Music: {allcanada} Celtics avoid three-game losing streak

Sunday, January 2, 2011

{allcanada} Celtics avoid three-game losing streak

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TORONTO -- Paul Pierce scored 30 points and the Boston Celtics avoided a three-game losing streak with a 93-79 win over the beat up Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Pierce shot 10-for-15 from the field and was backed up by 23 points from Ray Allen who shot 10-for-18 for the Celtics who had lost two in a row. Glen Davis had 15 points and 11 rebounds and star point guard Rajon Rondo, who missed seven games with a sprained left ankle, had eight assists and four points in 34 minutes.

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 27 points on 11-for-25 shooting. Joey Dorsey had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Amir Johnson added 10 points and 10 boards.

It was a game between two teams both hit by injuries and the Raptors were still within five points with slightly more than five minutes to play but could not repeat their Nov. 21 victory over the Celtics at Air Canada Centre.

The Celtics (25-7), who had lost three of their previous four games, led 71-62 entering the fourth quarter.

The Raptors (11-22), who had lost 10 of their previous 13 games, cut into that by scoring the first six points of the fourth but Allen answered that push with a three-pointer. Boston went on a roll, and Allen hit a 12-foot pull-up jumper top put Boston up by 12 with 3:04 to play.

Boston held a one-point lead going into the second half and had stretched it to seven until DeRozan hit one of two free throws with 2:05 to play in the third quarter. But Boston took a nine-point lead out of the third after Pierce hit a three-point shot with 24.9 seconds left.

Although Rondo was back, the Celtics were still without Kevin Garnett (strained muscle in his right leg), Kendrick Perkins (knee surgery) and Delonte West (broken right wrist).

The Raptors played without Andrea Bargnani (strained left calf), Sonny Weems (back) and Jerryd Bayless (sprained left ankle), Reggie Evans (fractured right foot) and Peja Stojakovic (swollen left knee).

Johnson continues to play through back spasms and guard Leandro Barbosa has a bruised right knee.

The teams split their first two meetings of the season with the Raptors winning Nov. 21 in Toronto 102-101 and the Celtics winning Nov. 26 in Boston 110-101.

Robinson hit a pull-up jumper with 3.8 seconds remaining to give the Celtics the 24-23 lead they took out of the first quarter. DeRozan scored 10 points in the first quarter and Pierce led Boston with eight.

The Raptors scored the first six points of the second quarter to take the lead. Midway through the quarter, the Celtics took a 33-31 lead on Pierce's three-pointer. The Raptors tied it 38-38 on a lay-up by Dorsey and took the lead on a lay-up by Ed Davis.

Pierce tied the game with 1:09 left in the half on a running jumper hit the ensuing free throw to complete a three-point play and give Boston the 43-42 lead they took into half-time.

Pierce scored 20 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the first half. DeRozan scored 13 on 5-for-9 from the floor and 3-for-3 from the line.

Notes: DeRozan who scored a career-best 37 points in Friday's loss at Houston, averaged 15.9 points in 15 games in December and entered Sunday's game averaging 13.8 points a game for the season. ...Raptors head coach Jay Triano said that the injuries that have hit his team have at least allowed some of the younger players to get more playing time than expected so it could help their development. ...The Raptors bench scoring averaged 39.3 points for the first 16 games of the season but dropped to 33.9 in the next 6 games. ...Toronto is at Chicago on Tuesday. ...Attendance at Air Canada Centre was 19,986.