BOSTON (AP) — Payton Pritchard had 28 points and eight assists, and the Boston Celtics held off the short-handed Toronto Raptors 125-117 on Friday night.
Jaylen Brown added 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Celtics, who won for the fifth time in six games. Boston connected on 14 3-pointers and shot 54% from the field to help pull away in the second half.
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Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the first half of an NBA game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) takes a shot over Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo (2) during the first half of an NBA game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dunks against Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (52) battles for a rebound against Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Raptors. They played without starters Brandon Ingram (sprained right thumb) and Scottie Barnes (sprained right knee). Toronto center Jakob Poeltl also missed his ninth straight game with a sprained back.
RJ Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter both had 19 points for Toronto. Immanuel Quickley finished with 17 points and 13 assists.
One game after making just seven 3s during a win at Charlotte, the Raptors knocked down 18 from beyond the arc to keep pace with the Celtics, who led 68-60 at halftime.
Boston found a groove in the third quarter, using a 13-3 run to push its lead to 93-73.
Toronto chipped away and got back within 108-103 with just over six minutes to play. But a 12-3 spurt by the Celtics got the lead back up to double digits.
Raptors: Will host Philadelphia on Sunday in the first of two straight games against the 76ers.
Celtics: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the first half of an NBA game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) takes a shot over Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo (2) during the first half of an NBA game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dunks against Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (52) battles for a rebound against Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
MACCLESFIELD, England (AP) — Minnow Macclesfield beat title holder Crystal Palace 2-1 in one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history on Saturday to reach the fourth round.
Macclesfield is a team playing in the sixth tier of English soccer, five levels below its Premier League opponent, and took the lead when captain Paul Dawson headed in a cross from Luke Duffy in the 43rd minute.
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts made it 2-0 in the 60th, prompting wild celebrations.
Following a scramble in the penalty area the ball pinged to Buckley-Ricketts, who came through the Manchester City academy, and he deftly clipped the ball with the outside of his right foot past goalkeeper Walter Benítez.
“I can’t believe it, we never thought we would be in this position,” Macclesfield coach John Rooney told broadcaster BBC. “We were incredible from the first minute. I thought we were deserved winners. I couldn’t be any prouder of the lads.”
Rooney started and ended his playing career as a midfielder with the club — and is in only his first season coaching. He is the younger brother of former England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.
Yeremy Pino curled in a last-minute free kick over the wall to leave Macclesfield facing a nervous six minutes of stoppage time as home fans broke out into chants of “Silkmen! Silkmen!” — the club’s nickname.
Macclesfield held on against a Palace side whose dismal afternoon was summed up when U.S. central defender Chris Richards did a foul throw in the final minute of stoppage time, giving possession back to Macclesfield.
The fans sprinted onto the field at Moss Rose — a modest 5,900-capacity stadium in northwest England — in celebration at the final whistle while Dawson and Duffy were carried aloft.
The FA Cup has a long history of dramatic knockouts and huge upsets on the day, such as when non-league Hereford beat Newcastle 2-1 in a third round replay in 1972 or when underdog Palace beat overwhelming favorite Liverpool 4-3 in the 1990 semifinals.
Now the magic of FA Cup has graced Macclesfield.
“I didn’t think it was possible but there is that little bit of hope that anything can happen on the day,” coach Rooney said.
Dawson said Macclesfield "means the world to me” and called the result “an immense achievement.”
Palace manager Oliver Glasner said he had “no explanation" for what he’d just seen.
“You don't need tactics. In these kinds of games, you don't need a manager,” he told the BBC. "If you just show what you're capable of and having a little bit of pride, then you perform in a different way, but today we missed everything.
"We deserved to lose.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Macclesfield Town's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, right, celebrates scoring his side's second goal, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Macclesfield Town's Paul Dawson scores the opening goal, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Macclesfield Town's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts celebrates scoring his side's second goal, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Macclesfield Town's Josh Kay celebrates with fans following the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Macclesfield Town's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts scores his side's second goal during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace's Yeremi Pino and Macclesfield Town's Rollin Menayese vie for the ball, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace's Kaden Rodney, center right, and Macclesfield Town's Paul Dawson vie for the ball, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
