Malcolm Brogdon had 29 points, including two key free throws, as the Boston Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 97-93 on Wednesday night.
Boston (55-25) clinched the second playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Jaylen Brown added 25 points and 11 rebounds. And Derrick White finished with 17 in the opener of a two-game series.
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The Celtics played without three starters: star Jayson Tatum, with a bruised left hip; Marcus Smart, for neck spasms; and the Dominican Al Horford, for a stiff back. But that didn’t stop them.
The Raptors (40-40) trailed one game behind Atlanta (41-39), which ranks eighth.
In the rest of the day:
- Pacers 129-138 Knicks
- Pistons 108-123 Nets
- Hawks 134-116 Wizards
- Bucks 105-92 Bulls
- Pelicans 138-131 Grizzlies
- Mavericks 123-119 Kings
- Clippers 125-118 Lakers
AP
