Jayson Tatum scored 24 points as the Boston Celtics overcame a 22-point deficit to defeat the Toronto Raptors 98-93 on Wednesday.
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Jayson Tatum scored 24 points as the Boston Celtics rallied to a 98-93 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
Tatum added eight assists and seven rebounds for Boston, which improved to 10-2 and earned its fifth straight win after erasing a 22-point deficit.
Derrick White contributed 19 points and seven assists for the Celtics.
Toronto’s Ja'Kobe Walter had 17 points, including five three-pointers, as the Raptors opened with a nine-point first-quarter lead. RJ Barrett, of Mississauga, Ont., finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Toronto.
The Raptors fell to 5-6 and dipped below .500 for the first time this season.
All-stars Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard were unavailable for Toronto. Barnes missed his third game with a strained left groin, while Leonard was not in the building as he recovers from swelling in his left knee.
Boston out-rebounded Toronto 45-42 and scored 12 second-chance points, while Toronto had eight.
The Celtics held the Raptors to 32 points in the second half, and Tatum had five of his points in the fourth quarter.
Toronto’s early stretch helped it build separation, as the Raptors reeled off a 16-3 run in the first for a 19-point lead, the Celtics’ largest deficit this season.
Boston responded with a 17-2 run in the second to cut Toronto’s lead to 61-54 at intermission.
A key stat from the opener: Toronto made 10 three-pointers in the first quarter, tying a franchise record.
From the floor, the Raptors went 16 for 43 (37 per cent) from three-point range against the Celtics.
Next, Toronto visits the Philadelphia 76ers (9-3) on Thursday, while Boston hosts the Dallas Mavericks (7-4) on Sunday.
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