Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics: Preview

By Miguel Vasquez, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Second-seeded Toronto Raptors will be facing off with the fifth-ranked Boston Celtics for the fourth time this season, on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Through the last three times that the two teams met, the Raptors have managed to come out victorious all throughout. The first encounter between both teams happened on October 30th, a mere three days after the 2015-2016 NBA season tip-off.

In the said contest, the Raptors finished with a ten-point margin, with a score of 113-103. Guard Demar DeRozan was the game's top contributor, scoring 23 points, while adding in seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals, shooting 5 out of 15 from the field, through 34 minutes of playing time.

Forward Demarre Carroll also made significant numbers, scoring 21 points, while adding in five rebounds, two assists, and two steals, shooing 8 out of 16 from the field, through 34 minutes of playing time.

The next game happened almost three months after, but the outcome remained the same. The Raptors finished the game on top by six points, with a final score of 115-109. DeRozan once again provided the game heroics for the Raptors, scoring 34 points, while adding in two rebounds and six assists. He also shot 13 out of 25 from the field, through 37 minutes of playing time.

Forward Luis Scola also added in 18 points, as well as three rebounds and three assists.

The third game saw Toronto winning by a larger margin, holding a 14-point edge over Boston with a final score of 105-91. This time around, guard Kyle Lowry was the main man of the night, scoring 32 points, along with four rebounds, five assists, and two steals, shooting 9 out of 14 from the field, and playing through almost 37 minutes of action.

The Raptors currently hold a record of 48-21, and are looking to extend their winning streak to five consecutive games. The Celtics, on the other hand, hold a win-loss slate of 41-30, and are looking to continue on with their winning ways, after their recent victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.