Payton Pritchard scores 33 points as short-handed Celtics beat slumping Raptors 112-96

TORONTO (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 19 of his 33 points in the third quarter, Derrick White and Anfernee Simons each had 15, and the short-handed Boston Celtics beat the slumping Toronto Raptors 112-96 on Saturday night.

Neemias Queta scored 14 points, Luka Garza had 12 and Hugo Gonzalez added 10 as the Celtics won their third straight meeting with Toronto.

Boston’s Jaylen Brown, who scored 30 points in Friday’s home win over the Miami Heat, sat out because of an illness.

Pritchard shot eight for 10 in the third, making two of four attempts from 3-point range. He finished 13 for 24, making four of nine from distance.

Pritchard led Boston with 10 assists, matching his season-high. He also had seven rebounds.

Garza and Gonzalez each had 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who have won seven of their last nine games.

Sandro Mamukelashvili scored a season-high 24 points, Brandon Ingram also had 24 and Scottie Barnes added 12 points for the Raptors, whose two-game winning streak was snapped. Toronto has lost seven of 10.

Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley shot one for 12 and finished with three points. Fellow starter Ochai Agbaji shot one for five and scored six points.

The Raptors set a season-high with 47 attempts from 3-point range. They made 16, but it wasn’t enough.

Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl (lower back) sat out for the second straight game.

Celtics: Host Indiana on Monday night.

Raptors: At Brooklyn on Sunday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Toronto Raptors' Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) drives as Boston Celtics' Derrick White (9) defends during first-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Brandon Ingram (3) shoots over Boston Celtics' Sam Hauser (30) during first-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Brandon Ingram (3) goes up to shoot over Boston Celtics' Sam Hauser (30) during first-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) is fouled by Boston Celtics' Neemias Queta, right, during first-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Brandon Ingram (3) drives against Boston Celtics' Hugo Gonzalez, right, during first-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Apparently, the worst Australian cricket team in 15 years just won the Ashes with two matches to spare against the best England squad assembled since 2011.

Long-time protagonist Stuart Broad lit the fuse ahead of a volatile contest for the longest-running rivalry in test cricket when he described the host squad as the worst to contest the Ashes in Australia since England won the 2010-11 series Down Under.

The 167-test veteran played two matches for England in that winning series.

Since then, a drought has extended to 16 losses, two draws and no wins for England on Australian soil.

Marnus Labuschagne, who produced a spectacular catch to help hasten the end of England's dogged last-day comeback in the third test in Adelaide on Sunday, reflected on the pre-series pronouncements by Broad and others.

“Have to say, being called the worst Australian team in 15 years… like it's nice to be sitting where we are, 3-0 up,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “The job's not done yet. We want to make sure it's 5-0 and really take that urn.”

It took all of 11 days — two in Perth, four in Brisbane and almost a full five in Adelaide — not quite a record for clinching an Ashes series but not too far off.

Chasing what needed to be a world record for victory, England was all out for 352 in pursuit of 435, giving Australia an 82-run win. By going the distance, the third test drew a total crowd of 223,638.

The Barmy Army of traveling England supporters was in full voice as England took the record-chasing fourth innings attempt into the penultimate session at the Adelaide Oval, but ultimately it was the Aussies crowing about yet another dramatic win.

It's true, Australia had a patched-up squad, with skipper Pat Cummins missing the first two tests while he continued to recovery from a back injury that had sidelined him since July. Josh Hazlewood was ruled out for the series. That left left-armer Mitchell Starc as the only member of the regular pace triumvirate available for the first two tests. When offspinner Nathan Lyon was dropped for the second test, Starc was the only member of Australia's longtime bowling quartet in the lineup.

He led from the front, with two man-of-the-match performances. With three of the last four wickets in Adelaide, he has 22 for the series and 51 for the calendar year.

“We just found a way, which I think is a feature of this group over a number of years now,” Starc said. “Even at times where it’s not going our way, we can find a way to get ourselves over the line.”

In the batting lineup, there were questions over who would open and who would bat at No. 3. Steve Smith led the team in the absence of Cummins in Perth and Brisbane but was ruled out of the third test because of vertigo. Usman Khawaja was rushed back into the lineup and helped hold things together in the first innings.

Cummins said the Australian players just took the attitude of just getting on with it and playing what's in front of them.

“You just kind of crack on,” he said. “Even though I missed the first couple of games, Steve’s stepped right in. It was smooth, seamless.

“And there’s always things that crop up … but the boys go, ‘OK, that’s happened, let’s crack on, what’s next?’ I think that’s one of our big reasons why we’ve had success over the last couple of years.”

That attitude will really but put to the test in Melbourne starting Boxing Day, with Cummins and Lyon seemingly unlikely to play.

Khawaja's back injury in the first test forced Travis Head up from No. 5 to open the innings, and he responded with a century in that game. He made the opening slot his own, posting 170 on his home ground in Adelaide in the second innings.

In a post-match TV interview Head was asked what it's like to be part of the Australian team, and his answer was simple: “Yeah, it’s bloody amazing.”

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australia's Nathan Lyon walks from the field during play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Mitchell Starc, right, celebrates the wicket of England's Jofra Archer with his teammates during play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's players celebrate after winning the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's captain Pat Cummins speaks with media after Australia won the third Ashes cricket test against England in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Alex Carey, right, and Australia's Marnus Labuschagne pose for a photo after Australia won the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)