Celtics (4-0) at Raptors (1-2) Preseason Game #5 10/15/24

[FLCeltsFan]

at
Toronto Raptors (1-2) at Boston Celtics (4-0)
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
7:00 PM ET
Preseason Game [HASH]5
TV: NBC Sports Boston, League Pass
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, Sportsnet 590
Scotiabank Arena


Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Jrue Holiday vs Davion Mitchell

Shooting Guard
vs
Derrick White vs Gradey !!!GREENIAC!!!

Small Forward
vs
Jaylen Brown vs Ochai Agbaji

Power Forward
vs
Jayson Tatum vs Scottie Barnes

Center
vs
Luke Kornet vs Jakob Poeltl

Celtics Reserves
Sam Hauser
Al Horford
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh

2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson

Training Camp Contracts
Ron Harper, Jr
Jay Scrubb
Dmytro Skapintsev
Lonnie Walker IV

Injuries/Out
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) out

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Raptors Reserves
Jonathan Mogbo
Jared Rhoden
Jamal Shead
Bruno Fernando
Chris Boucher
Jahmi'us Ramsey
Jamison Battle

2 Way Players
DJ Carton
Ulrich Chomche
Branden Carlson

Injuries/Out
Immanuel Quickley (thumb) questionable
RJ Barrett (shoulder) out
Ja'Kobe Walter (shoulder) questionable
Bruce Brown (knee) out
Garrett Temple (hamstring) questionable
Kelly Olynyk (back) questionable

Head Coach
Darko Rajakovic

Game Notes
The Celtics head to Toronto to play the Raptors for their final preseason game. These two teams faced off on Sunday with the Celtics coming away with a 115-111 win. The Celtics were playing on the second night of back to back games and so held out their top 6 players, allowing the reserves to play the entire game. They raced off to a 34 point lead before the end of the bench players let most of that slip but they held on for a 4 point lead in the end.

This is the final preseason game for the Celtics and so I expect to see the starters play at least in the first half. Al Horford has yet to play in the preseason but according to Joe Mazzulla, he is expected to play in this game. I'm going to guess that Luke Kornet will continue to start in this game and that Horford will come off the bench. But, that's just my guess.

As with every preseason game, it's hard to tell which players will start since coaches like to rest vets and regular rotation players to give rookies, end of bench players and camp contract players a chance to show what they can do. I'm listing the same starters as last game for the Raptors and the Celtics regular starters with Luke Kornet at center. But, again, that's just a guess.

Kristaps Porzingis is remains out for the Celtics as he rehabs from off season ankle surgery. For the Raptors, 6 players are on the injury list. Immanuel Quickley is questionable with a sprained thumb. RJ Barrett is out with a shoulder sprain. Ja'Kobe Walter is also out with a shoulder sprain. Bruce Brown is out after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Garrett Temple is questionable with tightness in his hamstring. Kelly Olynyk is questionable with lower back stiffness.

Key Matchups
vs
Jayson Tatum vs Scottie Barnes
Barnes is the player that the Raptors plan to build around. He had 16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals on Friday vs the Wizards. He shot 46.7% from the field but went 0-5 from three. Against the Celtics on Sunday, he finished with 10 points 1 rebound, and 2 assists while shooting 50% from the field and missing his only 3 pointer.

vs
Luke Kornet vs Jakob Poeltl
Kornet may start here, or it's possible that Al Horford starts in the final preseason game. Poeltl has started all 3 of the games for the Raptors so far and is likely to start this game as well. Poeltl finished Friday's game with 10 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal while shooting 33% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. He finished Sunday's game against the Celtics with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 60% from the field with no 3's. Poeltl is an important player for the Raptors. Through the first 3 quarters on Sunday, the Raptors were +2 with Poeltl on the court but -24 without him.

Honorable Mention
Derrick White vs Gradey !!!GREENIAC!!!
!!!GREENIAC!!! was drafted to be a sharpshooter for the Raptors. On Sunday, he finished with 18 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal. He shot 33% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. He struggled at first but came on strong as the game went on.

Keys to the Game
Defense - There will never be a game where defense is not the key to winning. If the Celtics hope to win the championship again this season, it will have to be with defense first. In the preseason, the Raptors are 20th with a defensive rating of 108.3 while the Celtics are 9th with a defensive rating of 102.3. The Raptors are 4th with 55.3 points in the paint and 30th with 31.7 three pointers attempted per game. On the other hand, the Celtics are 1st with 52 three pointers attempted per game. The Celtics must try to keep the Raptors out of the paint and force them to play out of their comfort zone.

Rebound - The Raptors are 9th with 47 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 5th with 48 rebounds per game. Rebounding is very important to limit second chance baskets and fast breaks. The Raptors are 1st in the preseason with 21.7 2nd chance points per game. Much of rebounding is effort and hustle. The Celtics must put out more effort to beat the Raptors to rebounds.

3 Point Shooting - The Celtics relied on shooting threes last season. They were first in the league, taking 43.5 three pointers per game. They were also 1st in the league, making 16.5 threes a game. So far in the preseason, the Celtics are attempting 52 threes per game. When the Celtics are making their 3's they are hard to beat, but when they struggle to make 3's, the game gets really ugly. On Sunday, they outscored the Raptors by 24 points on the perimeter.

X-Factors
On the Road - After 2 games at home, the Celtics are on the road for their final preseason game. Travel, staying in hotels, playing on an unfamiliar court and in front of hostile fans all are distractions that can take away from players' focus. The Celtics need to put all that behind them and focus on playing their game.

It's the Preseason - Player development, building chemistry, and player evaluation are the most important thing for coaches in the preseason. We will probably see more of the rookies in this game as well as the players on camp contracts as coaches evaluate the players on the bubble for playing time and try to preserve their starters for the regular season. Although, since the Celtics will be off for a week before the season starts, we may see quite a bit of the starters.

Officiating - While rarely is officiating a reason for a win or a loss, it can always be an x-factor. Every game is called differently. Some games are called tightly and some games are allowed to be more physical. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the game is being called and focus on playing and not on the officiating.