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.
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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