Jaylen Brown was left fuming after OG Anunoby's buzzer-beater snatched a dramatic 104-103 win for the Toronto Raptors to reduce the Boston Celtics' series lead to 2-1.

The Celtics looked set to be on the brink of the Eastern Conference finals when a Daniel Theis dunk with 0.5 seconds to play put them two points up on Thursday.

Yet there was one final twist, as a miscommunication between Jayson Tatum and Brown gave Anunoby the opportunity to win Game 3 and he grasped it to give the defending champions a lifeline.

Celtics guard Brown was furious over such a costly late lapse, with Brown left free for a decisive three-pointer.

He said: "That was just a f****** disgrace at the end of the game. That was just terrible.

"No way we should have lost that game. I take responsibility for that. Not just that play, but a lot of the plays before. And it happens.

"This is the NBA playoffs. Either you let them gain momentum or you come back and be ready to play next game."

He added: "Just a miscommunication [of] the coverage that we were in. That's all that really is. They made a remarkable play at the end. [Anunoby] snuck along the baseline, and we just gotta communicate better, that's it.

"As a unit, that can't happen. We were matched up, and OG snuck along the baseline, didn't recognise him early enough and he got a wide-open look.

"We gotta be better than that. We gotta communicate better. Me being four years in, I gotta be better. Can't give up the three at the end of the game. He made a remarkable shot, but still.

"It's a f****** disgrace. Terrible. No excuse for it. At all. It was ridiculous. Can't take your foot off the gas at all. We gotta be ready to play Game 4 [on Saturday]."