Underdog Raptors Shorthanded in Back-to-Back vs. Boston

The Toronto Raptors caught a break with Oklahoma Thunder star Kevin Durant out of the lineup in Tuesday’s blowout victory. Now they’re the team with roster injuries Wednesday night when they visit the Boston Celtics.

Starting centre Jonas Valanciunas was downgraded to doubtful today after suffering a right hand injury and taking a shot to the face while Amir Johnson is expected to get another night off to rest an ankle injury. That leaves Toronto down a couple of starters in the frontcourt as they visit the Celtics as 1.5-point underdogs.

The Raptors have traditionally struggled inside against the Celtics, though they did manage to snap an 11-game losing streak at TD Garden last season. Toronto has covered the number in just two of its last six meetings with the Celtics overall.

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Johnson is averaging 15 points a game early this year while Valanciunas checks in at 11.8 and both are obviously huge on the glass. If both sit, Toronto will have its hands full with Boston’s Jared Sullinger down low.

Meanwhile, the Raps weren’t pleased with their 12-point win over a banged up Thunder squad. Toronto had a slim 73-70 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“We have to get better, and we will. We know we’re not doing as good as we want to do,” Greivis Vasquez told reporters. “We’re pissed. At ourselves. Because we should do better. We’ll take care of that.”

That much is yet to be seen. However, coach Dwane Casey is confident he’ll find the right balance with his team. To him, it all begins with defence.

“Sometime this year we are going to find some defence from somebody somewhere,” Casey told reporters. “I don’t know when but we are going to find it.”