Game 4 Thread: Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics

Let’s go back to our darkest moment on Thursday, just for a second. Kemba Walker had just threaded a pass between two Raptors to Daniel Theis, and the Celtics went up two with just 0.5 seconds remaining. If the game ends there, Toronto is down 0-3 and coming off another game where their half court offense ground to a halt late, where Boston made all the plays down the stretch to take a firm hold on the series.

Instead, we got Lowry to OG — a buzzer-beater that’ll be remembered for years to come — and a whole different series. It doesn’t just bring the Raptors within a game, either. In the locker room, Toronto is now looking like a team that believes they can win this thing.

How does that attitude show up on the basketball court? We’re about to find out in tonight’s Game 4, as the Raptors try to tie the series up at 2-2 and really guarantee this series goes as long as predicted.

They’ll need some players to step up, including VanVleet. Kyle Lowry carried the team to victory in Game 3 and if incrementally better efficiency is the story, Toronto should be able to give Lowry some assistance with the outside shot tonight.

Lineups and injury reports remain the same, with the exception of seldom-used Celtic Tremont Waters being available after missing time with a knee injury. Brad Stevens also told media that Gordon Hayward will return to the bubble in the next few days, but is still not expected to play in this series.

To get you properly set up for Game 4, check out this morning’s preview by Joseph Strauss. Conor McCreery also wrote about Nick Nurse’s need to trust the bench as this series drags on (those Lowry minutes!). Finally, Daniel Hackett continued his coverage of the make-or-miss nature of this series with a statistical breakdown of Game 3.

Here’s the game details for tonight. Let’s watch!

Where to Watch

Sportsnet, 6:30 PM EST

Lineups

Toronto – Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol

Boston – Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Daniel Theis

Injuries

Toronto – Patrick McCaw (knee – out), Oshae Brissett (knee – out)

Boston – Gordon Hayward (ankle – out), Javonte Green (knee – out), Vincent Poirier (personal – out)