The Boston Celtics have ensured that they will head into the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference's seventh seed following a 95-93 win over the Toronto Raptors in their penultimate game of the regular season.
The Raptors looked the stronger of the two sides in the first quarter as they opened up a seven-point lead, with Jonas Valanciunas and Lou Williams both finding the basket early on.
The visitors were unable to add to their lead before the break though, allowing Brandon Bass and Tyler Zeller to cut the gap and eventually level the scores midway through the third.
The sides were close throughout the fourth quarter, and it looked like the game could be heading to overtime when Kyle Lowry tied the scores inside the final 10 seconds, but Jae Crowder added a jump shot with less than a second remaining to seal the win for Boston.
The result gives the Celtics a 39-42 record ahead of the final game of the season, leaving them facing a first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Celtics face the Milwaukee Bucks in the final game of the season later today, while the Raptors host the Charlotte Hornets.
Sian Cowper
