Final: Celtics 112, Raptors 106 -- Rebounding helps carry C's to first win

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum scored a team-high 25 points and Kemba Walker added 22 points as the C’s fought back from a nine-point second half deficit to escape with a 112-106 win at the Garden. Boston managed to shoot just 38.5 percent from the field but managed to erupt down the stretch, exploding for 36 fourth quarter points to put a feisty Raptors team away. Toronto was led by Pascal Siakam (33 points) and Kyle Lowry (29 points) while shooting 50 percent from 3-point range but offensive rebounds (21) for Boston along with 23 Raptor turnovers helped the C’s stay in the game until their late surge.

Boston improves to 1-1 on the season with a road date against a winless Knick team looming on Saturday night at MSG.

• Grant Williams gets the nod over Ojeleye for early minutes


• Kemba misses first six shots of the game before his first make.


• C’s open the game shooting 30 percent from field in first eight minutes


• Stevens going super small with switchable lineups Williams/Ojeleye frontcourt


• Walker with a charge taken and a block already in the first quarter


• C’s shoot 32 percent in first quarter.


• Theis leaves the game with a sprained ankle in the second quarter but returns after a scare.


• Strong first half minutes for Rob Williams who had a team-high six rebounds.


• C's shoot just 35 percent in the first half but escape with a one-point lead at half thanks to 12 offensive rebounds and nine steals.

• Enes Kanter has been ruled out for tonight's and Saturday's game with a knee contusion. Romeo Langford (groin) is also sidelined while Tacko Fall remains in concussion protocol. Without Kanter or Langford in uniform, Javonte Green or Tremont Waters will be active on the 13-man roster.


• Brad Stevens wasn't pleased with the ball movement in the opener: “I thought we got a little stagnant, there’s no question about it but I thought Philly had something to do with that. That’s one of those things where you're evaluating some really good possessions where we did move, we cut, we slipped, we got some openings off of cutting and then some possessions that probably would have been better against teams that aren’t as good defensively. We probably have to tweak some things when we play them in the future because of their size and length. Ultimately we have to play better on that end of the floor. I think our shot selection wasn’t too bad but I thought our execution wasn’t great. Again I thought their defense was really good.”


• Stevens on the rise of Pascal Siakam, who just signed a four-year max extension last week: "You know what was interesting is when I was watching them, I think it was a game Leonard was out, and they were playing somebody last year and Lowry was in the game and they went to Siakam for a drive late to win the game, and that was kind of like, that guy is going to take the next step pretty quickly here. And I think it’s a credit to Lowry, a credit to Leonard and all those guys. They’ve all helped grow each other and that’s a good team. Toronto has done a great job not only in winning the championship last year, but their drafting and developing of the young players has been excellent."


• No word yet on who will start for the Celtics at the center spot just yet, but a full breakdown of the possibilities can be found here.