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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Finding out how the Toronto Raptors defeated the Boston Celtics 100-93 in Game 4 on Saturday was easy.
Just look at the three-point shot.
Toronto outscored Boston 51-21 on 3s, with the Raptors going 17 of 44 (38.6%) and the Celtics 7 of 35 (20%).
From Boston up 2-0 to now tied 2-2, the series has become a best of 3 in the Eastern Conference semifinals between two talented, well-trained and tough-playing teams. Game 5 is Monday (6:30 pm ET, TNT).
All-Star Kyle Lowry made two free throws putting the Raptors ahead 98-87 with 2:20 remaining in the fourth, and Boston didn’t have enough time to complete a comeback.
Toronto didn’t throw the ball well overall from the field, but it had enough firepower from deep.
Fred VanVleet (17 points) scored five triples, Serge Ibaka (18 points) made four triples, Lowry (22 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists) hit four triples and OG Anunoby, the hero of Game 3, made two triples and had 11 points.
All-Star Pascal Siakam was the 3-point outlier for the Raptors, making just 2 of 13, but finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Jaylen Brown missed his first nine 3-point attempts for Boston, and Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker were 5-for-29 from outside the arc.
Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Toronto coach Nick Nurse wasn’t sure the Raptors would figure anything out in the second half of Game 3 against Boston on Thursday.
“You’re supposed to figure things out while playing a team over and over again. Naturally, that happens in a series,” Nurse said before Game 4. “More importantly, we’re just playing better … We haven’t had much yet. that’s where we come out of a game and say, “It was good. It was good. It was good. It was good “until the end. But we hope to get there. It seems like we’re making it.
Nurse may not be completely satisfied with the performance, but the Raptors were good enough.
Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.
