The Toronto Raptors defeated their division rival Boston Celtics Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre, 115-109.
Both teams shot the ball incredibly well in this one, as the Raptors hit 55.4 percent of their shots while the Celtics shot 50.6 percent, including 12 three-pointers on 26 attempts.
DeMar DeRozan led the way for Toronto, scoring 34 points on 25 attempts. DeRozan also went 8-for-9 from the free throw line and added six dimes to his totals.
Boston's balanced attack was led by point guard Isaiah Thomas. He poured in 21 points and dished out 10 assists for his club.
Jonas Valanciunas had a dominant game on the inside for the Raptors. Valanciunas didn't miss a single shot, going a perfect 9-for-9 from the field, and finished with 19 points to go with 12 rebounds.
Luis Scola added 18 points while Kyle Lowry and bench scorer Terrence Ross scored 14 points apiece. The three players went a combined 10-of-21 from deep. Lowry also did a great job of distributing the ball. He only tallied eight assists but he made a lot of nice plays that ultimately didn't end up on the score sheet.
Avery Bradley shot the ball well for Boston going 9-for-14 from the field for 19 points, while Canadian Kelly Olynyk added 18 of his own on 70 percent shooting. Jae Crowder did a little bit of everything and put up 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Former Raptor Amir Johnson was quiet in his return, scoring a mere two points and grabbing four rebounds in 24 minutes of action.
This back-and-forth matchup was a game of runs. The Raptors would find themselves up by as many as 13 in the first quarter where they shot 65.2 percent from the field.
Toronto led by eight after the first quarter, but the Celtics went on a big run in the second outscoring the Raptors by 14. They would take a 62-56 edge heading into the break.
In the third quarter momentum switched hands once again, as the Raptors would outscore the Celtics 40-to-28; good for their highest scoring quarter of the year. 18 of DeRozan's 34 came in the third helping the Raptors regain the lead, 96-90, heading into the fourth.
In the final 12 minutes, both offenses would come back down to Earth as both teams would score just 19 points in the final frame. Lowry and Ross nailed two threes late to stretch the lead almost out of reach. A DeRozan jumper and two Lowry free throws would solidify this win for Toronto.
The Raptors will try to extend their win streak to seven on Friday as they continue their seven-game homestand which will feature the Miami Heat. The Celtics will head back home Friday to try and get back on track against the Chicago Bulls.