Kyrie Irving Was Brilliant As The Celtics Took Down Toronto In An Overtime Thriller

A prime time showdown between two of the East’s top teams didn’t disappoint on Friday night, as the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors gave us an OT barn-burner at T.D. Garden.

Kyrie Irving put together a masterpiece, by far his best performance of the season as he led the way with 43 points and 11 assists, knocking down clutch shot after clutch in the fourth quarter and overtime to secure a gritty 123-116 win over their conference foils.

Boston was able to withstand an equally dominant effort from Kawhi Leonard, who led six Raptors in double figures with 31 points, 15 rebounds, four assists. and three steals. Still, the story of the night — beyond the fact that these two teams might play to determine who makes the NBA Finals out of the Eastern Conference this spring — was Irving, who put forth a masterpiece to tank Toronto.

Not only was Irving’s jumper working, but he showed off his slippery handles and crafty finishing ability at the rim, too.

The Celtics have been treading water a bit in recent weeks, as they were just two games above .500 heading into Friday’s game and are still trying figuring out how to integrate both Irving and Hayward back into rotation most effectively. A big game against the East’s consensus top team in Toronto was apparently just the jolt they needed to prove they belong in the conversation regardless of their record.

Jayson Tatum added 21 points and seven rebounds on the night for the Celtics, while Gordon Hayward continued to work his way back to form with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals.