Boston Celtics: 3 key matchups of round-two vs Toronto Raptors

With the Boston Celtics officially set to face the Toronto Raptors in round-two, the Houdini pinpoints 3 specific matchups fans should monitor closely.

In their round-one matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics came, saw, and conquered, as they finished this seven-game-series in sweep-fashion.

Coming into the postseason, many penciled in the shamrocks as a legitimate deep playoff run contender, with some going as far as labeling them as a true dark horse team to win it all in 2020.

Thus far into the postseason, Boston has certainly lived up to these high expectations bestowed upon them. Even without the likes of Gordon Hayward — lost in game-one to a right ankle sprain — the remaining core group of Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart proved to be enough to weather the Sixers’ storm and advance to the second round for the fourth consecutive season.

Now, the Cs are tasked with an even greater objective — taking down the defending world champions, the Toronto Raptors. Despite not being able to re-sign superstar Kawhi Leonard last offseason, Canada’s favorite ball club seems to not have missed a single beat, as they managed to shore up the second-seed in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive season and found themselves on a similar winning trajectory as they did in 2018-19.

One could chock their success up to the leadership skills of Kyle Lowry, the All-Star ascension of Pascal Siakam, or the unbelievable job by 2020’s Coach of the Year Nick Nurse, however, above all else one thing is for sure: The Raptors are legit.

In order for the Boston Celtics to come away from this series with a victory, the entire team will need to bring their A-game. In regard to which matchups will be the most important in deciding the series’ outcome, the Houdini can think of three specific bouts one should watch closely: