Why Tatum, Celtics had extra motivation in win over Raptors

Why Tatum, Celtics had extra motivation in win over Raptors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics got their revenge north of the border Tuesday night against the Toronto Raptors.

They bounced back from a brutal Jan. 15 loss to the Raptors with a 111-101 win over their Eastern Conference foe. With their sixth consecutive victory, they won their season series vs. Toronto, 3-1.

That may not seem significant. After all, the Raptors have an 18-40 record and are 13th in the East standings. However, this win meant a little more to the reigning champions.

“We wanted this one,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum told reporters after Tuesday’s triumph. “Last time, they celebrated and (expletive) when they beat us, that’s to be expected, came here with a chip on our shoulders and found a way to win this game.”

Tatum and the short-handed C’s certainly looked motivated in Toronto. The six-time All-Star tallied 19 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. Nine of his assists came during the first half.

He donned a headband along with teammate Derrick White, who stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, (6-11 3-PT), five assists, three rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. The headbands were Tatum’s decision, he and White confirmed after the game.

“Yeah, it was my call,” Tatum said. “We had an agreement that whenever one of us said we gotta wear a headband, we gotta do it. It was supposed to take turns. We did it in Atlanta earlier in the season. I waited 40 some odd games for him to say it, so I took the responsibility from him and was just like, ‘(expletitive) it, we’ll wear the headband today.”

Boston took down Toronto despite missing Jrue Holiday (rest), Kristaps Porzingis (illness), Al Horford (left big toe sprain), and Luke Kornet (personal reasons). The “Stay Ready Group” stepped up as Payton Pritchard put up 20 points, Neemias Queta notched eight points and five boards, and Jordan Walsh, JD Davison, and rookie Baylor Scheierman logged big minutes.

The Celtics (42-16) have now won 10 of their last 11 games. They’ll look to extend their streak to seven when they visit the Pistons — who have won seven straight — Wednesday night.