Kyle Lowry's fourth quarter outburst helps Raptors stave off Atlantic Division rival Celtics

The Raptors are not playing for a favourable matchup in the playoffs. They're just trying to win. Especially with the crammed schedule they've had lately.

Boston was Toronto's fourth opponent in five nights, and the Celtics have put themselves in prime position to make the playoffs.

The Celtics have been hit with injuries lately, but none more impactful than losing Jae Crowder. The forward has been a Swiss army knife this year, and his absence is a major blow to Boston, who have lost three straight games since Crowder went down.

Still, coach Dwane Casey was aware of Boston's gritty style of play. "They're still the same team. They've run into some good teams, they've missed shots, they're pittbulls. We've got to meet their intensity tonight. If we don't it's going to be embarassing."

That intensity roots from guys like Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart, putting pressure on Kyle Lowry and Cory Joseph to take care of the ball.

The Raptors are dealing with injuries of their own. Jonas Valanciunas was active but did not play for the third consecutive game after suffering a left hand injury against the Bulls on Monday. X-rays were negative in Chicago, but the Raptors are being cautious, aiming to enter the playoffs at full health.

With less than 20 games remaining on the season, Dwane Casey has been mindful to rest some players. But he was adamant saying that doesn't mean the team gets a day off, "We're in this to win. We're kinda trying to rest guys, we're not trying to see who can do what, we're trying to win. The guys behind them are there to do a job."

Fortunately for the Raptors, Bismack Biyombo has been playing out of his mind lately. The big man pulled down a franchise-high 25 rebounds Thursday against the Pacers. The Raps got another stellar contribution from Biyombo tonight, with 11 rebounds in 24 minutes.

Norman Powell has also played well as of late, the rookie got his 10th career start tonight in place of James Johnson.

Coach Casey talked about the importance of role players stepping up, "You build that confidence that you can go in and do the job."

Luis Scola did exactly that, outscoring the Celtics 17-14 in the first quarter to help the Raptors take a quick 21-8 start.

DeMar DeRozan was pleased with Scola's first quarter outburst, "That's what the old man does. The engine runs well at the beginning. Scola's like an old school Cutlass. He gets you where you gotta go but don't rely on him for the road trips."

The Raptors got an all-around contribution, and settled for a 55-41 lead at the half.

Boston's gritty defense came alive in the second half, and Isaiah Thomas' 12 points sparked a Celtics comeback attempt. The Raptors saw their lead fade to just five points at the end of the third quarter.

But Kyle Lowry took matters into his own hands in the final frame. A couple of threes midway through the fourth sealed the deal for the Raptors despite a valiant effort from Boston.

Toronto claimed the 105-91 victory and never trailed in the game.

"It was a good test for us, four tough games against four tough teams, two on the road and two at home. It was fun." said Lowry.

Lowry finished with 32 points on 9-for-14 shooting, and had 15 of them in the fourth.

Fourth quarter scoring was something Kyle was struggling with at the tail end of last season, "Just the ability to play off the ball with Cory (Joseph) giving me time to roam and chase the ball. His ability to get to the basket and create for me. It's just been a good combination. For me it's just about being consistent throughout."

Toronto's defense has been phenomenal during this three-game win streak, allowing just 91.3 points per game.

The Raptors have never swept a season series agasint the Celtics, they have a chance to do so Wednesday night in Boston.

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