On the last day of 2024, the Boston Celtics welcomed the Toronto Raptors to town for the second time this season. Toronto was down a few key players, and Boston was without Kristaps Porzingis. An ugly offensive start to the game dried up as play went on, but it was a rough day for scoring, regardless.
Though the Celtics didn’t have their most efficient outing, they found enough ways to score to stay an arm’s length away from the Raptors for most of the game. Toronto just didn’t have the firepower to compete on either end of the floor. In the end, Boston walked away with a ridiculous 125-71 victory.
Here are three studs and three duds from the Celtics’ win over the Raptors on Wednesday afternoon.
Stud - Jrue Holiday
In his first game back from a lingering shoulder injury, Jrue Holiday provided the Celtics with a perfect punch. His impact on both sides of the ball made a noticeable difference.
Though Holiday hasn’t been an amazing three-point shooter this season, he was more than effective in this one. He made some big-time threes for Boston, including a half-time buzzer-beater.
But Holiday’s impact on the defensive end was even more crucial. The Celtics have dealt with some inconsistencies on that end of the floor as of late, but Holiday was a perfect adhesive for them on Wednesday.
Holida’s presence alone made a massive impact for the Celtics in this game.
Dud - Al Horford
For the second straight game, Al Horford was absolutely ice-cold from beyond the three-point arc. He still gave the Celtics some solid defense and rebounding, but his shot has completely abandoned him.
In the first quarter alone, the Celtics found Horford behind the line for a bunch of open threes, but he just couldn’t convert.
Horford’s shooting is a huge part of Boston’s offense, and when he’s not hitting his open looks, they really feel the impact.
Stud - Derrick White
At this point, it’s a genuinely confusing decision when opposing players challenge Derrick White at the rim. He’s one of the best shot-blockers in the league, yet player still treat him like any other guard.
White notched some signature blocks in this game, including a widely-impressive feat of athleticism against Chris Boucher in transition.
But this was more than just a defensive master class for White. He was great on the offensive side of the ball, too.
White’s three-point shooting and self creation on drives gave the Celtics’ offense a nice boost, especially in the first half. He was all over the place on Wednesday night in the best way possible.
Dud - Raptors offense
Missing three of your five best players is always tough. But when those players are also the three best shot-creators and shot-makers on the team, it’s even worse. With no RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, or Gradey Dick, the Raptors struggled mightily.
For most of the first half, they couldn’t get anything going on offense, and their three-point shooting was ugly for almost the entire contest.
The last time they were in town, Barrett led the way, putting up career numbers. Without him, the Raptors turned to a bunch of guys not used to leading the charge, and it didn’t look great.
And defensively, while the Celtics offense wasn’t amazing, it wasn’t really a product of Toronto’s defense. Boston just missed a bunch of shots. But they were open.
Stud - Payton Pritchard
There are few players in the NBA this season who have improved as much as Payton Pritchard. But is it really an improvement if he was capable of this level of play all along? It’s all about the opportunity.
Pritchard’s shot-making in this game was nothing short of incredible. He was scoring in a bunch of different ways, each more ridiculous than the next.
There were the regular threes, the step-back threes, and the deep-range bombs. Any way Pritchard could create a three, he was doing it in this game.
But it was more than that. It was his ability to get inside and spawn plays for others. Sometimes the shots didn’t go down or he would earn a hockey assist, but Pritchard was making some great plays on offense.
Elite three-point shooting led the way for Pritchard in what was yet another impressive performance.
Dud - Raptors defense
Happy New Year. There weren’t enough duds in this game, so we’re effectively going to be choosing a fourth stud. Jayson Tatum really turned his night around in the third, and a big part of it was Toronto's defense. After an inefficient first half of basketball, Tatum was getting whatever he wanted in the third quarter.
He was getting to any spot on the floor and making a great play every time. Whether it was a bucket inside or a step-back three, Toronto couldn’t do anything to stop him.
But whether it was Tatum, Pritchard, or Sam Hauser, who really found his shooting stroke in this one, the Raptors’ defense was brutal to watch.
Everything the Celtics did worked, and it felt like the Raptors had no answers. This was a completely one-sided affair.