The Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to six games, defeating the Toronto Raptors 111-101 on February 25, 2025, at the Scotiabank Arena. Jaylen Brown was pivotal for the Celtics, scoring 24 points, followed closely by Derrick White with 22 and Payton Pritchard contributing 20 points.
Jayson Tatum also played admirably, scoring 19 points and dishing out 11 assists, marking his fourth game of the season with at least double-digit assists. The Celtics improved their road record to 24-6, showcasing their resilience throughout the season.
Despite the win, the Raptors faced their seventh defeat out of nine games, struggling particularly with their three-point shooting. RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 22 points and eight rebounds, with Scottie Barnes adding 21 points and six assists.
“I thought our guys played extremely hard,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, emphasizing their competitive spirit against one of the NBA’s top teams.
The Celtics, already missing notable players such as Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, faced another setback before the game when Kristaps Porzingis was scratched due to illness. Torrey Craig received his first start with Boston and stepped up amid these challenges.
While the Celtics managed to secure the win, the Raptors provided stiff competition, coming within seven points late in the fourth quarter following strong performances from Barrett and Barnes, both of whom demonstrated significant potential this season.
One of the key moments unfolded when the Raptors trimmed Boston's 17-point lead down to just seven points with Jamal Shead’s basket, proving their fight was far from over. Boston answered the challenge with Tatum scoring and White hitting his sixth three-pointer, pushing the lead back to double digits.
A glaring statistic for the Raptors was their three-point shooting. They finished the night with just five successful attempts from beyond the arc out of 33 tries, marking 15.2% efficiency. This was their lowest output of made three-pointers this season, significantly impacting their scoring strategy. For comparison, the Celtics shot poorly as well, making only 15 out of their 51 attempts (29.4%).
Payton Pritchard's performance was particularly noted, as he shined off the bench, providing the Celtics with the necessary spark to overcome missing star players. With Pritchard’s efforts, Boston's bench outscored Toronto's with considerable contributions across the roster.
The Raptors had glimpses of excellence, especially when they briefly took the lead during the second quarter, showing they can play competitively against elite teams. Their ability to shoot inside the paint was commendable, achieving 74% shooting from two-point range compared to their outside struggles.
“You can see the guys are even more locked in than usual,” Rajakovic mentioned prior to the game, highlighting the motivation his team felt going up against the defending champions. Despite the loss, this feeling of readiness was evident as his players dived after loose balls and fought for every possession.
The Celtics' continued success not only reinforces their position within the league but also prepares them nicely for the upcoming back-to-back games against the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers. Boston’s depth was tested, and their performance showed they have the talent to maintain their winning ways even with several key players unavailable.
Looking forward, the Raptors will need to address their three-point shooting woes if they hope to turn their season around, as they head to Indiana next. Keeping their spirits high amid their struggles will be key, as every game counts toward not only individual development but team cohesion as the season progresses.
The season matchup between the Celtics and Raptors concluded with Boston sweeping the series 4-0, highlighting the Celtics' dominance. For Toronto, the competitive spirit they exhibited against the reigning champions could be pivotal for future games, serving as motivation as they navigate the rest of the season.