Celtics send the Raptors to extinction with 122-100 blowout win

The Boston Celtics made a statement with their tight defense by choking the defending champion Toronto Raptors in a 122-100 win. Boston came out right from the jump with swarming defense, and Toronto’s offense never found a way to make it work. The third quarter Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Fred VanVleet led the Raptors with . . . just 13 points and 4 assists.

Boston came out strong in the first quarter, and thankfully, they sustained their defensive effort. After earning minutes with a career-best game against the Nets, Robert Williams was the first big off the bench, and he contributed really solid minutes. Daniel Theis was also really solid, sparking a run for the Celtics before halftime.

But that’s not why you’re here. You’re here to rush to the comments to talk about how the Celtics just absolutely annihilated the defending champions. I’m not going to waste your time here. It boils down to this: the good guys were really good, and the bad guys were really bad.

Positives for Boston:

• The defense was wildly successful at pretty much everything
• The offense was wildly successful at pretty much everything
• Robert Williams (TimeLord) contributed in real minutes
• The Celtics went up by as much as 40
• The Raptors were taking this game seriously until Boston blew the doors off
• Kyle Lowry and Marcus Smart exchanged a wholesome hug after the final buzzer. This isn’t really a positive, but it was wholesome

Here are some highlights:

Kemba Walker (17 points) felt no remorse:

Jayson Tatum (18 points, 7 rebounds) quite literally toyed with Toronto’s defense:

So, yeah. Fun night.

The Boston Celtics when fully healthy can beat anyone. They have literally beaten every good team. Although they likely will not catch Toronto for the second seed, this is a statement win for the Celtics against a team that they will likely face in the second round.

The Boston Celtics (3-2 in the bubble) take the floor against the Orlando Magic on Sunday at 5PM on League Pass and NBC Sports Boston.