The Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics will faceoff on Friday, in what could very well be a preview of this season’s Eastern Conference Finals.
Before the 2018-19 season commenced, there were two teams that many felt had the best chance to occupy the Eastern Conference throne left vacated by Cleveland.
Those two teams were the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics; and on Friday, these two titans will go head-to-head in the first matchup of what could determine the trajectory of these two franchises.
The Celtics (8-6) has been a bit of a disappointment this season, with the Celtics re-learning how to play with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. There have been some reports that both Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart are unhappy with their roles on the team, and head coach Brad Stevens is trying to find a way to make it all work.
They rebounded from a dismal five-game road trip with a resounding 111-82 victory over the rebuilding Chicago Bulls. The Celtics got balanced scoring up-and-down the roster, led by Jaylen Brown’s 18 points. Boston looks to keep the winning times rolling as they continue a three-game homestand against the Raptors (12-3), who are looking like the team the beat in the East.
Getting off to a blazing 12-1 start, the Raptors dropped their last two games, both at home. Their latest lost was truly a heartbreaker, losing on a last-second shot to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night after blowing a big lead. Toronto could be without Danny Green, who suffered a back injury during their game against the Pistons.
Raptors at Celtics live stream details
When: Friday, Nov. 16
Time: 7 pm EST
Where: Boston, MA
Venue: TD Garden
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN, FuboTV (sign up for a free trial), NBA League Pass
While the loss of Green will be a tough pill to swallow, the Raptors are getting plenty of production from the rest of their lineup, making many believe that this may be the team to break out in the East.
Only time will tell.