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Celtics entertain Raptors at TD Garden

Nov 26, 2010 - 3:45 PM (Sports Network) - A pair of Atlantic Division foes meet again tonight, as the Boston Celtics play host to the Toronto Raptors from TD Garden.

The Raptors squeezed out a 102-101 victory over the Celtics on Nov. 21 at Air Canada Centre to snap an eight-game losing streak in the series. Boston, however, has still won 12 of the past 14 meetings between the teams and four in a row as the host.

Boston has won two straight and five of its last seven games, including Wednesday's 89-83 triumph versus the New Jersey Nets. Shaquille O'Neal had a breakout performance with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and is averaging 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds over his last seven games.

"Boy he got it going especially in that second half," Nets coach Avery Johnson said of the future Hall of Fame center. "We were beating them at the first half and then they turned it around in the second half. He has always been a tough cover. More than anything he got them in the bonus quicker in the second half which put pressure on our defense."

Paul Pierce tallied 18 points and Ray Allen contributed 15 points and seven assists for Boston, which played without guard Rajon Rondo (strained hamstring) for a third straight game. Rondo is expected to miss Friday's game and so id guard Delonte West, who sustained a broken right wrist in the win.

The Celtics are 6-1 as the host this season.

Meanwhile, Toronto has won four straight and five of seven games since a six- game losing streak to kick off the month of November.

The winning ways continued for the Raptors with Wednesday's 106-90 pounding of the Philadelphia 76ers, as Andrea Bargnani scored a game-high 24 points and Reggie Evans pulled down a career-best 22 rebounds to go with 12 points. Jerryd Bayless, in his first game since being acquired in a five-player deal with New Orleans, scored 13 points for the Raptors, who got 16 points and nine assists from Jose Calderon.

"I was just doing what I had to do," Evans said of his rebounding effort against his former team. "People pay good money to see the Toronto Raptors play. They want to see someone work hard."

Evans' 10 rebounds in the first quarter tied the Raptors franchise record for boards in a quarter and he set a franchise record with 15 rebounds in the first half. Toronto put the game away early with a 33-18 lead after the first quarter and shot 65 percent from the floor after the first 12 minutes.

The Raptors are only 2-6 away from Canada this season.