Payton Pritchard had 28 points and eight assists, and the Boston Celtics held off the short-handed Toronto Raptors 125-117.

Toronto boasts a tremendous defense, and our expert NBA predictions expect the Raptors to compete well enough to cover the spread tonight at TD Garden.

Boston's injury report is out before a critical Eastern Conference showdown with Toronto. The Celtics need a response after Wednesday's loss.

The Boston Celtics curbed the Toronto Raptors' late rally at home, securing a 125-117 win over their Atlantic Division foe.

The Celtics lost to an injury-depleted opponent on their home floor Wednesday night. They didn't let that happen again on Friday.

The Toronto Raptors closed out their brief road trip in a matchup against the Boston Celtics. Shorthanded and facing a hot-handed Celtics team almost at full strength proved to be too much for the Raptors.

Two of the Eastern Conference’s most amazing teams are going to clash with each other tonight in an exciting NBA matchup. The Boston Celtics will host.

Payton Pritchard had 27 points and eight assists to lead the Celtics. Jaylen Brown added 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Barrett had 19 points and seven assists before his departure. Immanuel Quickley also finished with 17 points and 13 assists.

The Celtics improve to 24-13 on the season and a virtual tie with the New York Knicks for second place in the East.

The Toronto Raptors (17-11) return home tonight for a brief stop at Scotiabank Arena as they host the Boston Celtics (15-11) in their second meeting of the season. Toronto enters the matchup having won two straight games and continues to build positive momentum in the midst of a strong December stretch.