The host Toronto Raptors will aim to win their third consecutive game on Saturday night while avenging a loss to the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics defeated the Raptors 121-113 in their first visit to Toronto this season on Dec. 7. The Saturday rematch will be played in Toronto
The Raptors were in the midst of a four-game losing streak when the teams met for the first time this season, but after a six-day break following their Dec. 9 loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup quarterfinal, they have won twice on the road.
Toronto returned Monday with a 106-96 win over the Miami Heat and followed up with a 111-105 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
“What I like is we won differently in both games,” said Brandon Ingram, who scored 29 points against Milwaukee after scoring 28 against Miami.
“In Miami, we kept it close for a little bit, and down the stretch at the end of the game, our execution pulled us through on the offensive end. I think (Thursday), we came out with a better start than in Miami.
“We were stagnant in one quarter, but we found a way on the defensive side of the basketball to kind of keep us in the game, and then we had guys come in with energy in the fourth to put us over the top.”
The Raptors were without Jakob Poeltl in Milwaukee as he continued to deal with a back issue.
The Celtics will conclude a back-to-back on Saturday after a home 129-116 victory over the Heat on Friday to snap a two-game skid.
Derrick White led Boston’s scoring with 33 points, including nine 3-pointers in 14 attempts. He added four blocked shots.
Jaylen Brown scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half and added nine rebounds.
It was a close game until Boston hit six 3-pointers in the first 3:20 of the fourth quarter to open a 14-point lead. They drained 10 3-pointers in the fourth and made 21 from beyond the arc for the game.
“We can play so many different ways,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “And I thought tonight, it was like, we’re going to win the game with our offense because of how good their defense is. If we can generate advantages, and if we can put them in matchup situations, I think that will put them on their heels a little bit.”
The Celtics’ bench played a big role. Sam Hauser had five 3-pointers, four in the fourth quarter, in a 15-point game. Another reserve, Hugo Gonzalez, contributed 10 points, eight rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
“It was a lot of big plays,” Hauser said. “Hugo made some big plays. We made some shots. And I think we were just getting the shots that we wanted to get. I think that was a big part of it. And then getting some timely stops in the fourth quarter helps, too. Rebounding against them is pretty tough, but I feel like we got just enough to help us expand that lead.”
In their win over Toronto nearly two weeks ago, Brown had 30 points and White scored 27. The Raptors overcame a 23-point deficit to briefly take the lead in the fourth quarter before the Celtics regained control.
At Milwaukee, Ingram had plenty of support. Scottie Barnes added 24 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks and reserve Jamal Shead had a season-best 11 assists.
–Field Level Media
