(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Raptors are pulling away a bit in the Atlantic Division and will try to put more space in between themselves and another contender when they visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. You can listen to the game live at 7:30pm et on TSN 1050 Toronto. The Raptors have won three in a row and eight of the last 10. They are 12-5 since trading Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings and own a 4 1/2-game lead over the Brooklyn Nets in the Atlantic Division. All three of their recent victories came at the Air Canada Centre, but the Raptors have dropped two in a row on the road. Forgive them the losses, but the opponents were the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat and Toronto fell by a combined 12 points. On Saturday, the Raps ended the homestand with a 116-94 drubbing of the lowly Milwaukee Bucks. "We dont have any right, yet, to overlook anyone," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "This is a tough league and were still building, were still getting there, so I cant allow our guys to have that in their thought process." Kyle Lowry scored 23 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc to help lead the Raptors. "Hes been playing at an All-Star level," Casey said of Lowry. DeMar DeRozan netted 19 points and Jonas Valanciunas recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto, which has won five straight at home. Patrick Patterson and John Salmons scored 18 and 10 points off the bench, respectively, in the win. The Celtics have dropped nine in a row, which is the franchises seventh- longest skid. Boston is on its longest slide since a franchise-worst 18-game losing streak back in 2007. The ninth consecutive setback came on Saturday. After the Cs returned from a five-game western swing, the Houston Rockets came to Beantown and left with a 104-92 victory. Avery Bradley poured in 24 points and Jerryd Bayless chipped in with 17. Brandon Bass added 14 and Jordan Crawford managed 13 in what could be one of his final starts. Thats because it seems like All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo is close to a return. "29,233,280 secs," Rondo wrote on his Twitter account Monday, implying the 338-day time frame between his surgery to repair a torn ACL last February and Fridays game between the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens told the media on Tuesday that Rondo will undergo a vigorous workout Wednesday to test his right knee and is a possibility to play in Fridays contest if he comes out of the session OK. "Weve got a day planned, a pretty strenuous day for him, tomorrow," said Stevens. "And then well go from there. "I would think that theres a chance that he will be back for Friday." The Raptors beat the Celtics by six on opening night in Toronto, but theyve lost 10 in a row at TD Bank Garden. Just a little more than a month since undergoing leg surgery, Tampa Bay Lightning sniper Steven Stamkos was skating and stick-handling at the Prudential Center in New Jersey on Saturday. It was the first time hes laced up the skates since breaking his right leg in a game against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 11. Stamkos joined his teammates on the ice at their morning skate before a game against the Devils. He wasnt in hockey gear. "Im feeling good (and) everythings on track," Stamkos said following practice. "Just starting to progress and make sure there are no setbacks, but Im feeling really good." Stamkos suffered a fractured tibia while backchecking on a play in the Tampa Bay zone in the second period when he got tangled with Boston defenceman Dougie Hamilton. Stamkos fell to the ice and slid feet-first before his lower right leg slammed into the right post, forcing the net off its moorings. "Its just nice to get back out there," he said. "Mentally, its just a good thing to get out there on the ice and even be out there and pass tthe puck with a couple of guys.ddddddddddddThats positive for me and thats only going to help." Asked if there was any pain in his foot during the skate, Stamkos said it felt good. "I thought I might have a little issue with that bottom screw in there but I didnt. Theres still a bit of swelling in the leg and ankle so you feel that a little bit, but I dont think Im going to have a problem with the screw." While a return to the ice is positive news, Stamkos said that a return date isnt any clearer. "There is healing taking place in the bone but by no means is it close to being fully healed. Only time will tell but we definitely ramped up the rehab; whether it was in the water tread mill, in the gym and now on the ice. "This ice stuff is really not for my leg; its more for keeping my hands loose and shooting some pucks. Well see, but everythings gone great so far and I couldnt be more pleased with the treatment Ive been getting." Stamkos was tied for the NHL lead in goals (14) and points (23) before suffering the injury. cheap custom jerseys wholesale jerseys store cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '