Raptors drop 3rd in a row as Tatum-less Celtics extend win streak to 9 games

The misery continues for the Toronto Raptors.

Jaylen Brown scored 27 points to lift a Boston Celtics team missing leading scorer Jayson Tatum to a 106-104 victory over the Raptors — their ninth consecutive victory.

Pascal Siakam had 29 points and 10 rebounds to top the Raptors (20-27), who lost their third straight, and third in a row to an undermanned team. The Raptors have lost four of five since recording their first three-game win streak of the season.

"It was really too much hit and miss," coach Nick Nurse said. "I think that's what I just talked to the guys about. There was a lot of times when we controlled the ball, pursued the ball, contested at the rim, blocked shots at the rim, etc. And then there's just too many times when it's a straight-line drive and a layup, right? We just can't give those up.

Gary Trent Jr. had 22 points, Precious Achiuwa finished with 17 points and 11 boards, and Scottie Barnes had 10 points.

The Raptors' previous two losses came against short-handed teams: a 130-122 defeat Tuesday to a Milwaukee squad minus superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, and then a 128-126 loss Thursday against a Timberwolves team that was missing Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, and had played at altitude in Denver a night earlier.

"It's tough, it's hard," Siakam said. "There's so many of those games where I felt we did a lot, a lot of good things, couple of mistakes here and there and you pay for it. It sucks."

WATCH | Raptors fall to Celtics in Toronto:

Tatum, the league's third-leading scorer and an MVP candidate, sat out Saturday with a wrist injury. The Celtics injury woes worsened when they lost both Marcus Smart (right ankle sprain) and Robert Williams (hyperextended knee) in the first half. Smart, who had