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Boston Celtics (45-23) at Toronto Raptors (49-18)
Friday, August 7, 2020
9:00 ET PM
Seeding Game #5
TV: TNT, NBCSB, TSN
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub
The Arena 
Probable Starters PG
SG
SF
PF
C
PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Gordon Hayward
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Daniel Theis
Celtics ReservesMarcus Smart
Carsen Edwards
Javonte Green
Semi Ojeleye
Vincent Poirier
Brad Wanamaker
Grant Williams
Enes Kanter
Romeo Langford
Robert Williams
Tremont Waters
Tacko Fall
Injuries/NWTNone
Head CoachBrad Stevens
Probable Starters PG
SG
SF
PF
C
PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: Fred VanVleet
SF: OG Anunoby
PF: Pascal Siakam
C: Marc Gasol
Raptors ReservesChris Boucher
Terence Davis
Dewan Hernandez
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Serge Ibaka
Stanley Johnson
Malcolm Miller
Norman Powell
Matt Thomas
Paul Watson
Injuries Oshae Brissett (knee) questionable
Patrick McCaw (knee) out
Head Coach Nick Nurse
Game Notes The Celtics will play their 5th seeding game as they face their division rivals, the Toronto Raptors, who are playing their 4th seeding game. The Raptors are in second place in the East and 5 games behind the first place Bucks. The Celtics sit in 3rd place, 4 games behind the Raptors and 2.5 games ahead of the 4th place Miami Heat.
The Celtics lead the series 2 games to 1 so far this season. The Celtics won 112-106 in the first game in Toronto on October 25. They also won the second game 118-102, also in Toronto, on Christmas Day. The Raptors won their third meeting 113-97 in Boston on December 28. Oddly, this is considered an away game for the Celtics, which would give Toronto 3 home games on the season and the Celtics just one.
The Raptors are unbeaten in the Bubble so far, going 3-0 in their first 3 games. They beat the Los Angeles Lakers, the Heat and the Magic. The Celtics have been up and down, beating the Trail Blazers and the Nets while losing to the Bucks and the Heat. The Raptors are on a 7 game win streak, going back to before the hiatus. The Celtics are looking to win their second straight game.
Kemba Walker sat out the game against the Nets for rest as it was the second of back to back games. He is expected to be back in the lineup for this one and also to have another increase in his minutes, possibly up to as many as 30 minutes. Oshae Brissett and Patrick McCaw have both missed the first 3 games in the Bubble with knee injuries. Brissett is questionable for this game while McCaw is listed as out.
Key Matchups vs
Kemba Walker vs Kyle Lowry
These are two veterans who are playing very well for their teams. Lowry is averaging 19.7points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.3 steals. He averaged 24.3 points in the first 3 games against the Celtics this season. He is tough on defense along with being one of Toronto's top scorers. This should be a good matchup but may be a tough one for Kemba.
vs
Jayson Tatum vs Pascal Siakam
Siakam's improvement and tough play is one of the reasons that the Raptors have not missed a beat, even after losing Kawhi Leonard this year. He is averaging 23.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He is shooting 45.6% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc. Jayson needs to stay with him on defense as he can score inside or out. He is also a good defender so Jayson needs to work on the offensive end to get his points.
Honorable Mention Jaylen Brown vs Fred VanVleet
VanVleet is averaging 17.9 points,, 3.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.8 steals. Jaylen Brown has been playing very well for the Celtics and should match up well with VanVleet. He needs to stay with him on the perimeter as VanVleet is shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc.
Keys to the Game
DefenseThe Celtics have let their defense slip in their first 3 games in the bubble and have slipped to 5th with a defensive rating of 106.7. The Raptors are 2nd with a defensive rating of 104.5. The Celtics showed some improvement in defending the Nets, but they need to play particularly tough defense against the Raptors since they are a top defensive team themselves. Over their 7 game win streak, the raptors the Raptors are shooting 45.1% from the field and 39.6% from beyond the arc. The Celtics have to make defense a priority if they hope to beat the Raptors.
Be AggressiveThe Celtics must be the more aggressive team. They have to be aggressive on defense, in going after loose balls, in crashing the boards, and just all around going all out. They have to aggressively attack the basket. They need to start the game with that aggressive attitude and be aggressive through the whole game with no let up. They absolutely can't let the Raptors play harder than them.
ReboundThe Celtics must crash the boards. They can't score if they don't have the ball. Much of rebounding is effort and desire. The Celtics have to be the team that puts out more effort from every player to go after rebounds. The Celtics are 9th in rebounds at 45.8 per game. The Raptors are 12th with 45.2 per game. The Celtics have to crash the boards and beat the Raptors to the rebounds if they want to get a win.
Move the Ball Carefully The Celtics need to move the ball and not lapse into hero ball. They have to make the extra pass and find the open man and the best shot. They have to play team ball. They also have to focus and make careful passes as the Raptors are 2nd with 19.4 points off turnovers per game The Raptors are also tops in the league with 19.2 fast break points per game. They will make the Celtics pay if they get sloppy with the ball.
Bench Play - The Raptors have been playing very well in part because of their bench production. If the Celtics have one weakness, it may be production off their bench, although we did see some good play from Romeo and the Time Lord against the Nets. Key players off the Raptors bench are Serge Ibaka, who is averaging 15.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and Norman Powell, who is averaging 16 points a game. Also Rondae Hollis-Jefferson comes off the bench and plays tough defense to slow opponents down.
X-Factors Sense of Urgency - Both teams have a lot on the line as they finish their seeding games. Both are trying to send a message to possible playoff opponents and both are trying to solidify their spot in the standings. The Raptors have been consistent, winning 7 straight, while the Celtics have been up and down, especially on defense. Can they find a sense of urgency and continue the strong play we saw against the Nets or will they slack off and let the Raptors score at will and lose focus on the offensive end?
Officiating - If you have watched the first 4 games in the bubble, you know that officiating can make a difference in a game. The refs have been calling games tighter in the bubble and the Celtics have faced foul trouble and bad calls down the stretch in each of their games so far. They have to adapt to how the game is called and not allow the officiating to take away their focus.
Topic: Celtics (45-23) at Raptors (49-18) Seeding Game #5 8/7/20 (Read 19511 times)