BOSTON — The Celtics overwhelmed the Raptors 125-117 on Friday at TD Garden, playing a great offensive night in the win. The C’s improved to 24-13 with the victory while the Raptors dropped to 23-16.
The Celtics threatened to put together a blowout early against the shorthanded Raptors. But credit the visitors, they came to play and made 11 3-pointers in the first half. Toronto was without three starters Friday in Scottie Barnes (knee), Brandon Ingram (thumb) and Jakob Poeltl (back). RJ Barrett also limped to the locker room late in the game due to an injury.
The Celtics once again threatened for a blowout when they went up 20 points in the third quarter. But the Raptors cut it down to a five-point game in the fourth quarter by relentlessly going at the C’s. While offense came easy for Boston, the Raptors kept it at least somewhat uncomfortable for the C’s despite missing key guys.
Payton Pritchard had 27 points and eight assists to lead the Celtics. Jaylen Brown added 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Barrett had 19 points and seven assists before his departure. Immanuel Quickley also finished with 17 points and 13 assists.
The Celtics next face old friend Luke Kornet and the Spurs at 8 p.m. Saturday at TD Garden. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Toronto:
Offensive show: The Raptors had little answers for an efficient Celtics offense. The C’s made more than half of their 3-pointers in the first half, but their work inside the arc was also impressive. Boston finished 47-for-88 (53.4%) from the field and 14-for-28 (50%) on 3-pointers Friday. The buckets came easy for the Celtics, and while the Raptors kept it close at some points, they couldn’t keep up. It also helped Toronto was missing some key personnel as it came into Friday’s game with a stellar defense.
Wings update: Sam Hauser has continued to get the start, and he had a great showing from deep. He finished with 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting on 3-pointers. Hugo Gonzalez also firmly has a rotation spot, playing 19 minutes, finishing with five points and four rebounds. Jordan Walsh also played 12 minutes, though he didn’t have much of an impact Friday. Those three have been the main wing players in the rotation, plus Josh Minott has missed the past couple games with an ankle sprain.
Thinking about the deadline:Anfernee Simons continues to play the best basketball of his season — he’ll be a fascinating trade deadline decision for Boston. Simons scored 15 points in his 26 minutes off the bench with his tough shot-making fully on display. His defense has also surprised over the course of the season. While it looked like he would be a relatively easy deadline departure, he’s certainly making it an intentional choice for the Celtics.
Standings watch: The Celtics and Raptors entered Friday’s game separated by just one game in the East standings. But notably, the C’s have now won all three games between the division foes. That also means they’ve clinched the season series. The Celtics won both games in Toronto on Dec. 7 then Dec. 20. The last time the teams will face each other will be April 7 in Boston. Regardless, it’s important for the Celtics to beat the Raptors for standing purposes considering Toronto has had a solid season so far.