BOSTON – Kyrie Irving hit a foul-line fadeaway to give Boston the lead, then hit a 31-foot 3-pointer to finish with 27 points and lead the Celtics past the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors 117-108 on Wednesday night.
Returning after missing the last game with a bruised right leg, Irving had 10 points and six of his career-high 18 assists in the fourth quarter — including passes to set up Boston’s last three
baskets in a game-ending 17-4 run.
Al Horford scored 24 and Jayson Tatum had 16 points with 10 rebounds for Boston, which returned home after losing three straight on the road.
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Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and Serge Ibaka had 22 with 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who had won five in a row heading into the matchup of two teams that consider themselves the heir to LeBron James’ Cavaliers as the best team in the East.
Toronto led 104-100 after Leonard’s three-point play with 4:22 left before Boston scored 17 of the next 19 points. Tatum had a three-point play and then a 3-pointer to give Boston a 106-104 lead before Toronto tied it.
Irving then hit consecutive baskets, popping his jersey for the adoring crowd after connecting on the second from just a step or two inside the centre tipoff circle. He then went to the pass, assisting on Boston’s last three baskets of the game before Toronto’s last bucket ended it.
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