Celtics at Raptors preview: Boston looks to avoid letdown in Toronto, Digi Mart USA News: After rolling past the 76ers in Tuesday night’s showdown in Philadelphia, the Celtics will look to avoid a letdown when they take on the Raptors in Toronto. It will be the second of back-to-back contests for Boston.
The Celtics should be good to go, as only Jayson Tatum (32 minutes) and Paul George (30:09) played more than 30 minutes against the 76ers. The starters got some rest after Boston pulled away early in the fourth quarter.
George, the centerpiece acquired by the Celtics in the Jaylen Brown trade, finished with a game-high 36 points in his return to Philadelphia. “I’m healthy,” he said on the NBC broadcast after the game.
“That was the biggest challenge, the biggest hurdle the first two years I was here in Philly. What I’ve learned is I’m a little bit better with more usage, and that’s no knock to how my opportunities here with Philly.
Quite frankly, I wasn’t healthy to take on the workload that I feel I’m at my best at.”
George also praised his new team. “Here in Boston, they gave me an opportunity to come out here and play and be myself.
[Boston coach Joe Mazzulla] has integrated me right into the offense and allowed me to just be myself.”
With the victory, the Celtics extended their winning streak to four and moved ahead of Philadelphia for the top record in the Eastern Conference. They will look to stay there and earn another win against an Atlantic Division opponent in Toronto.
Boston is 9-2 on the season and 6-4 against the spread, with one push. The Celtics are 4-6 on the over/under, with one push.
Over their last 10 games, they are 9-1 straight up and 6-3 against the spread, with one push, and 3-6 on the over/under, with one push.
Toronto is 5-5 on the season, 5-5 against the spread and 5-5 on the over/under. Over its last 10 games, the Raptors are also 5-5 straight up, 5-5 against the spread and 5-5 on the over/under.
Boston is allowing 104.0 points per game, compared with 113.3 for Toronto. Both teams have a field goal percentage of .459.
Opponents shoot .423 against Boston and .478 against Toronto, while opponent 3-point percentage is .335 for Boston and .365 for Toronto.
Stat of the day: The Celtics have won 11 of the last 12 meetings with the Raptors.
Payton Pritchard had 18 points in 29:46 off the bench and finished with a team-high +26. The Raptors will be without Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes.
Leonard (knee swelling) has missed the last eight games, while Barnes (groin strain) and Immanuel Quickley (hamstring tightness) have been out for the last two. Quickley has been listed as questionable.
After starting the season 2-0, Toronto has gone 3-5 without Leonard in the lineup.
After tonight, the Celtics will return home and be off until Sunday, when they play the first of a back-to-back against the Mavericks, followed by the Magic on Monday.
