Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics Prediction & Match Preview - November 10th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Toronto Raptors will visit the TD Garden on Wednesday to take on the Boston Celtics in an exciting 2021-22 NBA game.
The Raptors are on a two-game skid entering this contest. The Brooklyn Nets handed them their latest defeat by a 116-103 margin. Meanwhile, the Celtics saw their two-game winning streak come to a halt in a 107-104 defeat against the Dallas Mavericks in their last game.
Match Details
Fixture: Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics | 2021-22 NBA season.
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 10th; 7:30 PM ET (Thursday, November 11th; 6:00 AM IST).
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA.
Toronto Raptors Preview
The Toronto Raptors got off to a decent start this season, despite the absence of star man Pascal Siakam for the first ten games of the campaign. They have a winning percentage above .500, and will be eager to keep it that way by beating the Celtics.
For that to happen, Toronto will need to make a good start, and make it count. They failed to do so against the Brooklyn Nets in their last outing. Nick Nurse's side led 60-53 at half-time, but went off the boil in the second half, getting outscored 43-63. The Raptors made just seven three-point field goals during the game.
Point guard Fred VanVleet recorded a team-high 21 points for the Toronto Raptors, while OG Anunoby scored 16. Pascal Siakam also had a decent performance on his season debut, registering 15 points and two blocks on five of 12 shooting from the floor.
Key Player - Scottie Barnes
Scottie Barnes has been key in helping the Toronto Raptors register six wins in their first 11 games of the season so far. He has been one of the most impactful rookies this season.
Barnes is averaging 16.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He has impacted the game at both ends of the floor, and look to do that against the Boston Celtics too.
Scottie Barnes this season:
16.6 PPG (1st among rookies)
8.7 RPG (1st)
2.4 APG
52.4 FG% (1st)
He also leads all rookies in PER. https://t.co/KTIOUAdXye
Apart from influencing the game with his scoring, Barnes will also have to take up the responsibility of guarding Jayson Tatum. He is likely to be the focal point of the C's offense, so limiting him would be key for the Raptors winning the game.
Toronto Raptors Predicted Lineup
G - Fred VanVleet | G - Gary Trent Jr. | F - OG Anunoby | F - Scottie Barnes | C - Pascal Siakam.
Boston Celtics Preview
The Boston Celtics have been struggling with their offense in the last few games. They are averaging 97 points per game across their last three outings.
The Celtics did well to reduce a 19-point deficit against the Dallas Mavericks in their previous game. However, they couldn't overturn it, and ended up losing the contest. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics' charge with 32 points on 63.2% field goal shooting in the absence of Jaylen Brown. Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder was the only other player to score at least 20 points on the night for the team.
The Boston Celtics need a better contribution from their bench. They had just 15 points coming from their reserves against the Mavs. The Celtics have been solid defensively, but will have to make sure they do not record a second consecutive loss.
Key Player - Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum has struggled to perform consistently for the Boston Celtics so far. He is averaging 23.6 points on just 39% field-goal shooting across ten games. Tatum, nevertheless, had an efficient outing against the Mavs. If he manages to carry that momentum onto this game, the Raptors could find it difficult to come away with a win.
JAYSON TATUM 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 https://t.co/nf3hDm8Z4U
Tatum is also the most efficient scorer in the team right now. With Jaylen Brown out, Tatum ought to produce the goods if the C's wish to beat the Toronto Raptors.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
G - Dennis Schroder | G - Marcus Smart | F - Jayson Tatum | F - Al Horford | C - Robert Williams.
Raptors vs Celtics Match Prediction
The Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics are pretty evenly matched. That makes it difficult to pick a clear favorite.
The Raptors will have a psychological advantage, though, thanks to their 113-85 blowout win they recorded when the two sides met for the first time this season. The Raptors have only gotten better since then, especially with Pascal Siakam's return from injury.
The Celtics, meanwhile, will be without their top scorer Jaylen Brown, which could make it difficult for them to beat the Raptors.
Where to watch Raptors vs Celtics?
The game between the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics will be televised by NBC Sports Boston and Sportsnet NOW. Fans can also stream the game online via a subscription to NBA League Pass.