NBA Power Rankings: Highs and lows for the Toronto Raptors

By Ian Levy | Jan 8, 2019

TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 6: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors looks on with Serge Ibaka #9 of the Toronto Raptors during the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 6, 2019 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images) /

13 of 16

BOSTON – JANUARY 4: Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (11) shares a laugh on the bench during the fourth quarter. The Boston Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks in a regular season NBA basketball game at TD Garden in Boston on Jan. 4, 2019. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

Boston Celtics. 4. team. 18. . 24-15. Previous: 4th

As much as Kyrie Irving and his flashy offensive game have become the face of the Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart and his abrasive defense are probably a better analog for what the Celtics actually are as a team. They have climbed to 10th in offensive efficiency, but it is their third-ranked defense that kept them alive when they were struggling to score and which keeps them near the top of the Eastern Conference.

And they just keep grinding out wins. If not for an eight-game win streak when their schedule really softened, the Celtics would be just barely over .500. They’ve lost to Denver, Milwaukee and Toronto. They’ve also beaten Milwaukee, Toronto, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia (twice). They keep taking hits, body blows, hitting rough patches and losing their rhythm. They just pick themselves up off the mat, like Smart after a brutal charge, and get right back to work.

Home/NBA