BOSTON -- The Toronto Raptors have been one of the better teams in the East for the past couple of years, and decided this offseason to double-down on its core group rather than shake things up.
Boston had an even better season than the Raptors did and were in position to bring back most of their players. Instead, the Celtics return just four.
Each has taken a different path, and yet both find themselves on a similar road to success heading into today’s game.
Boston (11-2) comes in riding an 11-game winning streak, the best run of success by any team in the NBA this season. Meanwhile, Toronto (7-4) has won three of its last four games and remains one of Boston’s biggest threats in the East to dethrone Cleveland.
“I just think we’re the better team,” Jaylen Brown told NBC Sports Boston. “I know they have a lot of individual talent over there, but I feel if we play the way we’re supposed to play with the group that we got . . . not a lot of teams can beat us.”
Here are five under-the-radar story lines heading into today’s game between Boston and Toronto, pitting two of the top teams in the East against each other for the first time this season.
ATLANTIC POWERS
We all know how the Celtics have historically been one of the best teams in the Atlantic Division. But recent history suggests they haven’t been alone when it comes to controlling the division. Toronto and Boston have combined to win the Atlantic 10 of the last 11 seasons, with the Raptors getting it done three of the last four.
SHOT-MAKING
No matter who the teams are, the ability or inability to make baskets looms large when it comes to winning and losing games. Today’s game features a Raptors team that ranks among the NBA’s best when it comes to making shots. Toronto has shot 47.1 percent from the field this season, which ranks seventh in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Celtics will simply look to do what they do against most teams, which has been to hold them to a lower field-goal percentage than they’re used to. Boston opponents this season have been held to just 42.6 percent shooting, which is tied with Memphis for the lowest opponent field-goal percentage in the NBA.
SHANE LARKIN
With Kyrie Irving (minor facial fracture) doubtful to play today, there’s a good chance Shane Larkin will get an opportunity to build off of his season-high 16-point performance in Boston’s win over Charlotte on Friday. In his 10 games this season prior to Friday, Larkin had scored a total of just 22 points. But no Irving would indeed open the door for Larkin to hit double figures scoring for the second straight game, something he hasn't done since March 29-31, 2016.
STREAKING RAPTORS
Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan comes into today’s game having scored in double figures in 106 consecutive games. The Raptors’ franchise leader in this category is DeRozan’s backcourt partner Kyle Lowry, who hit for double figures in 114 straight games (April 10, 2015 – Jan. 1, 2017). One would think Vince Carter would own this category, right? Nope. Carter’s longest double-digit scoring streak spanned just 96 games (May 4, 1999 – Nov. 25, 2000).
JAYSON TATUM
We're nearly a month into the season and Jayson Tatum’s 3-point shooting continues to make him stand out from his fellow rookies. He is shooting 50 percent from 3-point range, which is tops among all first-year players who average at least one made 3-pointer per game. Number two on that list? That would be Toronto’s O.G. Anunoby, who is shooting 37.9 percent from 3-point range.