BOSTON -- Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris got ejected between free throw attempts late in the fourth quarter of Saturday's win over the Toronto Raptors. Then he patted a referee on his backside before leaving the court -- to a standing ovation from fans inside TD Garden.
Morris took umbrage when Toronto's CJ Miles fouled him near midcourt as Morris attempted to run out the clock with Boston up double digits en route to a 110-99 triumph in a battle of the top teams in the East.
Morris confronted a smiling Miles, and referees assessed a double technical. After making his first free throw, Morris continued to bark at the Raptors, and both Morris and DeMar DeRozan got double technicals, disqualifying Morris.
Morris, who scored a team-high 25 points off the bench for Boston, gave referee James Williams a pat on his backside on his way to the exit, and Celtics fans roared as Morris high-fived fans on his way to the locker room.
"I just thought the game was over and the foul was a little much, being down 10 with [less than] 20 seconds left," Morris said. "Got a little heated."
The win moved Boston within two games of the East-leading Raptors, and the two teams play again on Wednesday in Toronto. Morris admitted that the dust-up might have laid the groundwork for more combustibility between two teams that are not only jockeying for the top spot in the East but also could see each other again in the playoffs.
"For sure, it definitely set the tempo," Morris said. "However they want to do it, we can do it. Play hard, couple of guys stepped up and played a really good team game, spread it out, defended really well, [and Boston's] zone [defense] killed them."
Morris missed Boston's previous game in Utah with a sprained right ankle, but he showed no ill effects Saturday. Morris, who ignited Boston's current six-game win streak by hitting a game winner against the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier in the month, has scored 20 or more points in each of his past four games.
For an injury-ravaged Boston team, Morris' increased output has been crucial to the Celtics' surge, despite their not expecting to have Kyrie Irving (knee), Marcus Smart (thumb), Gordon Hayward (ankle) or Daniel Theis (knee) for the remainder of the regular season.
Irving and Smart could return in the playoffs. Until then, the Celtics are leaning on players such as Morris.
"[Morris is] crazy. He's fearless," Celtics guard Terry Rozier said. "He can put the ball in the hole, do a lot of things that can put our team in the right position to win."
Even when Morris struggled early in the season while working through knee issues following a late arrival to Celtics camp, coach Brad Stevens maintained that Morris would be key to Boston's success this season.
"I thought he was going to be a huge part of our team from the get-go," Stevens said. "Obviously, he went through the injury early, got himself feeling great. He talks about how he's never felt better. He's playing great."
The standing ovation that Morris received after his ejection only hammered home how Boston fans have embraced Morris lately.
"It's been up and down," Morris said. "I think [fans are] just starting to love me more. I think they liked me, but now they're starting to love me. So I appreciate that."
