Raptors knot up series with Celtics at 2-2

Pascal Siakam scored a series-best 23 points, Kyle Lowry added 22 and the Toronto Raptors evened their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series with a 100-93 win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday night near Orlando. Siakam, Lowry and VanVleet each played north of 40 minutes for Toronto, while Tatum, Walker and Marcus Smart did the same for Boston. Game 5 will take place Monday.

Pascal Siakam scored a series-best 23 points, Kyle Lowry added 22 and the Toronto Raptors evened their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series with a 100-93 win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday night near Orlando. Serge Ibaka scored 18 points and Fred VanVleet 17 as the Raptors knotted the series after falling behind 2-0. Siakam and Lowry each had double-doubles with 11 rebounds apiece.

Jayson Tatum had 24 points and Kemba Walker 15 for the Celtics, who lost their second straight after six consecutive wins to begin the playoffs. Siakam, Lowry and VanVleet each played north of 40 minutes for Toronto, while Tatum, Walker and Marcus Smart did the same for Boston.

Game 5 will take place Monday. Shooting 28.3 percent from 3-point range through the first three games, the Raptors went 17-of-44 (38.6 percent) from deep in the win. Conversely, the Celtics only hit seven of their 35 such chances (20.0 percent).

A Lowry 3-pointer gave Toronto an 85-75 lead with 10:53 remaining in the fourth quarter. Boston got within five, 91-86, on a Jaylen Brown three, his first hit from deep in 10 chances. Lowry responded with a three, and the Raptors led 94-86 with 4:44 to go. Toronto went up 98-87 on two Lowry free throws with 2:20 left and held on.

Tied at halftime, the Raptors began the third with a 14-7 run for a 63-56 lead. The Celtics were within four, 70-66, with 2:40 left before VanVleet hit a pair of threes around an Ibaka trey during a 9-2 spurt for the game's first double-digit lead, 79-68. Toronto ended the quarter up 81-73.

The Raptors led from 6:48 of the first quarter until the Celtics equalized at 40 on a Smart three-point play with 4:13 to go in the half. Boston grabbed its first lead of the game, 46-44, on a pair of Semi Ojeleye free throws with 2:11 left. VanVleet sunk a 3-pointer with nine-tenths of a second remaining to forge a 49-49 tie at the break.

Toronto held a 31-27 edge after one. --Field Level Media

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