Payton Pritchard caught fire after the break, scoring 19 of his game-high 33 points in the third quarter to lift the short-handed Boston Celtics to a 112–96 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.
With Jaylen Brown sidelined because of illness, Boston leaned heavily on Pritchard, who shot 8 of 10 in the third period and finished 13 of 24 overall. He also handed out 10 assists, pulled down seven rebounds, and helped the Celtics secure their third straight win against Toronto.
Derrick White and Anfernee Simons added 15 points apiece, while Neemias Queta scored 14, Luka Garza chipped in 12, and Hugo Gonzalez finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Boston has now won seven of its last nine games.
Toronto was led by Sandro Mamukelashvili, who poured in a season-high 24 points, matching Brandon Ingram’s output. Scottie Barnes added 12, but the Raptors saw their brief two-game winning streak come to an end and have now dropped seven of their last 10.
The Raptors struggled from their backcourt, as Immanuel Quickley went 1 for 12 from the field for just three points, while Ochai Agbaji finished with six. Toronto launched a season-high 47 three-pointers, converting 16, but couldn’t keep pace with Boston’s efficiency.
Center Jakob Poeltl missed his second straight game for Toronto due to lower back soreness.
Up Next
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Celtics: Host Indiana on Monday night.
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Raptors: Visit Brooklyn on Sunday night.
