Jayson Tatum hit a 3-pointer as time ran out in overtime to give the Boston Celtics a 126-123 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.
Tatum finished the game with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 27 points.
Jakob Poeltl had a career-high 35 points for Toronto, who are still winless on the road this season with an 0-8 record. Poeltl made 16 of 19 shots from the field and also grabbed 12 rebounds.
RJ Barrett added 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists for the Raptors, who have now lost seven games in a row and 11 of their last 12. Barrett tied the game with a layup with 55.1 seconds left in overtime, but Tatum’s game-winning 3-pointer secured the victory for the Celtics.
Boston’s Al Horford scored a season-high 18 points, and Derrick White also contributed 18 points in the win. Toronto had the advantage in points in the paint, leading 76-42, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.
The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday, who missed the game because of left knee tendinopathy. Before the game, coach Joe Mazzulla said he didn’t expect Holiday’s injury to be a long-term issue. This was the first game Holiday has missed this season.
Boston started strong with a 12-0 run to take a 14-4 lead, but the Raptors quickly closed the gap and were only two points behind, 28-26, at the end of the first quarter.
Toronto went on a 9-0 run later in the second quarter, and Jamison Battle’s 3-pointer gave them a 45-44 lead with 5:37 remaining in the half. However, the Celtics took a 56-54 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, a 16-4 run gave Toronto a 64-58 lead, and Poeltl’s jumper put them up 68-61 with 8:05 left. But Boston responded with an 11-2 run to take a 76-74 lead, and the Celtics were up 86-85 going into the fourth quarter.
With 59 seconds left in the game, Toronto led 114-112 after a basket from Barrett. However, Neemias Queta tied the game with a layup with 42.1 seconds remaining. Neither team scored again in regulation, sending the game into overtime.
