This stretch is quickly becoming more than a rut. At first, Boston’s struggles over the last month could be explained by poor 3-point shooting. After all, the not-so-secret of the modern NBA is that games are often won or lost at the 3-point line.

Payton Pritchard had 20 points to lead the Celtics. Jayson Tatum had just 16 points and Jaylen Brown had 10, with the All-Star duo combining to make just 9 of 31 shots.

The Raptors like to get out and push the pace, something they did right from the opening horn against the Celtics to great effect. This pressure at the rim appeared to give Boston