The Toronto Raptors played the Celtics tough in the team's previous three meetings, but such was not the case tonight, as the Celtics assumed control early and cruised to a 122-102 victory.
- The Celtics closed the first quarter on a 17-5 run as they assumed a 34-22 edge heading into the second frame. From there, the Celtics extended their lead to 22 (67-45) at halftime. The 67 points was a season-high for most points in a half.
- The Raptors threatened late in the third and early in the fourth, cutting the lead down to 12 at one point, but the Celtics responded each time, and in the blink of an eye they had a 115-91 cushion built up with 3:28 left in the game.
- Luke Harangody, ladies and gentlemen. The rookie forward posted a career-high 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds - his first career double-double. His jump shot was falling and he converted inside off of some nice feeds from his teammates. He scored 11 of his 17 in the first half. He also made some quality plays on defense, such as rotating back towards the hoop and swatting an Ed Davis shot attempt late in the third frame.
- Ray Allen continued his hot shooting, knocking down six of eight baskets and finishing with 17 points. Paul Pierce added 20 points of his own on 6-10 shooting while adding five rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
- Shaquille O'Neal was once again a force inside, scoring 12 points and pulling down six rebounds. He hauled in his first offensive rebounds since December 22. He and Rondo had a good vibe working tonight, as they connected on a small collection of alley-oops.
- Nate Robinson added 15 points off the bench, and appeared to be benefiting from Marquis Daniels running the show for the second unit. Robinson served as more of a scorer tonight, and it appeared to pay off. Speaking of Daniels (happy 30th birthday, by the way), he notched a steady six points and four assists off the bench.
- Perhaps most importantly, all the starters played less than 30 minutes, with the exception being Glen Davis who played 33. We'll take it.
- Limiting the minutes was key tonight, as the Celtics will play their 8th game in 12 nights tomorrow night against the Chicago Bulls. Also, if you didn't see it, Kevin Garnett could be back next week - possibly as early as Monday.