Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics Prediction & Match Preview

Fixture: Toronto Raptors Vs Boston Celtics

Date & Time: Thursday, August 7th, 9 PM ET (Saturday 6:30 AM IST)

Venue: ESPN WWOS, Orlando, FL

The Toronto Raptors are inching closer to securing the No.2 seed in the Eastern Conference. This would put them in prime position to possibly face a depleted Brooklyn Nets or the Orlando Magic who are also struggling with injuries and lack prior playoff experience. The Boston Celtics have had a less than ideal start in the bubble, going 2-2 since the restart. This game is pivotal to preserving any hope of improving their seeding and avoiding a tough first round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

This matchup is critical to playoff seeding as the Boston Celtics are currently four games behind the Toronto Raptors. In order to finish as the no.2 seed, the Boston Celtics need to win the remainder of their regular season games and hope that the Toronto Raptors collapse.

Toronto Raptors Preview

‘Good defense makes good offense,’ is the motto that the Toronto Raptors have adopted throughout the regular season as they lead the league in minimum points allowed (106.1). The Toronto Raptors would like to extend their three game winning streak in the bubble by limiting the Boston Celtics, who are entering this contest after a massive victory over the Brooklyn Nets last night.

Best in the biz pic.twitter.com/tnlIGT5On8
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) August 6, 2020

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The Toronto Raptors have been performing like a well-oiled machine, averaging over 43% from the field and over 40% from behind the arc. The Toronto Raptors backcourt led by veteran Kyle Lowry have looked unstoppable since the restart and will be looking to continue the winning run against Boston Celtics.

Key Player – Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry against the Detroit Pistons in December, 2019

Kyle Lowry has set the tone for the Toronto Raptors since the restart and has displayed extraordinary leadership skills. Despite him having only one impressive scoring game, he is an incredibly feisty guard who will not let anyone pass him. His defensive presence has allowed him to lead the league in charges taken. Keep an eye out for this tenacious guard as he looks to lead the Toronto Raptors to a victory over the Boston Celtics.

Toronto Raptors Predicted Lineup

Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleed, OG Annuoby, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol

Boston Celtics Preview

The Boston Celtics have not had nearly the amount of production that they intended to have during the restart. The Boston Celtics currently have a 2-2 record in the bubble after two close losses against the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. They would like to get something going for the remainder of the season and hopefully snatch the no.2 seed from the Toronto Raptors.

The Boston Celtics looked sharp in their recent performance against the Brooklyn Nets where they scored nearly 150 points. The Boston Celtics have not looked great on the defensive end of the floor, leading to giving up important leads in two matches so far in the bubble.

Key Player – Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum against the LA Lakers earlier this year

Jayson Tatum can only be described as a perfect mix of Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony. Tatum’s shot creation ability is astounding and was on full display during the Boston Celtic’s Matchup against the Miami Heat where he put up 23 points. Tatum is looking to repeat his impressive performance from earlier in the week and hopefully resign Toronto Raptors to the first loss in the bubble.

Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup

Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Daniel Theis.

Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics Match Prediction

The Toronto Raptors are favoured to win this matchup and extend their dominant run in the bubble. The Boston Celtics are hoping to snap back into shape and display consistency after their impressive performance against the Nets. The Lowry-VanVleet combo will most definitely overwhelm the Boston Celtics Defense, which has struggled to contain scorers ever since the season restarted.