The Toronto Raptors rallied back in a thrilling contest against the Boston Celtics to highlight NBA preseason games on Friday (Saturday, Manila time).
The Toronto Raptors ended the game on a blistering scoring run as they trumped the Boston Celtics, 107-105, in NBA preseason action at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario on Friday night (Saturday, Manila time).
The Raptors were faced with a 14-point deficit when the Celtics built a comfortable lead, 103-89, with 3:45 ticks remaining in the ball game.
But Chucky Hepburn did the heavy lifting in a pivotal 18-2 run that completely erased Boston’s lead much to the delight of the home fans. The game was tied at 103-all after a bucket from AJ Lawson with 47 seconds left.
While Wendell Moore Jr. converted on a bucket in the next possession to give the lead back to Boston, back-to-back buckets from David Roddy and Jonathan Mogbo sealed the victory in cardiac fashion.
Mogbo drilled the game-winning basket with two seconds left to give Toronto the win and a 2-1 record.
Elsewhere, Victor Wembanyama uncorked 22 points, seven boards, and three assists en route to an overtime victory for the San Antonio Spurs, 134-130, at the Frost Bank Center.
Keyonte George hit the game-tying triple at the end of regulation to force the Spurs into overtime.
But an 8-2 burst to start the extra period had the Spurs in control, 130-124, with 1:10 left in the extra period.
In the other games, the Portland Trailblazers notched their first victory of preseason at the expense of the Sacramento Kings, 124-123. Jerami Grant scored 18 points to pace them in the victory.
The Orlando Magic, for their part, blasted the Philadelphia 76ers, 128-98, for a 2-0 start.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.