Toronto Raptors (1-1) at Boston Celtics (3-0), Preseason Game #4, 10/13/24

The Celtics host the Toronto Raptors for the second of consecutive preseason home games. The Celtics defeated the Raptors 4-0 last season. Toronto enters the game having won its first game in Montreal 125-98 against the Wizards and lost its second game in Washington 113-95 against the same Wizards.

The Celtics will wrap up their preseason on Tuesday against the same Raptors in Toronto. These two teams will face each other four times this season on November 16th, December 31st, January 15th and February 25th. The Celtics are 70-42 overall against the Raptors and 42-14 in games in Boston.

As with any preseason game, it's hard to say which players will start, as coaches like to rest veterans and regular rotation players to give rookies, backups and camp contract players a chance to show what they can do. This is especially true for the Celtics, who are playing on the second night of back-to-back games.

Kristaps Porzingis remains out for the Celtics as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. The Raptors have 4 players on the injured list. Immanuel Quickley is questionable with a sprained thumb. RJ Barrett is out with a shoulder sprain. Ja'Kobe Walter is also out with a shoulder sprain. Bruce Brown is out due to arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

Likely Celtics starters

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Celtics reserves
Sam Hauser
Al Horford
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh

2-way player
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anthony Watson

Training camp contracts
Ron Harper, Jr
Jay Scrubb
Dmytro Skapintsev
Lonnie Walker IV

Injuries/losses
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) is out

Head coach
Joe Mazzulla

Likely Raptors starters

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Raptors reserves
Jonathan Mogbo
Jared Rhoden
Garrett Temple
Jamal Shead
Bruno Fernando
Chris Boucher
Jahmi'us Ramsey
Kelly Olynyk
Jamison Battle

2-way player
DJ cardboard
Ulrich Chomche
Branden Carlson

Injuries/losses
Immanuel Quickley (thumb) questionable
RJ Barrett (shoulder) is out
Ja'Kobe Walter (shoulder) is out
Bruce Brown (knee) is out

Head coach
Darko Rajakovic

Key Matches

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  Jayson Tatum
  
  

  Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
  

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  Scottie Barmes
  
  

  Photo by Jordan Jones/NBAE via Getty Images
  

Jayson Tatum vs. Scottie Barnes
Assuming Jayson Tatum plays in back-to-back games, this should be a good matchup. Barnes had 16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals against the Wizards on Friday. He shot 46.7% from the field but went 0-for-5 from three balls.

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  Luke Kornet
  
  

  Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
  

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  Jakob Pöltl
  
  

  Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images
  

Luke Kornet against Jakob Poeltl
Kornet could start here, or it's possible one of the other centers starts since they play back-to-back. Poeltl has started both games for the Raptors so far, but it's possible they decide to start another center in this game. Poeltl finished Friday's game with 10 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal while shooting 33% from the field and 40% from distance.

Honorable mention
Sam Hauser vs. Chris Boucher
Boucher came off the bench for the Raptors on Friday, scoring 22 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. In 18 minutes of play, he made 70% of his shots from the field and 75% from distance. Sam Hauser has played well for the Celtics so far in the preseason and this could be a matchup between the 6th men.

Key to the game
defense – Defense will always be the key to victory. If the Celtics hope to win the championship again this season, defense must first come first. In the preseason, the Raptors are fifth with 55 points and 25th with 35 three-point shots attempted per game. The Celtics must try to keep the Raptors out of the game and force them to play outside of their comfort zone.

rebound – The Raptors are 6th with 48 rebounds per game, while the Celtics are 27th with 41 rebounds per game. Last season, the Celtics ranked second with 46.3 rebounds per game. Rebounding is very important to limit second chance baskets and fast breaks. The Raptors are in 1st place with 22 second-chance points per game in the preseason. A large part of rebounding involves effort and hustle. The Celtics need to put in more effort to beat the Raptors in rebounding.

depth – With the Celtics playing in back-to-back games and the Raptors playing without three key players and possibly resting starters, depth will prove to be the key to victory. Coaches will play their two-way players, camp players and role players to get an idea of ​​what they're made of and how they fit into the offensive and defensive systems.

3-point shooting – The Celtics relied on shooting threes last season. They were first in the league making 43.5 three-pointers per game. They also ranked 1st in the league with 16.5 three-pointers per game. In their two games against the Nuggets, the Celtics attempted a whopping 54 three-pointers per game and made 35% of them. When the Celtics make their 3s they are hard to beat, but when they struggle to make 3s the game gets really ugly.

X factors
Back to Back Home – The Celtics are playing their second game in as many nights, so fatigue could be a factor. Additionally, I doubt the Celtics' starters will play much, if at all, on the second night of back-to-back preseason games. But the Celtics are at home and whoever plays should be supported by the fans, while the Raptors are on the road for the second straight year and will play in front of a hostile crowd.

It's the preseason – Player development, building chemistry and player evaluation are the most important things for coaches in pre-season. We'll likely see more rookies in this game, as well as players with camp contracts, as coaches evaluate players in the bubble for playing time and look to retain their starters for the regular season.

Officiating – I know I say this every game, but management can always be a deciding factor, even in preseason. Every team decides the game differently, whether they punish every little ticky-tack foul or give up a lot of contact and let the teams play. The referees are also in preseason, so it's hard to know how they will handle this season. The Celtics need to get used to the way the game is called and not allow the calls to affect their concentration or play.

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