Boston snaps Toronto’s five-game winning streak
There really is an edge to the Raptors-Celtics dance that’s been going on for a couple of years now.
Not a hatred, yet, but a sense of healthy dislike tempered by a measure of respect and the rivalry — and the fans of both teams — should eventually deserve the intensity of a playoff series in the spring.
Until then, though, it’s four meetings in the run of a regular season and they always seem to be gritty and tough and close. The latest instalment in the rivalry was another gem, a 117-108 Boston victory here Wednesday in a wonderful game of back and forth.
Kyrie Irving’s three-pointer with about 90 seconds left ignited a 10-0 Boston run that allowed the Celtics to snap a three-game losing streak and end Toronto’s five-game winning stretch.
Irving finished with 27 points and 17 assists, while Kawhi Leonard had 33 points for Toronto. The Raptors led by as many as 11 in the first half, the Celtics by as many as 16 in the second, as the teams took turns dominating the game.
The win gives Boston a 2-1 lead in the season series. A sevengame series in May would be more enjoyable.
Benched: It was the famine part of the feast-or-famine existence of the Raptors bench. They were mainly responsible for coughing up a double-digit first-quarter lead, and were outscored 34-10 in the first half when Boston took an 11-point halftime advantage. Boston’s Gordon Hayward had 16 firsthalf points; Toronto’s entire bench had 10.
Back to normal: The Celtics got some ailing players back as they fight through a spell of injuries. Kyrie Irving returned after missing a Sunday game with a thigh injury, Aron Baynes played for the first time in four weeks after suffering a broken finger and Marcus Smart played after being sick for Sunday’s game. Raptors coach Nick Nurse was not interested in any chatter about what might be going on with the Celtics, who’d been slumping. “I don’t really put as much stock (in what others say about) their recent road trip or their chemistry issues or whatever everybody’s talking about,” Nurse said Wednesday morning. “There’s a lot of dangerous guys out there.” This and that: Toronto was once again without C.J. Miles, who is being bothered by a bad hip … Patrick McCaw, signed by the Raptors last week, has not played in three games for which he’s been eligible … Leonard has now scored 20 or more points in 20 consecutive games. The franchise record is 23, by Vince Carter. Up next: After the 8 p.m. start Wednesday, a back-to-back comes up quickly as the Raptors host the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at Scotiabank Arena.