Jaylen Brown threw down a dunk against Collin Murray-Boyles in the Celtics' win over the Raptors at TD Garden.
Jaylen Brown threw down a dunk against Collin Murray-Boyles in the Celtics' win over the Raptors at TD Garden.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
After the Celtics lost to the Nuggets on Wednesday night, star forward Jaylen Brown was puzzled by the fact that he had attempted 23 2-point shots and just three free throws. He questioned the lack of consistency of officiating and said in future games he might have to adjust his style of play based on what is being called each night.
The Celtics, of course, would prefer Brown always be his hard-charging, aggressive self. And on Friday night, at least, he remained dedicated to that approach.
Brown drew a shooting foul on Boston’s first possession and tied his season high with 12 made free throws. And as the Raptors were clawing back from a 20-point second-half deficit, he had two critical finishes at the rim that helped Boston regroup and secure a 125-117 win.
Brown finished with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Payton Pritchard had 27 points to lead Boston. The Celtics shot 53.4 percent from the field and made 14 of 28 3-pointers.
They were once again facing a team with a decimated roster, however. The Raptors were missing three starters: Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl. RJ Barrett had 19 points to lead the Raptors, whose backups still tested the Celtics for most of the night.
Toronto sliced a 20-point third-quarter deficit to 97-86 by the start of the fourth, and their push did not end there. An Immanuel Quickley floater with 10:18 left made it 99-93, and the teams mostly traded baskets over the next few minutes.
But with the Celtics leading, 110-103, Brown shredded through the lane and threw down a loud one-handed dunk over Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, perhaps getting away with an offensive foul or two along the way.
Less than a minute later, Brown broke free on a fast break and converted a layup as he was fouled, stretching the lead back to 115-106.
With Brown facing frequent double-teams, Sam Hauser was an early beneficiary. He took advantage of the extra slice of daylight and hit his first three 3-point attempts, helping Boston grab an early 22-13 lead. The Celtics made eight of their first nine shots.
After Boston extended its lead to 12, Jamal Shead came off the bench and provided a spark for Toronto, with back-to-back 3-pointers bringing the Raptors within 35-30 and helping slow the Celtics’ transition attack.
Rookie Hugo Gonzalez countered that with his own burst of energy off the bench, however. Gonzalez had a powerful chase-down block in the first quarter and added a pair of tough finishes at the rim early in the second.
Still, Toronto lingered and took its first lead, 47-46, on an RJ Barrett 3-pointer with 6:39 remaining. The Celtics’ response was swift, and Anfernee Simons was at the center of it. He hit a 3-pointer and a layup during a 7-0 burst, and soon after, his consecutive 3-pointers pushed the Celtics’ lead back to 66-58.
In the first half, Boston shot 61.4 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from the 3-point line.
The Raptors needed just 45 seconds to slice the deficit to 68-63 at the start of the third quarter, but for much of the night the Celtics pushed back modest Raptors surges before they could become massive ones.
In this case, Boston needed a little more than a minute to unspool a 10-0 run that put it back in control. With Brown continuing to draw extra attention, Pritchard stepped in as the primary scorer and tallied 12 points in the period. His midrange jumper gave the Celtics a 93-73 lead, their largest.
But the Raptors did enough to stay within reach, using an 11-2 flurry to pull within 97-86 by the start of the fourth.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.