The Celtics host the division rival Toronto Raptors for the 3rd of 4 games this season. The Celtics beat them 117-94 at Boston on 11/11 and They also beat them 108-105 at Toronto on 11/17. They will play will meet one more time in Toronto on January 15. The Celtics won the series 4-0 last season. They are 68-41 overall all time and 40-14 in games played in Boston.
This is the first of back to back games for Toronto and is the second of a 3 game road trip. They will play in Detroit next and then Cleveland at home before heading out on a 6 game Western road trip. This this the second of back to back games for the Celtics after an overtime win over the Pistons on Thursday. They will play at San Antonio on New Years Even and then at OKC on January 2.
The Celtics remain first in the East, 1.5 games ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee, 3 games ahead of 3rd place Philadelphia and 6 games ahead of both 4th place Miami and 5th place Orlando. They are 15-0 at home and 9-1 in their last 10 games. They are 20-4 against Eastern Conference opponents and 9-1 against Atlantic Division teams. They have won their last 4 games.
The Raptors are 11th in the East They are 1 game behind 10 place Chicago and the final play-in spot. They are 5.5 games behind 6th place Cleveland and the final guaranteed playoff spot. They are tied with 12th place Atlanta but own the tie breaker over them. They are 4-9 on the road and 3-7 in their last 10 games. They are 8-15 against other Eastern Conference teams and 0-8 against Atlantic Division teams. They are coming off a win in their last game.
Al Horford is out as it is the second of back to back games and he played on Thursday against the Pistons. Jaylen Brown is questionable with a back contusion. Jayson Tatum is questionable for ankle sprain management. Kristaps Porzingis is doubtful for calf injury management. Jrue Holiday is questionable with an elbow injury.
For the Raptors, Christian Koloko is out with a respiratory illness. Garrett Temple is questionable with an ankle injury. With all the questionable players, I’m not sure who will play and who will be out. I’m just listing the normal starters because if they are all out I have no idea who will start.
Probable Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Delano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta
Injuries/Out
Al Horford (rest) out
Jaylen Brown (back) questionable
Jrue Holiday (elbow) questionable
Kristaps Porzingis (calf injury management) doubtful
Jayson Tatum (ankle injury management) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Raptors Starters
Raptors Reserves
Precious Achiuwa
Chris Boucher
Gradey Dick
Malachi Flynn
Jalen McDaniels
Otto Porter, Jr
Gary Trent, Jr
Thaddeus Young
2 Way Players
Javon Freeman-Liberty
Jontay Porter
Marquis Nowell
Injuries/Out
Christian Koloko (illness) out
Garrett Temple (ankle) questionable
Head Coach
Darko Rajakovic
Key Matchups
Jayson Tatum vs Pascal Siakam
Siakam is averaging 21.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5 assists. He is shooting 50.7% from the field and 24.1% from beyond the arc. Against Boston this season, he is averaging 20 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 51.5% from the field and 0% on threes. He is struggling somewhat on 3s but if left alone, he is very capable of hitting them.
-
Derrick White
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
-
Scottie Barmes
Photo by Jordan Jones/NBAE via Getty Images
Derrick White vs Scottie Barnes
Barnes is averaging 20.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. He is shooting 49% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc. Against the Celtics this season he averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block. He shot 32.1% from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc. Even though he struggled against the Celtics so far this season, he has been Toronto’s best and most consistent player and it will be important for the Celtics to defend him well.
Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs OG Anunoby
Anunoby is averaging 15.2 points, 3,9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He is shooting 48.6% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc. Against the Celtics, he averaged 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. He shot 23.1% from the field and 25.3% from beyond the arc. Jaylen Brown may or may not play but whoever plays here needs to continue to limit Anunoby’s impact on the game.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense will always be the key to winning. The Celtics are 5th with a defensive rating of 110.5 while the Raptors are 17th with a defensive rating of 115.2. If the Celtics hope to win this game it will have to be with defense first. The Raptors are 6th with 53.7 points in the paint per game. The Celtics must try to keep them out of the paint and force them to play out of their comfort zone.
Rebound – The Raptors average 44.9 rebounds per game (7th) while the Celtics average 47.0 rebounds per game (2nd) Rebounding is very important to limit second chance baskets and fast breaks. The Raptors are 11th with 15.7 2nd chance points per game and 2nd with 17.3 fast break points per game. The Celtics were out rebounded 68-47 by the Pistons and it almost cost them the game. Much of rebounding is effort and hustle. The Celtics must put out more effort to beat the Raptors to rebounds.
Move the Ball – The Celtics play best when the ball is moving and players move to find the best shots. When the ball sticks, the offense is stagnant and the Celtics struggle to score. They need to make good passes and keep the ball moving rather than lapsing into hero ball.
Bench Play – The Celtics are playing on the second night of back to back games and played a very tough overtime game on Thursday and so fatigue could set in, especially for the starters. They need the reserves to come in and contribute to give the starters a rest without giving up production on the court.
X-Factors
Back to Back – The Celtics are playing in their fifth back to back set this season. Meanwhile, the Raptors haven’t played since Tuesday. The Celtics are 3-1 on the second night of back to back games, including a win over the Raptors so hopefully they will play well in this one. Hopefully the reserves will play well enough to give the starters enough rest to be able to finish the game strong.
Officiating – While rarely is officiating a reason for a win or a loss, it can always be an x-factor. Every game is called differently. Some games are called tightly and some games are allowed to be more physical. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the game is being called and focus on playing and not on the calls that are being made or not being made.
