LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- It took every bit of seven games, but Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are headed to the Eastern Conference finals.
And they dethroned the NBA champions to get there.
Tatum scored 29 points, Jaylen Brown had 21 and the Celtics topped the Toronto Raptors 92-87 on Friday night in Game 7 of the East semifinal series.
Marcus Smart scored 16 points and Kemba Walker added 14 for third-seeded Boston. The Celtics will face the fifth-seeded Miami Heat in the East finals, which starts Tuesday night.
"If you want to achieve something great, if you want to win, it's not going to be easy," Tatum said. "That's what we're here for."
Fred VanVleet scored 20 points for Toronto, which got 16 from Kyle Lowry, 14 from Serge Ibaka, 13 from Pascal Siakam and 11 from Norman Powell. The Raptors were bidding to become the seventh franchise in NBA history to win four consecutive Game 7s.
Boston scored the first seven points of the fourth, taking an eight-point lead. The Celtics never trailed in the final quarter, though it was close all the way to the end.
"We should definitely be hardened," Celtics Coach Brad Stevens said. "We should definitely have a lot more in our toolbox to go back to. But we also have to get ready for a different, more unique team now in Miami."
It was the sixth consecutive Game 7 decided by five points or less, though it wasn't always played like a classic. Toronto had 18 turnovers that Boston turned into 31 points; the Celtics shot 9 of 38 from three-point range and 13 of 23 from the line.
"Man, it was a tough game to lose," an emotional Lowry said. "But they won. Tip your hats to them. They have a chance to go on and play against Miami and get to the championship."
Powell had a chance to tie it on a drive with just under a minute left, his layup erased by Smart with a block that preserved an 89-87 lead. Lowry fouled out on the next possession, a call the Raptors argued and challenged to no avail. Grant Williams missed both free throws, but Powell fouled Tatum while going for the rebound.
Tatum made one of two, the lead was three, and all Boston needed was one more stop.
The Celtics got just that. VanVleet was well short on a three-point try, Walker sealed it with free throws with 7.9 seconds left, and Toronto's reign ended.
Boston led 72-71 going into the fourth, making this the 21st Game 7 in NBA history where the margin was zero or one going into the final 12 minutes.
NUGGETS 111, CLIPPERS 105
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Paul Millsap ignited the Denver Nuggets with a fracas before scoring 14 of his 17 points in the third quarter, Michael Porter Jr. made a late three-pointer and the Nuggets overcame a 15-point, second-half deficit to stun the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night in Game 5.
Don't evict the Nuggets out of the bubble just yet. They've pulled to 3-2 in their best-of-seven series.
"Everybody continues to count us out," Nuggets Coach Michael Malone said. "That's the way we like it."
This marked Denver's fourth elimination-game win of this postseason, the team's most since capturing six win-or-go-home games during the 1994 playoff run. The Nuggets came back from a 3-1 deficit to win their first-round series against Utah.
The resiliency comes as no surprise to the Clippers.
"They played like the season was on the line. They had that approach," Clippers standout Paul George said. "They were out there flying around and played hard. They made timely baskets they needed."
One of the catalysts was Millsap. Denver -- down 16 in the first half -- trailed 61-46 with 9:42 remaining in the third before rallying behind his play. He made 4 of 5 shots and 5 of 6 free throws.
Really, though, it was a big play he turned in before halftime that ignited the Nuggets. Millsap and Marcus Morris jawed at each other face-to-face late and had to be separated. Morris was given a technical foul and the Nuggets got some swagger.
At a glance
NBA CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
THURSDAY’S GAME
LA Lakers 110, Houston 100
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Denver 111, LA Clippers, 105
LA Clippers lead series 3-2
Boston 92, Toronto 87
Boston wins series 4-3
TODAY’S GAMES
All times Central
LA Lakers vs. Houston, 8 p.m.
LA Lakers lead series 3-1
SUNDAY’S GAME
LA Clippers vs. Denver, noon