Raptors pick up their best win of the season against Celtics

That one felt good. It’s so good that Scottie Barnes screamed so hard at the end of the game that he cost himself a turnover.

It didn’t matter. The Raptors just beat the defending champion Boston Celtics handily.

This was basically a wire-to-wire win for the Raptors, who started the game on a 15-5 run and kept the Celtics at bay with a combination of excellent defense (mixed with some opponent shooting luck) and an elite offensive game that included 35 assists on 45 made shots.

All five Raptors starters scored in double digits, including Davion Mitchell, who started in place of Immanuel Quickley for a second-straight game, dealing with a groin strain. Mitchell was a team-best plus-16.

Scottie Barnes had another great game from the mid-range area, scoring 18 points on 50% shooting and dishing out nine assists while anchoring the Raptors defensively.

RJ Barrett nearly had a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists on an efficient 56% shooting from the field.

Jakob Poeltl won the player of the game chain from Darko Rajakovic’s post-game, and rightfully so, playing excellent defense, putting up 16 points and 11 rebounds while not missing a single shot.

Gradey Dick had another bounce-back game with 12 points and four assists.

The Raptors bench scored 35 points, with Jamal Shead, Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and Chris Boucher all putting up positive games.

After he hurt his finger, Ochai Agbaji had to leave the game before halftime. It was later reported that Agbaji needed three stitches on his finger, which ruled him out for the rest of the game.

If you’d like a more analytical breakdown of tonight’s game, including a great breakdown of Scottie Barnes’s mid-range game and why Gradey Dick looks better, check out my full video below on the Raptors Republic’s YouTube channel and subscribe for more videos like it.

Enjoy!

The post Raptors pick up their best win of the season against Celtics first appeared on Raptors Republic.