Celtics-Raptors takeaways: Griffin plays big role in hard-fought win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The resilient Boston Celtics shook off an early rut to earn an impressive road win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.
Turnovers and foul trouble resulted in Boston trailing by six heading into the second half. Whatever C's coach Joe Mazzulla told his team in the locker room, it resonated. The C's outscored Toronto by 20 points in the third quarter and held on in the fourth to escape with a 116-110 victory.
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Jayson Tatum (31 points, 12 rebounds) led the charge while Marcus Smart (18 points, seven assists) helped the Celtics regain the lead in the third quarter. Jaylen Brown (22 points, eight assists, eight rebounds) did a little bit of everything to propel his team to another hard-fought road win.
Pascal Siakam (29 points, eight rebounds, seven assists) starred for the Raptors in a losing effort. Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. added 21 and 20 points, respectively.
Here are our takeaways from the Celtics' win, which brings them to a league-best 20-5 on the season. Next up is a meeting with the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
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Blake Griffin excelling as a spot starter
The last time we saw Griffin on the court, he turned back the clock with a one-handed alley-oop dunk vs. the Charlotte Hornets. The veteran big man notched nine points and four rebounds as a spot starter replacing Al Horford on the second night of a back-to-back.
Griffin replaced Horford in the starting lineup again on Monday night and, just like he did against Charlotte, he showed he has something left in the tank. He took flight with a violent one-handed jam late in the second quarter.
The highlight-worthy play wasn't the only thing Griffin brought to the table. In fact, he played a major role in the Celtics securing their second consecutive victory.
Griffin was a monster on the glass with eight rebounds, including three offensive boards. His hustle was a difference-maker on both ends.
He finished with 13 points (5-6 FG), including the dagger with 26.8 seconds remaining in the final frame.