Celtics finish 2024 with bang, destroy Raptors 125-71

After a disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Celtics ended the calendar yr with a matchup in opposition to the Toronto Raptors. Boston responded by blowing out Toronto 125-71, their greatest win of the season.

The Celtics completed with six gamers in double digits led by Jayson Tatum who dropped 23 factors and eight rebounds on 6-13 taking pictures (4-9 from three). Payton Pritchard scored 19 factors off the bench and Derrick White completed with 16 factors and 4 blocks. Boston lit up the Raptors for 22 threes within the 54-point win, their second greatest win in franchise historical past.

The Celtics began the sport chilly, lacking their first 8 photographs till Jaylen Brown received their first factors with a layup on the 7:35 mark of the primary quarter. Whereas Toronto had simply as dangerous of a begin, Boston discovered their groove, occurring an 8-0 run courtesy of Derrick White and Jrue Vacation.

Boston offense run continued to roll, as they completed the primary quarter on a 21-6 run to open up a 23-12 lead on Toronto. Derrick White was enormous as he dropped 10 factors on 4-5 taking pictures (2-2 from three) together with a buzzer beating floater. White additionally recorded his four-hundredth profession block, one in every of his two within the quarter. The Celtics protection was elite, holding Toronto to 5-23 taking pictures and 0-12 from three.

The beginning of the second quarter was very like the tip of the primary for each groups with the Celtics offense continued to dominate and the Raptors couldn’t hit water in the event that they fell out of a ship in the midst of the ocean.

After lacking their first 14 threes, the Raptors hit two again to again as Dorchester native Bruce Brown was in a position to assist Toronto get again within the recreation. Payton Pritchard answered this run with a 33-foot three from Worcester as he completed the primary half with 12 factors on 4-7 taking pictures from past the arc.

Boston’s protection continued to stifle Toronto as a Jrue Vacation three on the buzzer gave the Celtics a 45-35 lead at halftime.

Derrick White received his third block of the half within the second quarter as he continued to cleared the path for the Celtics. After permitting 66 factors within the paint in opposition to Indiana, Boston solely allowed 10 within the first half to Toronto. White and Pritchard’s 24 factors mixed for over half of Boston’s factors within the half. The Celtics as complete didn’t have an excellent taking pictures half nonetheless, going 18-48 (37.5%) from the sector 8-25 (32%) from past the arc.

The Celtics and the Raptors mixed 80 factors within the first half is tied for the bottom scoring half in the complete NBA this season.

After a quiet first half, Jayson Tatum got here out firing as he scored the primary 8 factors in a row for the Celtics to begin the second half. Tatum’s sizzling begin was contagious for the remainder of the crew as Boston went on a 10-3 run and opened up a 17 level lead over Toronto. This run was punctuated with the grave digger catching one other physique as Jaylen Brown put Ochai Agbaji within the weight room.

The Celtics continued to mop the ground with the Raptors because it felt like each shot Boston put up went it they usually led 90-53 to finish the third quarter. The Celtics had 45 factors at halftime on this recreation and had 45 factors within the third quarter alone. Jayson Tatum led the third quarter explosion with 18 factors on 4-6 taking pictures (4-5 from three) and an absurd 99.1% true taking pictures.

Boston as an entire utterly flipped the change when it got here to taking pictures on this quarter, going 14-19 (73.7%) and 10-12 (83.3%) from three. The Celtics 10 threes within the third quarter is tied for essentially the most threes in 1 / 4 in any NBA recreation this season.

The fourth quarter was rubbish time for the Celtics however the sizzling taking pictures continued, as Boston opened up a 54 level lead on Toronto. Jordan Walsh placed on a present with a profession excessive 10 factors on 4-6 taking pictures (1-1 from three) within the fourth quarter. The Celtics held the Raptors to solely 36 factors within the second half as Boston ran away with this recreation with a last rating of 125-71.

The Celtics subsequent recreation of 2025 is on January 2nd at 7:30 pm as Boston begins a four-game west coast street journey in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves.