From 0-3 to third place in the Eastern Conference.

The surging Boston Celtics won their fifth straight Sunday in Toronto, squandering a 23-point second-half lead but holding on for a 121-113 victory at Scotiabank Arena.

With the win, Boston leapfrogged the Raptors in the East standings. At 15-9, Joe Mazzulla’s club now trails only the 19-5 Detroit Pistons and 16-7 New York Knicks, both of whom the Celtics defeated during their current run of 10 wins in 12 games.

“We just had to weather the storm,” Jaylen Brown told NBC Sports Boston sideline reporter Abby Chin after the game. “(The Raptors) upped the pressure. They did the same thing in preseason twice where they came back, so I guess third time’s a charm. We didn’t let it happen today.”

Brown led Boston with 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists, with Derrick White adding 27-4-5 with three blocks. Fourth-quarter 3-pointers from White and Payton Pritchard (15 points) helped the Celtics recover after the Raptors stormed back to take their first lead of the game with 10:39 remaining.

Boston shot 43% from 3-point range in the game while totaling eight steals, nine blocks and 14 offensive rebounds, including six by Neemias Queta (11 points, 11 rebounds) and four by Brown.

Brandon Ingram scored 30 points to lead the Raptors, who dropped to 15-10.

Jordan Walsh, who’s played the best basketball of his career during the Celtics’ recent hot streak, was highly active early, becoming just the second player in the NBA this season to record five points, four rebounds and three steals in a first quarter (the other: Luka Doncic). Walsh added a rim-rocking putback dunk early in the second quarter, though his three first-half fouls limited his minutes.

The Celtics also got 14 first-quarter points from White, who seems to have overcome the shooting issues that plagued him for the first month of the season. Since going 2 for 13 in Boston’s ugly home loss to Brooklyn on Nov. 21, the veteran guard has shot 49.1% from the field and 41.6% from deep over his last seven games.

“When Derrick White starts hitting those pocket 3s, it’s a great sign for our team,” Brown told Chin. “He’s playing great, and we’ve got to find ways to get him the ball.”

Brown, whose 13 30-point outings this season are tied for second-most in the NBA, heated up midway through the second. He scored 13 points in the final five minutes of the half as Boston built a 22-point lead. Timely scoring by bench players Sam Hauser, Josh Minott and Hugo Gonzalez aided that effort, with Gonzalez notching five points in 75 seconds after subbing in for Walsh.

The Celtics racked up 77 points before halftime against a Raptors team that came in ranked seventh in the NBA in both defensive rating and points allowed per game.

At the other end, eight different Boston players, including all five starters, registered at least one steal or block in the first half, leading to frequent transition opportunities. Toronto totaled one steal/block during that span, and the Celtics held a 14-2 edge in fast-break scoring. And though the Raptors collected eight offensive rebounds before halftime, they turned those into just two second-chance points.

The second half was a different story. Down 87-64 early in the third quarter, Ingram keyed a 20-4 Raptors run that shifted momentum toward the home team. A torrid 14 for 18 stretch vaporized Boston’s lead, with Jamal Shead putting Toronto ahead for the first time, 98-97, early in the fourth. Shead, the Raptors’ backup point guard, scored nine points and made four straight shots during the rally.

The blown lead prompted Mazzulla to reinsert his starters earlier than usual. White, Pritchard, Brown and Queta all played nearly the entire fourth quarter. Pritchard and Queta set season highs for minutes played, while Brown and White saw their third- and fourth-heaviest workloads, respectively. Walsh was part of that group, as well, before fouling out with 2:16 remaining and being replaced by Hauser.

Clutch shot-making from White and Pritchard made the difference for Boston. The backcourt duo hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Celtics up 105-102, then did so again to make it 113-104. A midrange make from White and late free throws by Queta and Brown closed the door on Toronto. White also blocked a shot and drew a charge in the closing seconds.

“You figure a team like (the Raptors), as good as they are, that’s going to happen,” Mazzulla told reporters. “… You’re not going to play a perfect game all the time, and we always talk about, how quickly can you get back to your best? I thought we did that with about eight, nine minutes to go in the fourth.”

Sunday’s game was the Celtics’ eighth in 15 days, seven of which were against likely playoff teams. Their upcoming stretch won’t be nearly as draining.

Because the Celtics did not qualify for the NBA Cup quarterfinals, which tip off on Tuesday, they’ll play just one game this week: a Thursday night visit to Milwaukee. The scuffling Bucks are five games below .500, and their two-time NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is sidelined with a calf strain.

After that, Boston will have three days off before it hosts Detroit next Monday, then another three-day layoff before the Miami Heat come to TD Garden next Friday.

“Just keep going,” Brown told Chin. “Just keep getting better. Stay humble. Just one game at a time. Just keep growing, getting better and having fun and smiling.”

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