Boston needed a miracle on Wednesday night, but they got something even better: a giant. The Celtics erased a 22-point hole to beat Toronto 98-93, a win that felt less like a game and more like a statement. While Jayson Tatum sparked the rally, the real story is the massive impact of Neemias Queta. This victory proves the team can survive even when the stars struggle to find their rhythm early.
The Collapse That Never Happened
Things looked bleak midway through the second quarter when the Raptors held a 59-37 lead. No team should trail by that much against a division rival, yet Boston flipped the script in a blink. According to NBA.com, the Celtics stormed out of the gates with a 16-0 run in just two minutes and 30 seconds. Jayson Tatum ignited the fire by scoring the first 11 points of the surge all by himself. A flagrant foul by Collin Murray-Boyles on Tatum helped, but the energy shift was real.
Queta Changes Everything
The box score tells a simple truth about why Boston won. Neemias Queta posted a plus-27 rating, a number that screams dominance. Per NBA.com, the Celtics outscored Toronto by 27 points whenever Queta played on the floor. Without him, the team got outscored by 22. That swing of 49 points is the difference between a blowout loss and a clutch win. He grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and added three blocks and a steal to go with 11 points. The veteran big man was a force on both ends of the court when the game mattered most.
Clutch Execution Wins Games
When the clock wound down, Boston made the plays it needed to survive. For the night, Tatum topped all players in both points and assists, contributing seven clutch points late in the game. He hit the go-ahead free throw with 25 seconds left to seal the deal. Neemias Queta followed up with two more points from the charity stripe to put the game away. Sam Hauser then sealed the victory with a steal on Toronto’s next possession. This win shows the team has the depth to overcome early deficits. Boston established a new franchise record for a four-game road trip by finishing the sweep with a plus-86 scoring differential.
