Coming off a win against the Warriors, the Raptors look to keep it rolling against the defending champs, who handed Toronto a 54-point loss on New Year’s Eve.
In a season where wins are taking a backseat to long-term development, “good losses” are a thing of real value. One of the Toronto Raptors’ best losses of this season came in November against the defending champion Boston Celtics, who currently hold the third-best record in the NBA. Down Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, the Raptors — led by Jakob Poeltl’s 35 points and an RJ Barrett triple-double — showed real grit, pushing the game to the last moments of overtime, when Jayson Tatum hit a buzzer-beating three to win 126-123.
On the other hand, the Raptors’ worst loss of the season — and, statistically, the franchise’s worst loss in its 30-year history — took place on New Year’s Eve. That, too, came against the Boston Celtics, and it capped off an 11-game losing streak to close the year.
Now, after some poor defensive efforts to start 2025, the Raptors have put together a few competitive performances over the last week including a “good loss” to the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers and, most recently, a win against the Golden State Warriors. Can they keep it rolling against one of the NBA’s best teams?
Here are the details for tonight’s game.
Where to Watch:
Sportsnet, 7:30 PM EST
Lineups:
Toronto: Davion Mitchell, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl
Boston: Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis
Injuries:
Toronto: Immanuel Quickley — OUT (groin)
Boston: A clean bill of health, it appears.
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One year ago, today
It’s a new NBA tradition! Last year on January 15, the Raptors and Celtics played at Scotiabank Arena. Clearly enamoured by that matchup (a 105-96 Celtics win), the league decided to schedule the same matchup on the anniversary. Things looked a bit different in that last game: The Raptors were in their brief “Spicy BBQ” era, with Pascal Siakam playing alongside Barrett and Quickley. Dennis Schroder played 33 minutes off the bench and Jontay Porter got the nod as starting center. A lot can happen between January 15s — who knows what January 15, 2026 will have in store!
Bonjour!!
Just nine days ago, Chris Boucher received his second DNP in a row. The Raptors lost both games, the first by nine against an embarrassingly shorthanded Orlando Magic squad, and the second by 24 to the Milwaukee Bucks. The next game, Boucher almost got a third consecutive DNP — but he was subbed in during garbage time against the Knicks, and proceeded to drop 10 points on 4/4 shooting in under 4 minutes. Perhaps that burst was what convinced head coach Darko Rajakovic to let Boucher back into the rotation — whatever the reason was, that decision has paid off tremendously. In four games (including the late-game outburst) since those DNPs, Boucher has 65 points in just 72.5 minutes — which, if you’re doing the math at home, is a 32.5 points per 36 minutes pace. He’s shooting 76% from the field in those games, and 70% from three-point range. Boucher, the longest-tenured Raptors and the only remaining member of the championship team, is on an absolute scorcher. So until he cools off, let that man cook.
Another BBQ-less game
After an unprecedented stretch of four games in which Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley all shared the court, Quickley’s groin injury means the team must wait once again before continuing the core’s gelling process. The Raptors went 0-4 during the BBQ stretch, though they did come close in a 132-126 loss against the red-hot Cavs.