Boston Celtics (28-11) at Toronto Raptors (9-31) Game #40 1/15/25

The Boston Celtics make a quick trip across the US-Canada border to face the Toronto Raptors tonight. It will be the third time Boston will face Toronto, winning the previous two games. The first matchup was back in November when the Celtics needed overtime and a Jayson Tatum game-winning three to come out on top 126-123 at TD Garden.

Recently, Boston and Toronto squared off on New Year’s Eve with the Celtics again protecting home court with a 54-point thrashing of the Raptors 125-71.

Boston has had mixed results of late, winning six of their last 10 games. Most recently, they narrowly defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in a game that came down to the wire. After a 3-1 road trip, the Celtics were stunned at home against the Kings. While the Celtics haven’t dominated as much as they did last season, they still sit solidly in second place just 5.5 games behind Clevland in first and three games ahead of the Knicks. Now on Wednesday, the green and whites will look to put together a winning streak against a struggling opponent.

The Raptors are fresh off a home win against Golden State on Monday. Before the game against the Warriors, Toronto was on a five-game losing streak, losing to the Magic, Bucks, Knicks, Cavs and Pistons. They are currently in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.

Injury news:

The Celtics have no players listed on the injury report.

For Toronto against Golden State, Immanuel Quickley missed the game and was listed with a hip injury. It seems unlikely that he will be healthy enough to play against Boston on Wednesday night. Quickley had a game to remember against the Celtics in years past when he was a member of the Knicks, posting a then-career-high 38 points in 2023.

Key matchups

Scottie Barnes vs. Jayson Tatum.

Each team’s best player is having a strong season so far. Barnes, in his fourth season with the Raptors, has increased his scoring average each year. This season he is averaging 20.4 points per game. game, 8.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per match. Everything starts and ends with Barnes, and if the Celtics can slow him down, they will have a good chance to win the game.

Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics in points (28.1), assists (5.3), rebounds (9.4) and steals (1.3). The only category he doesn’t lead the team in is blocks. After an impressive campaign last year, it was hard to imagine how much more Tatum could improve, but he’s doing more on the glass than he ever has in previous seasons.

Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images

RJ Barrett vs. Jaylen Brown

The one matchup that I am curious to see is Jaylen Brown vs. RJ Barrett. Brown, when locked in, has been able to defend the opposing team’s best players and make them work for every shot. He will need to be on his A-game against Barrett, who has enjoyed a successful season back in his homeland.

Since being shipped to Toronto for OG Anunoby, RJ Barrett has looked like the promising prospect everyone wanted after his lone season at Duke University. Barrett leads the Raptors in scoring with 22.4 points per game. match. The guard missed a couple of games earlier this month due to illness, but is back healthy and starting for Toronto.

Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images

Celtics big vs. Jakob Poeltl

Against the Kings, the Celtics struggled to keep Domantas Sabonis off the glass. Sabonis finished with 23 points and 28 rebounds. Against the Raptors, even if he isn’t as good a rebounder as Sabonis, the Celtics will need to make sure Jakob Poeltl doesn’t dominate the glass. The Austrian averages 14.8 points and 10.6 rebounds.

It’s going to take a team effort to make sure Boston doesn’t lose the rebounding game.

It’s a game on paper that the Celtics should win, but the Raptors will feel confident after their win over Golden State. If Boston thinks they can just stroll into Scotiabank Arena and leave with another 50+ point win, they’re in for a rude awakening.