Boston Celtics (53-25) beat Toronto Raptors (43-35) 115-101 at home on Sunday, April 5.
The game, quarter by quarter
The teams matched each other with 26 points apiece in the first quarter, leaving it level at 26. The Celtics moved in front with a 28-20 second quarter, carrying a 8-point lead into halftime.
The Raptors won the third 31-26 to stay in front, taking a 3-point lead into the fourth. The Celtics took the fourth 35-24; the Celtics finished the job for a 115-101 regulation win.
What decided it
The Celtics grabbed 32.4% of their own misses, while the Raptors recovered 15.8%. The Celtics got more from their shots, finishing at 58% effective field-goal shooting compared with 52.4% for the Raptors. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 100 possessions per team, the Celtics produced 115.6 points per 100 possessions to 101.5 for the Raptors.
The Raptors' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 33-21.
Who made the difference
Neemias Queta was the game's biggest individual force for BOS: 18 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk on 9-10 shooting. His Game Score of 22 led everyone. His team was +30 with him on the floor.
Jayson Tatum (23 pts, 13 reb, 7 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Celtics about a 81% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Boston Celtics lead 6-1.
The Celtics are now 53-25, and the Raptors are 43-35. The Celtics last five before this game: W-W-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.