The Boston Celtics got a momentum boost to beat the visiting Eastern Conference second-best team Toronto Raptors with a 91-79 victory at the TD Garden on Wednesday night.

Starting guard Isaiah Thomas finished the game with a game-high 23 points and forward Evan Turner contributed 17 points and a team-high seven assists to lead the Celtics to their third straight win in a row.

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"It's big," Thomas, who went 8 for 17 from the field including 3 of 8 from the three-point range, said. "We wanted some confidence and momentum going into this tough West Coast trip and we got it. We wanted these three games and we got them."

Avery Bradley chipped in 16 markers, while Amir Johnson had a double-double game performance of 11 points and 14 rebounds along with five assists and two blocked shots for Boston. With the win, Celtics improved to25-12 at home this season.

The Raptors trailed 69-58 late in the third period before staging a 10-0 run to get back into the game. The host team missed eight consecutive shots during the run, but were able to retaliate with a 10-4 spurt, getting their lead back 79-72.

The first two quarters were tight throughout, with 10 lead changes and neither club having more than a three-point lead.

The Raptors, who played without starting guard Kyle Lowry due to a sore right elbow, had their four-game winning streak snapped and fell 2 1/2 games behind Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the tight Eastern Conference.

However, Toronto sealed their third straight playoff berth as the Chicago Bull dropped their recent game. With the win Boston is guaranteed of at least a .500 record finish, the Celtics currently hold a 42 wins and 30 losses record.

All-Star DeMar DeRosan scored a team-high 21 points and Terrence Ross finished with 13 points for the Raptors, who dropped to 48-22.

TagsBoston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, NBA, Isaiah Thomas, DeMar DeRozan, Avery bradley, Eastern Conference