Celtics at Raptors
The Toronto Raptors look to establish their longest winning streak of the season when they put a five-game run on the line Wednesday against the visiting Boston Celtics. Following a lengthy stay away from Toronto, the Raptors returned home Monday to open a seven-game homestand with a 112-100 victory over Brooklyn.
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 61 points as Toronto matched its 5-0 start and pulled within three games of the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. "It's second nature now and a lot of things do not need to be said," DeRozan told reporters of how he and Lowry can dominate games together. "It's a feel thing and something that comes from years of playing and knowing each other's game." The Celtics have split the first two games of a three-game road trip, falling 118-113 in overtime at Dallas on Monday. They suffered their first loss of the season on Oct. 30 at home against the Raptors but won in their previous visit to Toronto last April.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN New England (Boston), TSN (Toronto)
ABOUT THE CELTICS (22-20): Marcus Smart continued his resurgence in the loss to the Mavericks, posting 20 points in a season high-tying 39 minutes. Including his first career triple-double last Friday against Phoenix, the second-year guard is averaging 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals over a three-game span. Fellow reserve Kelly Olynyk has averaged 16.3 points while shooting 10-of-16 from 3-point range during the same stretch.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (26-15): While Lowry and DeRozan did their thing against the Nets, the rest of the starters combined for 18 points on 7-of-24 shooting, but an improving bench provided enough support. Terrence Ross and Bismack Biyombo combined for 19 points while hitting all eight of their combined shots and Patrick Patterson chipped in 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and a block off the bench. Those three and Cory Joseph - who had six assists - each had a positive plus-minus rating of at least nine points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lowry is shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc at home after making 7-of-9 against Brooklyn.
2. Celtics G Avery Bradley made 4-of-8 3-pointers on Monday after going 3-of-30 over an eight-game slump.
3. Boston entered Tuesday ranked fourth in the NBA in field-goal percentage defense (42.9) while Toronto was eighth (43.7).