Boston’s Ray Allen scored 23 points to help the injury-depleted Celtics end the Toronto Raptors’ five-game winning streak with a 103-96 victory on Saturday.
Five other Celtics joined Allen in double figures as Boston won for the first time in four games despite being hampered by the absence of starters Paul Pierce (knee), Kevin Garnett (knee) and Rajon Rondo (hamstring) through injury.
“I thought tonight we showed up with an attitude that we’re going to find a way to win,” Boston coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “We didn’t know how but we’re going to find it.”
PHOTO: EPA
Rasheed Wallace added 16 points, Glen Davis 15 and Kendrick Perkins and Tony Allen both tallied 14 for the Celtics in a solid all-round team display. Perkins also had 10 rebounds.
“When some guys are hurt it’s your time to step in and show that you can play,” Perkins said.
Tony Allen got the start at point guard and delivered seven assists and five rebounds.
“He was great,” Rivers said. “He was aggressive when he needed to be.”
Chris Bosh paced the Raptors with 25 points and nine rebounds and center Andrea Bargnani added 21 points.
“We let them take us out of our offense a little bit too much,” Bosh said. “The chances that we did have to throw the ball inside, we didn’t capitalize on.
“Against this team, if you don’t go inside and out, you’re probably going to shoot low percentage shots from the outside and you’re not going to make them all,” added Bosh, who made 11 of 15 shots.
The Raptors had 27 fouls for the game and the Celtics 21.
BUCKS 103, THUNDER 97, OT
At Milwaukee, Illinois, Michael Redd scored six of his 27 points in overtime to help Milwaukee snap a four-game losing streak.
Andrew Bogut had 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucks, who ended Oklahoma City’s win streak at five games.
SPURS 97, WIZARDS 86
San Antonio defeated slumping Washington for their season-best fifth straight victory. Tim Duncan scored 23 points, reserve Roger Mason Jr added a season-high 20.
In other NBA action, it was:
• Cavaliers 94, Nets 86
• Bobcats 107, Heat 97
• Pacers 122, Timberwolves 111
• Celtics 103, Raptors 96
• Bulls 101, Magic 93
• Hornets 99, Rockets 95
• Grizzlies 128, Suns 103
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB