Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics Box Score on Nov 12, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Nov 12, 2017

BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics, playing without Kyrie Irving, hung on for their 12th straight victory on Sunday.

And it came right down to the final second.

DeMar DeRozen missed two shots in the closing seconds as the Celtics downed the Toronto Raptors 95-94.

After DeRozen missed a jumper, rookie Jayson Tatum grabbed the rebound, turned and hit Fred VanVleet with an elbow for an offensive foul with 13.4 seconds remaining. The play was reviewed, the call stood and Toronto kept the ball.

DeRozen went 1-on-1 with Jaylen Brown, his shot fell off the rim and the buzzer sounded during a wild scramble under the basket.

The Raptors (7-5) trailed by five after a Tatum basket with 1:26 left and the Celtics (12-2) failed to score again but held on to win without Irving, out with a slight facial fracture.

Al Horford, returning from a two-game absence from a concussion, scored 21 points to lead five Boston players in double figures. Brown added 18 points, Terry Rozier scored 16, Marcus Smart 14 and Tatum had 13 points and seven rebounds.

DeRozen led the Raptors with 24 points (but was just 8 of 22 from the floor), his seventh straight 20-point game at TD Garden. Kyle Lowry scored 19 points and handed out seven assists and CJ Miles was the only other Raptor in double figures with 10 points.

Lowry passed Andrea Bargnani and moved into fourth place on the Raptors' all-time scoring list.

Toronto, which was trying to end a team's double-digit winning streak for the first time in franchise history, lost Norman Powell to a hip pointer in the first quarter.

NOTES: While C Al Horford was back in the Boston lineup after missing two games with a concussion, G Kyrie Irving was out. He was visiting a specialist to be fitted for a mask to protect his facial fracture, meaning a possible quick return. "The good news is thus far that's the only point of pain in his face or head or neck or anything else," said coach Brad Stevens. "So he hasn't been diagnosed with a concussion." ... Irving scored a then-career-high 41 points the last time he wore a mask, Dec. 15, 2012, for the Cleveland Cavaliers. ... The Raptors were called for two defensive 3-seconds technical fouls in the first half but the Celtics missed both free throws. ... The Raptors visit Houston and the Celtics Brooklyn Tuesday before the Golden State Warriors visit Boston Thursday night -- hard to imagine Irving not playing in that game.