|
 Courtney Lee added 15 points, Leandro Barbosa had 14, Avery Bradley 11 and Brandon Bass 10 as the Celtics remained unbeaten since losing guard Rajon Rondo to a season-ending knee injury.
Garnett scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics rallied from a 10-point deficit to snap a two-game skid in Toronto. Boston had lost three of its last four in Canada.
The victory also ended a three-game road losing streak for the Celtics, who had dropped 11 of 14 away from home.
Rudy Gay led the Raptors with 25 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Kyle Lowry scored 17 and Amir Johnson had 16 points and 12 rebounds as Toronto lost for the 10th time in 13 games.
Andrea Bargnani returned after missing 26 games with a torn ligament in his right elbow to score 13 points for the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan also had 13, making five of 16 field goal attempts.
Trailing 79-69 to begin the fourth, Boston tied it with a 10-0 run to start the quarter. Barbosa completed a three-point play, Garnett hit a layup, Jason Terry made a pull-up jumper and Garnett tied it with a three-point play of his own.
Alan Anderson stopped the run with a layup but the Celtics reclaimed the lead when Barbosa hit a 3-pointer, then was fouled while making a layup on the next possession. Barbosa missed the free throw, but Boston led 86-85 with 5:50 to go.
[to top of second column] |
Pierce made two from the line and Garnett followed with a layup, giving the Celtics a 90-85 edge with 4:02 left.
Gay tipped in a rebound with 42 seconds left, cutting it to 96-93, but Jeff Green made one of two from the line to put the Celtics up by four with 17 seconds left.
Gay scored eight points in the first and DeRozan added six as the Raptors led 23-20 after one. Bargnani scored 11 in the second but Boston got 10 from Pierce and eight from Garnett to lead 50-45 at halftime.
The Raptors took advantage after Garnett picked up his fourth foul with 6:48 remaining in the third and was replaced by Jason Collins. Toronto led 73-69 with 43 seconds left when Gay hit a 3, then forced a steal off the resulting inbounds pass and fed DeRozan for a dunk. DeRozan was fouled on the play and made the free throw to put the Raptors up 79-69 heading into the fourth. Gay scored 13 points in the third while Lowry had 10.
NOTES: Toronto F Landry Fields (back spasms) missed his second straight game. ... The Raptors went 13-13 without Bargnani. ... Gay's double-double was his first since joining the Raptors from Memphis in a three-team trade last week. ... Boston had at least five players score in double figures for the fourth straight game. ... The Celtics host the Lakers on Thursday night.
[Associated
Press; By IAN HARRISON]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
