The Boston Celtics were unable to win their fifth game in a row on Friday evening as they lost to the Toronto Raptors by a score of 84-79 on the road in Air Canada Centre. By winning, the Raptors successfully avoided losing their fifth game in a row. The Celtics are now 34-25, which puts them in first place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division, and the Raptors are now 21-39, which puts them in last place in the same division.
The Celtics were led by Paul Pierce, who scored 18 points in Toronto, most of which came in the second half. Avery Bradley added 15, Kevin Garnett added 13 and Brandon Bass chipped in 10. Rajon Rondo added eight, but also had 12 assists. The Raptors, who couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat in the first half, turned things around in the second. They were led by DeMar DeRozan, who scored 22 points, Alan Anderson added 12 and Linas Kleiza came off the bench to chip in 17.
The Celtics will try to bounce back on the road on Saturday night when they take on the New Jersey Nets at 7:30 p.m. (ET), and the Raptors will look to build off their Friday-night win on Sunday in Atlanta against the Hawks.
For more on the Celtics, head to Celtics Blog, for more on the Raptors, head to Raptors HQ, and for a look back at the game, follow SB Nation Boston's StoryStream.