NBA roundup: Boston Celtics claim third win in a row in defeat of Toronto Raptors

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tatum-jayson/t4Y4e7r0/"]Tatum[/a] added 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-celtics/KYD9hVEm/"]Celtics[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/boston-celtics-KYD9hVEm/toronto-raptors-CxtbCMdU/?mid=dbzBppMO"]who notched their third straight win[/a] to tighten their grip on second place in the NBA Eastern Conference.[/p][p]After hot starts in their past two victories, the Celtics looked sluggish in the early going.[/p][p]They were bedeviled by 18 turnovers, leading to 24 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-raptors/CxtbCMdU/"]Raptors[/a] points, and connected on just eight of their 28 three-point attempts.[/p][p]Up 80-77 going into the fourth quarter, the Celtics were buoyed by 11 points from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pritchard-payton/SWoc4GBt/"]Payton Pritchard[/a] in the final frame, pushing their lead to as many as 18.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/walter-ja-kobe/nTMiYg94/"]Ja'Kobe Walter[/a] scored 16 points and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barrett-r-j/AoZEtF3g/"]RJ Barrett[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ingram-brandon/jJ12C7e8/"]Brandon Ingram[/a] added 15 points each for the Raptors, who are seventh in the East but neck and neck with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-76ers/vwRW2QSh/"]Philadelphia[/a] in the fight for sixth and a chance to escape the play-in tournament.[/p][embed guid="880bc42a-e0ed-4d6e-913c-10fd8f38b169" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2040909491881771193?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Later Sunday [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]LeBron James[/a] leads a depleted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Lakers[/a] team against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dallas-mavericks/YouS3mEC/"]Mavericks[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/dallas-mavericks-YouS3mEC/los-angeles-lakers-ngegZ8bg/?mid=bqnW93Xp"]in Dallas[/a].[/p][p]The Lakers, clinging to third place in the Western Conference, have confirmed they will be without NBA leading scorer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doncic-luka/pQ4ZBK0o/"]Luka Doncic[/a] and offensive sparkplug [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/austin-reaves/xlCMu1nk/"]Austin Reaves[/a] for at least the last five games of the regular season.[/p][p]Doncic suffered a hamstring strain in a loss to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Oklahoma City[/a] Thursday and Reaves has an oblique muscle injury.[/p][p]The fourth-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denver-nuggets/CxvW27TI/"]Denver Nuggets[/a] are hot on the Lakers' heels with the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston Rockets[/a] just two games behind them in fifth place.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/golden-state-warriors/SxUtXqch/"]Golden State[/a] superstar [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/curry-stephen/xx3787qL/"]Stephen Curry[/a] is expected to return from a 27-game injury absence when the Warriors [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/golden-state-warriors-SxUtXqch/houston-rockets-Sr9PQALP/?mid=n5SQVpf4"]host[/a] the Rockets.[/p][p]Curry, who last played on January 30, was diagnosed with a bone bruise and patella-femoral pain syndrome in his right knee.[/p][p]The 38-year-old said this week that he'd been frustrated at the slow pace of recovery from an injury he expected to sideline him "[b]a week, 10 days max[/b]".[/p][p]"[b]The patience then was tough just because it's one of those injuries you really have to let rest,[/b]" he said.[/p][p]Curry said there is "nothing structurally wrong" with his knee but acknowledged he's dealing with "a new normal" in terms of managing the issue.[/p][p]Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry will be on a minutes restriction as the team, currently 10th in the West, builds toward the play-in tournament.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/basketball/usa/nba/"]Follow all of the NBA action on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]