Final: Raptors 107, Celtics 105 - Regulars build huge lead, bench blows it

BOSTON CELTICS at TORONTO RAPTORS

Preseason game #2

Scotiabank arena, 7 p.m. - NBCS Boston

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. The guys who sat the first game: Neemias Queta, Anfernee Simons, and Payton Pritchard all sat out the first game in Memphis. They will presumably play tonight, so let’s see if these guys can have some of the same success. 

Obviously, the focus will more be on Queta and Simons. Let’s see how Queta does in the faster-paced offense. How does he do with the added screening load and the need for defensive rebounding. 

Simons’ defense will be under the microscope, so let’s see the requisite effort, even if the results aren’t always going to be there. 

2. Carryover: That first game was nice. Now can they repeat it against a slightly tougher opponent.Toronto will presumably be tougher than the back half of the Memphis Grizzlies roster, so the Celtics will have to keep their timing against a better roster. 

3. Rebounding: I think I might just leave this section here all season long. They can’t end the night with 66% of the defensive rebounds. They have to clear misses and go the other way. As Joe Mazzulla said after the Grizzlies game, there are only two ways to get a defensive stop: force a turnover or rebound a miss. They did fine with the steals in their first game. Now they have to grab boards.

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.