Celtics end 2024 with bang, destroy Raptors 125-71

After a disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Celtics ended the calendar year with a matchup against the Toronto Raptors. Boston responded by blowing out Toronto 125-71, their biggest win of the season.

The Celtics finished with six players in double digits led by Jayson Tatum who dropped 23 points and 8 rebounds on 6-13 shooting (4-9 from three). Payton Pritchard scored 19 points off the bench and Derrick White finished with 16 points and 4 blocks. Boston lit up the Raptors for 22 threes in the 54-point win, their second biggest win in franchise history.

The 54-point final spread was the 2nd largest in Celtic franchise history and largest ever at home.

Boston scored more in the 2nd half (80) than Toronto did in the game (71).

— Dick Lipe (@DickLipe) December 31, 2024

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

The Celtics started the game cold, missing their first 8 shots until Jaylen Brown got their first points with a layup at the 7:35 mark of the first quarter. While Toronto had just as bad of a start, Boston found their groove, going on an 8-0 run courtesy of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.

Boston offense run continued to roll, as they finished the first quarter on a 21-6 run to open up a 23-12 lead on Toronto. Derrick White was huge as he dropped 10 points on 4-5 shooting (2-2 from three) including a buzzer beating floater. White also recorded his 400th career block, one of his two in the quarter. The Celtics defense was elite, holding Toronto to 5-23 shooting and 0-12 from three.

The start of the second quarter was much like the end of the first for both teams with the Celtics offense continued to dominate and the Raptors couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat in the middle of the ocean.

After missing their first 14 threes, the Raptors hit two back to back as Dorchester native Bruce Brown was able to help Toronto get back in the game. Payton Pritchard answered this run with a 33-foot three from Worcester as he finished the first half with 12 points on 4-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

Boston’s defense continued to stifle Toronto as a Jrue Holiday three at the buzzer gave the Celtics a 45-35 lead at halftime.

Derrick White got his 3rd block of the half in the second quarter as he continued to lead the way for the Celtics. After allowing 66 points in the paint against Indiana, Boston only allowed 10 in the first half to Toronto. White and Pritchard’s 24 points combined for over half of Boston’s points in the half. The Celtics as whole did not have a great shooting half however, going 18-48 (37.5%) from the field 8-25 (32%) from beyond the arc.

The Celtics and the Raptors combined 80 points in the first half is tied for the lowest scoring half in the entire NBA this season.

With 80 combined points, that was tied for the lowest scoring first half in the NBA this season.

— Dick Lipe (@DickLipe) December 31, 2024

After a quiet first half, Jayson Tatum came out firing as he scored the first 8 points in a row for the Celtics to start the second half. Tatum’s hot start was contagious for the rest of the team as Boston went on a 10-3 run and opened up a 17 point lead over Toronto. This run was punctuated with the grave digger catching another body as Jaylen Brown put Ochai Agbaji in the weight room.

The Celtics continued to mop the floor with the Raptors as it felt like every shot Boston put up went it and they led 90-53 to end the third quarter. The Celtics had 45 points at halftime in this game and had 45 points in the third quarter alone. Jayson Tatum led the third quarter explosion with 18 points on 4-6 shooting (4-5 from three) and an absurd 99.1% true shooting.

Boston as a whole completely flipped the switch when it came to shooting in this quarter, going 14-19 (73.7%) and 10-12 (83.3%) from three. The Celtics 10 threes in the third quarter is tied for the most threes in a quarter in any NBA game this season.

The fourth quarter was garbage time for the Celtics but the hot shooting continued, as Boston opened up a 54 point lead on Toronto. Jordan Walsh put on a show with a career high 10 points on 4-6 shooting (1-1 from three) in the fourth quarter. The Celtics held the Raptors to only 36 points in the second half as Boston ran away with this game with a final score of 125-71.