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NBA news: Jayson Tatum leads Celtics to 98-93 win over Raptors

Boston erased a 22-point deficit to beat Toronto and complete a 4-0 road trip.

By , Sports writer

· 2 min read

Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum (file photo) Photo: All-Pro Reels / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Boston Celtics overcame a 22-point deficit to defeat the Toronto Raptors 98-93 in Toronto on Wednesday, completing a 4-0 road trip. Jayson Tatum had 24 points, seven rebounds and eight assists as Boston extended its winning streak to five games.

Key takeaways

  • Boston Celtics beat Toronto Raptors 98-93 in Toronto
  • Celtics erased a 22-point deficit and completed a 4-0 road trip
  • Jayson Tatum scored 24 points with seven rebounds and eight assists
  • Boston won its fifth straight game to improve to 10-2

Jayson Tatum helped the Boston Celtics erase a 22-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 98-93 in Toronto on Wednesday, wrapping up a 4-0 road trip and extending Boston’s winning streak to five games. The Celtics trailed 59-37 in the second quarter before mounting their comeback.

Comeback and fourth-quarter finish

The Raptors opened the scoring surge, taking their first lead midway through the first quarter and building a 22-point advantage at 59-37. Boston answered with a 29-10 run to retake the lead at 66-65 midway through the third quarter.

Toronto regrouped and led 80-75 entering the fourth, then held a 93-90 edge with 1:14 remaining before being outscored 8-0 over the final stretch. Tatum converted his first field goal of the second half with 1:55 left to put Boston ahead 90-89.

RJ Barrett answered with a runner and a dunk off a steal to give Toronto a three-point lead, but the Raptors did not score again and were held to 32 points in the second half.

After a Neemias Queta dunk, Jamal Shead missed an open jump shot at the top of the key. 2 seconds left.

Following a timeout, Barrett’s contested layup missed, and Queta grabbed the rebound with 17 seconds remaining before hitting both free throws to make it a three-point game.

Sam Hauser then stole the ensuing inbound pass and converted both free throws off an intentional foul to seal the five-point victory.

Player performances and absences

Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, though he shot just 6 of 21 from the field. Derrick White added 19 points.

Paul George sat out for Boston due to illness after scoring 36 points in Tuesday’s 123-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Raptors were without All-Star forwards Kawhi Leonard, who was dealing with a knee issue, and Scottie Barnes, who was sidelined with a groin injury.

Records, competition and what comes next

The victory improved Boston to 10-2 and dropped Toronto to 5-6. The game was part of an NBA regular-season road back-to-back for the Celtics, who swept the four-game trip. Boston now has three days off before returning home to TD Garden to face the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

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