Celtics claim 12th straight win

Al Horford scored a teamhigh 21 points in his return as the Boston Celtics played without Kyrie Irving but still managed to hang on for their 12th straight victory.

The Celtics had to dig deep into the depths of their roster, as they have done throughout their winning streak, to defeat the Toronto Raptors 95-94 in front of a crowd of 18,600 at the Boston Garden.

Horford missed two games due to a concussion and his return was welcome news after all-star Irving suffered a facial fracture in Friday’s win over Charlotte when he was accidently struck in the mouth by a teammate.