The Raptors rebound to beat the Celtics 119-118

The Celtics' final preseason game saw them travel north to Toronto for the second game of a home-and-home series against the Raptors. Boston fans were excited to see Al Horford return to action, and as he had done throughout the preseason, head coach Joe Mazzulla once again added variety by lining up Payton Pritchard and Derrick White alongside Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Horford in the backfield.

Toronto started the game super hot. Scottie Barnes made 4 triples, Grady Dick was perfect with 3 of 3, while Davion Mitchell, Jamal Shead and Agbaji each contributed a chip. Dick and Barnes had a solid performance throughout the quarter and pushed the pace when Boston was on their heels in the first quarter.

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For Boston, Jaylen Brown's midfield game started early for the C's as he hit 4 of 7, good for 11 points in the first quarter. Jayson Tatum, who didn't play much in the quarter (6 minutes), came back into the game with 3 minutes left and immediately delivered a highlight reel play by dropping a hammer on his former teammate Bruno Fernando. The Celtics' nine-game winning streak appeared to be in jeopardy early on when Toronto took a 46-27 lead after one quarter.

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With Sam Hauser and Jrue Holiday wearing street clothes for this contest, Mazzulla once again relied on Jordan Walsh to continue his good preseason form. He was joined by Jayson Tatum, who, along with a double cast of Tillman and Kornet, began to orchestrate things perfectly. Payton Pritchard rounded out the second unit. Payton Pritchard hit three quick three-pointers early in the second quarter as Boston went on a lightning-quick 10-point run to truly get back into the contest.

Midway through the second period, Toronto had only put up 6 points on the scoresheet, while Boston had 19 points at the start of the quarter. In Toronto, turnovers started to creep in as things got very sloppy and they started to dictate the tempo defensively. The Raptors' sharp shooting began to dry up and they didn't make a single three-pointer in the entire second quarter and were 0-for-8 from distance.

Getting the ball inside was crucial for Boston as they took the lead late in the quarter after a strong post-and-1 play from Brown. Boston completely reversed the 3-point shot, ending the quarter with a Tatum triple and a 67-66 halftime lead in front of a sparse Scotiabank Arena.

Jacob Poeltl's solid start to the third round put Boston under pressure again as he hit a tip dunk, a jumper and a layup to keep the Raptors on their toes and build a 6-point lead early in the third. Dick continued to impress for Toronto and pushed for a starting spot under coach Darko Rajakovic. For Boston, Derrick White remained steady throughout the third period and began to influence the game on both sides with three blocks and four three-pointers. Tatum worked both inside and out and finished the quarter with a total of 21 points. Although his shot appears to have improved, Jayson finished the quarter with 4-12 from 3-pointers, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Brown scored 19 points on the night on 7-9 free throws, while Pritchard scored his own 15 points on 5-8 from three to finish the quarter trailing 86-97.

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To my surprise, Mazzulla kept both Tatum and White in the game early in the fourth quarter as the Celtics ramped up their preparations for their home opener against New York a week from now. Boston rebounded vigorously to start the quarter, draining back-to-back three-pointers from Derrick White and Jayson Tatum as the team got back to within the 5-point mark. But with the score at 103-98, Mazzulla cleared the bench and brought the deeper rotation into play. Players from the starting lineup without Payton Pritchard took part in the contest.

The final 5 minutes were dedicated entirely to G-Leaguers and two-way players, and boy was it entertaining. A JD Davison three-pointer off the dribble made it a four-point game and pulled the Celtics close. The struggling Celtics roared back into the game as Walsh plowed past two Raptors and tied the game at 115 points apiece with 48 seconds left. Raptors junior guard DJ Carton added two free throws after being fouled on a failed dunk attempt. JD Davison's massive 5-minute stretch continued just one play later, going three times to take the lead with 25 seconds left for a score of 118-117. DJ Carton then missed two free throws to retake the lead. Boston had one last chance to win, but Jordan Walsh rallied late to finish, but was denied at the top and the Raptors prevailed 119-118.

Next, Boston hosts New York at home to raise the 18 banner and hand out championship rings next Tuesday at TD Garden.