What can the Raptors do against the Celtic juggernaut?

SB Nation

In 2023, the Celtics swept the season series against the Raptors. In 2024, they did it again. In 2025, the Raptors stole one game, but were unable to force a tie. Now, in 2026, with the Raptors on pace

to have their best regular season since 2020, the Celtics have beat the Raptors at home twice, once without Jaylen Brown. Now, limping into TD Garden in Boston tonight, do the Raptors have any hope of avoiding another loss to their Divisional rivals?

To say that the Celtics have had the Raptors’ number this season would be something of an understatement, and the Celtics have more than proved themselves capable of contending without Jayson Tatum, sitting atop Toronto at third in the conference standings. While the Raptors’ last loss to the Cs on December 20th can be in part chalked up to injuries to RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, the Celtics were playing without Jaylen Brown, making the excuse moot. Even with Barrett back for tonight’s game, Poeltl is still out, while Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram are both listed as day-to-day. This is far from ideal, with the Celtics back to full strength and playing at home.

The Raptors are coming off of a three game winning streak, capped off by Immanuel Quickley’s heroics in Charlotte, whereas the Celtics are coming off a close loss to the Denver Nuggets, looking to find their footing again. This will be a prime opportunity to do so. The Celtics and Raptors have developed something of an unfriendly relationship throughout the 2020s, beginning with a game 7 playoff loss in the 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinals, and most recently with Jaylen Brown’s ignorant comment suggesting that Scottie Barnes has down syndrome. However, tonight game is an unlikely chance for the Raptors to strike back, as with the probable absences of Ingram and Barnes, the Raptors’ best offensive and defensive players will be unable to contribute and keep the team competitive against the Celtics.

This game should be an opportunity, rather, to further see what the Raps’ bench can do. Collin Murray-Boyles has been on fire recently, pulling in a career high 15 rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets, and having him step in for Scottie will be an opportunity for the rookie to show out. Boyles is in many ways Scottie Barnes-lite, combining defensive prowess with strong facilitation skills. Whether he steps up in the paint against Boston will mean the difference between a close game and a blowout tonight. Jamal Shead has been putting up consistent numbers of late, while Sandro Mamukelashvili has provided solid scoring when forced into the starting lineup. In the absence of Ingram, one player to watch will be Gradey Dick, whose scoring has oscillated wildly between good bench numbers, and near absence from the box score. The Raptors have a low-pressure opportunity tonight to try out defensive schemes to try and see what works well against their potential playoff opponents, but with high likelihood of a Barnes and Ingram absence, expectations from fans should be moderated in this Eastern Conference clash.