Best moments from 2024-25 Raptors’ season #4: Raptors beat defending champion Celtics
This article is a part of a five-part series highlighting the best moments from the 2024-2025 Toronto Raptors season.
The Raptors had two games this season that were absolute battles against the defending champion Boston Celtics.
The first was a grueling overtime loss in Boston despite monster games from Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett. They combined for 60 points, 22 rebounds, and 15 assists, while Barrett notched the first triple-double of his career. Before the end of 2024, the Celtics responded by destroying the Raptors by 54 points. It was something of a low point of the season.
But two weeks later, the Raptors got their revenge.
The Celtics came out flat in Toronto on January 11th, 2025, and the undermanned Raptors took advantage. With no Immanuel Quickley, the Raptors took a lead early and never looked back, dominating with a wire-to-wire victory over Boston. After beating the Golden State Warriors, it would be their second win in a row, and the Raptors would string together wins in six of their next seven games.
All five starters scored in double figures, including Davion Mitchell, who subbed in for the injured Quickley, adding 10 points, five assists, two steals, and finishing a team-high +16. The Raptors were led by Barrett, who scored 22 points and nearly had a triple-double again, and Poeltl, who ended up winning the player-of-the-game award.
The Raptors’ bench combined for 31 points, lead by the bench-lineup of Chris Boucher, Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk.
Once again, Scottie Barnes was dominant defensively, taking on the Jayson Tatum assignment and limiting him to just 5-of-15 shooting on the night.
The Raptors celebrated hard after they won, with Barnes letting out a primal scream when the final buzzer sounded. After going 2-18 in their last 20 games, it was nice to see the team finally put together an impressive performance.
You can check out the full highlights of one of their most impressive wins of the season here.
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