutes. The Raptors forced three early turnovers and held a 14-13 lead after six minutes. Their stunning three-point barrage was the story of the first quarter, matching a franchise record with zero turnovers and sinking 10 of 18 from deep. Boston trailed by nine, 29-38, heading into the second quarter.
Celtics Dig Deep Without George
With Paul George resting after a tremendous performance against his former team in Philadelphia, Boston needed someone to step up and fill the scoring void. Head coach Joe Mazzulla went with a double-big lineup to start, featuring Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Jayson Tatum, Luka Garza, and Neemias Queta. White got the Celtics on the board with an early three-pointer, and Queta quickly followed with a triple of his own, with Jayson Tatum credited for two early assists. Tatum, who played the entire first quarter as he has for most of the season, orchestrated the action with 9 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds in that opening frame. Garza and Queta each chipped in 5 points, and Payton Pritchard added 4 off the bench. Despite Tatum’s early efforts, when he sat to start the second, Toronto outscored the C’s 8-3, forcing a Mazzulla timeout before things got completely out of hand. Boston only managed six points during Tatum’s time off the floor.
That’s the kind of resilience you want to see though, right? When the shots aren’t falling, and you’re down on the road, against a team that’s letting it fly. Tatum still finished with 24 points and 8 assists, and with Queta’s massive late-game impact, including that clutch block, Boston managed to hang on. The Celtics now boast 10 wins and counting, moving clear at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. They’re proving they can win ugly and find contributions from unexpected places, which is exactly what you need for a deep run.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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