BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum made a 3-pointer as time expired in overtime to give the Celtics a 126-123 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.
Tatum had 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the win. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 27 points.
Jakob Poeltl tossed in a career-high 35 points for Toronto, which fell to 0-8 in road games this season. Poeltl, who was 16 of 19 from the floor, also had 12 rebounds.
RJ Barrett added 25 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists for the Raptors, who have lost seven games in a row and 11 of their last 12. A Barrett layup tied the game with 55.1 seconds left in overtime before Tatum connected on the game-winning shot.
Boston’s Al Horford scored a season-high 18 points. The Celtics also received 18 points from Derrick White.
Toronto lost despite having a 76-42 edge in points in the paint.
The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday, who missed the game because of left knee tendinopathy. Before the game Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said he didn’t expect Holiday’s injury to linger. It was the first game Holiday has missed this season.
Boston used a 12-0 spurt to take a 14-4 lead, but the Raptors were within two points, 28-26, after 12 minutes. A Jamison Battle 3-pointer capped a 9-0 run that put Toronto in front 45-44 with 5:37 left in the second quarter, but the Celtics had a 56-54 halftime lead.
A 16-4 run gave the Raptors a 64-58 lead and Toronto led 68-61 after a Poeltl jumper with 8:05 left in the third. The Celtics moved in front 76-74 after an 11-2 run and Boston had an 86-85 lead entering the final quarter.
Toronto was up 114-112 following a Barrett basket with 59 seconds left, but Neemias Queta tied the game on a layup with 42.1 seconds to play. Neither team scored again in regulation.
–Field Level Media