As division rivals, the Celtics and Raptors are plenty familiar with one another.
This week, with two meetings scheduled in a three-day span at TD Garden, that familiarity should only deepen. And if they meet in the postseason next week, competitive contempt is sure to follow.
Pending the regular-season scores set to be settled later this week, and the play-in tournament that will follow, the Celtics could face Toronto in the first-round of the playoffs. Boston started Wednesday all but guaranteed to clinch the No. 2 seed in the East, while the Raptors have already clinched a spot in the play-in tournament. Toronto entered tip-off trailing Miami by two games for the No.7 seed and tied with the Hawks with a 40-39 record.
Miami did not play Wednesday. The Hawks hosted Washington and will visit the Celtics on Sunday in their regular-season finale.
Although the Raptors would enter a first-round series as heavy underdogs, their wing-heavy roster tends to put atypical pressure on a Boston team built around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Their defensive depth almost clipped the Celtics in two Boston wins captured earlier this season by a combined eight points. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla summarized Toronto’s roster-building philosophy with a single crack Wednesday.
“They measure everybody’s wingspan before they draft them and then bring in guys with massive wingspans,” he said.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse offered a more detailed assessment in his pregame press conference.
“We like to think one of our strengths is our depth at wing defenders, when we have them all ready to go. Scottie (Barnes), Pascal (Siakam), OG (Anunoby)… we got some depth, and that usually enables us to move those guys around a little bit, switch,” Nurse said. “It gives us a chance sometimes to put some size on what you would call on bigger guards.”
By and large, Toronto’s defenses prevents the Celtics from hunting favorable mismatches through Tatum and Brown, a chief Boston tactic. The Raptors are strong across the floor, ranking 11th in defensive efficiency and second in turnovers forced. Toronto also fortified its rim protection by returning center Jakob Poetl at the trade deadline.
Joe Mazzulla focused on what Celtics can control entering final week of regular season
Though, the Raptors' woes offensively remain constant: they struggle to score in the half-court. If Toronto is not converting its bounty of turnovers into points, it can struggle to generate good looks against quality defensive teams like the Celtics.
Meanwhile, Boston has evolved around Tatum and Brown, adding players like Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and shooting big men Blake Griffin and Mike Muscala since its last playoff series versus the Raptors in the 2020 bubble.
"They’re so good in so many areas offensively. They’ll beat you in transition, they’re really good from the perimeter, got so many guys that can take it off the bounce to the front of the rim and score, got bigs that can shoot," Nurse said. "Then they got some guys they can give the ball to and say they can step back and hit a three. There’s a lot to dissect and get ready for.”
Nurse added it's important for Toronto to play the long game defensively versus the Celtics and remain patient in the face of inevitable mid-game barrages of three or four 3-pointers.
Or maybe through the sting of a regular-season loss knowing a potential playoff rematch could await next week.