It's amazing to think that the Boston Celtics won a playoff series in the month of September, but despite it being six years, everyone remembers 2020 was a different time. Just like every Celtics fan who remembers the epic playoff series between them and the Toronto Raptors.
Many will remember the 2009 Chicago Bulls first-round series or the 2008 Cleveland Cavaliers second-round series, but we remember the Raptors series for its highs and lows that came from it.
That all culminated in an epic Game 7 that the Celtics barely squeaked by, which basically ended what was left of the Kyle Lowry era in Toronto.
6 years ago today: Jayson Tatum led the Celtics to a Game 7 victory over the Toronto Raptors to advance to the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals
— SleeperCeltics (@SleeperCeltics) September 11, 2026
Tatum led all players in points (29), rebounds (12), and assists (7) in a slugfest game as the C's held on for a 92-87 win pic.twitter.com/vs2xdTDALO
It was a big enough deal that the team's official YouTube account released a video of the team celebrating the dub.
There's nothing to be ashamed of in winning a Game 7, especially against a division rival. Winning this game helped form the legacy the Jays left in Boston as a duo.
It's just a shame what happened next.
Boston was running on fumes vs. Miami
Toronto was a worthy foe, as they made Boston earn that victory. What made it painful was the unfortunate OG Anunoby 3 that shifted the series' momentum. No, I won't share it here, but I will share what would have been (and should have been) the game-winning dunk by Daniel Theis, assisted by Kemba Walker.
Kemba Walker finds Daniel Theis for the jam with 0.5 seconds left on the clock pic.twitter.com/tk38gtmBqW
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) September 4, 2020
Typically, when a team goes up 3-0, it's wraps on the series, as it's pretty deflating to lose in that fashion. But, Anunoby had different ideas.
Boston overcame it, but it was clear from that Miami series that they were running out of gas. Many remember the start of the Celtics-Heat rivalry of this decade beginning the bubble. What made that series was frustrating was how often Boston would go up only for Miami to keep coming back.
Yes, the Celtics had some excuses, like Walker's knee clearly being a problem and Gordon Hayward coming back while still hurt from his ankle injury. Truth be told, when a team keeps blowing games they should have won, how much do injuries really account when it could simply be the team just couldn't keep it up for 48 minutes.
As much as that Raptors series gets celebrated - it may be one of the two playoff series Boston won in September - that Heat series gets remembered for its infamy. Boston learned from this experience, as young teams on the rise do, but it was such a missed opportunity.
Luckily the Celtics got over the hump, but it's a painful memory.
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