Raptors get even with win over Celtics

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Pascal Siakam had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Kyle Lowry added 22 points and 11 boards and the Toronto Raptors evened the Eastern Conference semifinal at two games apiece, beating the Boston Celtics 100-93 on Saturday.

Two days after winning Game 3 on OG Anunoby's 3-pointer as time expired, the Raptors didn't need any big shots. Instead they just put together long stretches of stops, shutting down most of Boston's perimeter shooters and Jaylen Brown in particular.

Serge Ibaka had 18 points off the bench on 7 of 9 shooting and Fred VanVleet finished with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics. They won their first six postseason games before dropping the last two. Kemba Walker had 15 points and eight assists.

The Celtics were 7-for-35 (20%) from 3-point range. Brown missed his first nine attempts behind the arc and finished 2-for-11, and 4-for-18 overall. Tatum, Walker and Marcus Smart were all 1-for-6 on 3-pointers.

The Raptors got their own shooting untracked late in the third quarter to open the first sizable lead by either team and Boston couldn't hit nearly enough shots to put much of a dent in it.

The Celtics were a half-second from taking a 3-0 lead, from which no NBA team has recovered, after Daniel Theis' basket gave them a two-point lead Thursday. But Anunoby's 3 got the defending NBA champions, who overcame a 2-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference finals, on the way to what they hope will be a similar recovery.

Coach Nick Nurse assumed the Raptors would quickly refocus after the euphoria of that victory, recalling how well they played on short rest after Kawhi Leonard's series-winning shot to beat Philadelphia in Game 7 of the second round before falling in Game 1 at Milwaukee.