BOSTON — The Celtics waited until the finish to make it feel inevitable. Boston erupted for 35 fourth-quarter points and slammed the door on the Raptors, 115-101, Sunday night at TD Garden, turning a competitive three-quarter game into a statement close in the 2025-26 stretch run.
With Boston entering at 53-25 and Toronto at 43-35, this had the shape of a playoff-level test — and for most of the night it played that way. Then the Celtics hit the accelerator in the final 12 minutes and Toronto never found the counter.
How the game swung
The opening quarter was dead even: 26-26. Boston created separation in the second, winning the period 28-20 to take a 54-46 lead into halftime. Toronto responded with its best punch after the break, outscoring Boston 31-26 in the third to trim the margin to 80-77.
That three-point gap was the hinge. Boston answered with its cleanest, most forceful stretch of the night in the fourth, outscoring Toronto 35-24 to turn a one-possession game into a 14-point final.
Fourth-quarter execution: Boston’s closing identity
Boston’s 35-point fourth wasn’t just a scoring spike — it was control. The Celtics took a game that had been seesawing and dictated the terms late, building on the earlier second-quarter separation and refusing to let Toronto’s third-quarter surge carry into crunch time.
That’s the kind of finishing gear that matters in April, especially with Boston riding strong form (WWWLW) into the final week of the regular season.
Ball movement vs. finish: the key contrast
Toronto actually won the playmaking battle on the stat sheet, piling up 31 assists to Boston’s 25. The Raptors moved the ball and generated looks, particularly during that third-quarter push.
But the decisive difference showed up on the scoreboard when the game tightened: Boston owned the final quarter. In a matchup where both teams had stretches of rhythm, the Celtics were the side that converted late-game possessions into points and separation.
What it means going forward
For Boston, the win is another marker of late-season stability — not just winning, but winning with a closing punch. At 53-25, the Celtics continue to stack results and reinforce the kind of fourth-quarter profile that travels into the postseason.
For Toronto, now 43-35 with recent form trending uneven (LWLLW), the encouraging piece is that the offense could manufacture quality looks consistently enough to produce 31 assists. The problem is the finish: a strong third quarter earned them a chance, but the fourth quarter got away fast — and against top-end opponents, that margin for error disappears.