4 takeaways as Celtics beat Raptors in preseason, Jaylen Brown leaves early

BOSTON — The Celtics finished off preseason play with a 110-108 win over the Raptors on Wednesday at TD Garden. Xavier Tillman hit the game-winning shot with 0.8 seconds left in the game to secure the win. Jaylen Brown missed most of the game with left hamstring tightness, but otherwise, the Celtics played their regulars.

While the C’s went up double-digits early in the first quarter, it was otherwise a close game for most of the night. Both teams played some of their main guys deep into the fourth quarter. Brown sitting opened up minutes on the wing, though Sam Hauser was also out for rest.

In the end, the Celtics came away with the narrow win. The Raptors came back to tie it late but Tillman came through in the clutch to avoid overtime. The C’s leaned on Derrick White (35 minutes) and Payton Pritchard (32) for heavy minutes and production as 11 different players saw double-figure minutes.

White filled up the box score with 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Pritchard added another 10 points and 10 assists, though he struggled shooting the ball at 1-for-11. Brandon Ingram had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors.

The Celtics have now wrapped up their four-game preseason slate. They host the 76ers for opening night at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at TD Garden. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Toronto:

Some real competition: The Raptors played their main starters, marking the first time this preseason the Celtics have gotten those reps. Both teams made way for their bench guys to end the game, but still, both the Celtics and Raptors regulars got lengthy run Wednesday. The C’s went with a deep bench as 12 players saw the court, all guys vying for the rotation (minus Hauser). With the Celtics done with the preseason, it was a solid tune-up ahead of the regular season.

Monitoring injury: It’s unclear how serious Brown’s injury is, but his hamstring tightness forced him to leave Wednesday’s game in the first quarter. He played seven minutes on the night, finishing with seven points, but he had to sub himself out of the game. Brown looked like he tweaked the hamstring when he pushed the pace on a play. He went to the Celtics locker room and didn’t return to the bench. It’s just preseason, so the team will be cautious, but the severity of the injury remains to be seen.

Making a case: This is the Queta the Celtics wanted to see with opportunity available at the center position. It was a tough start to preseason for Queta last week against the Raptors, then he only played seven minutes against the Cavaliers last time out. But Queta impressed Wednesday at multiple points, though he wasn’t perfect in his 21 minutes. Whether it was making hustle plays or even hitting a fadeaway shot, Queta’s impact was felt as he got the start. Queta finished with eight points and 12 rebounds (five offensive), shooting 4-for-7 from the field.

Wing competition: Jordan Walsh missed the past two games due to injury, but he was back on the court. At this point, it appears that Josh Minott has made his case for the rotation. An underrated subplot of preseason, too, has been first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez, who’s showed flashes in his minutes. The 19-year-old’s defensive activity and energy are evident when he’s in. It’ll be interesting to see what the team does with him his rookie season. The C’s could have him with the Maine Celtics in the G League to get him playing time or have him with the main club. Regardless, the early Gonzalez returns have been solid as he had eight points Wednesday.

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