Boston Celtics vs Toronto Raptors starting lineups and depth charts for Dec. 29, 2023 | 2023-24 NBA Season

The Toronto Raptors will head to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 29. Boston heads into the game on the second night of a back-to-back. The Celtics beat the Detroit Pistons in overtime on Thursday, Dec. 28. Toronto secured a win over the Washington Wizards in their last outing, which came on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

The Celtics have played the Raptors twice this season, winning both games. They secured a 117-94 win on Nov. 12 and followed that up with a 108-105 win on Nov. 18. Boston currently sits top of the Eastern Conference with a 24-6 record. Toronto is 11th, having won 12 of their 30 games so far this season.

It's also worth noting that Boston is currently on a four-game winning streak and are widely seen as the best team in basketball right now, primarily due to the strength of their top-8 rotation.

---

Injuries for Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics

Here are the latest injury updates for the upcoming Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics matchup on Dec. 29:

Boston Celtics injuries for Dec. 29, 2023

The Boston Celtics are yet to release their injury report. However, it's safe to assume Al Horford will be out of the rotation as the Celtics have consistently sat him on the second night of back-to-backs since the start of the 2022-23 season. Jayson Tatum (ankle) and Jaylen Brown (back) will likely both be questionable heading into the day.

Toronto Raptors injuries for Dec. 29, 2023

The Toronto Raptors are missing Christian Koloko due to illness. Garrett Temple is also doubtful for the game due to an ankle sprain.

---

Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics starting lineups and depth chart

Boston Celtics starting lineups and depth chart for Dec. 29, 2023

Assuming Jayson Tatum is rested for the game against Toronto due to the swelling around his sprained ankle and that Jaylen Brown is cleared to play, the starting lineup could look like this.

PG - Jrue Holiday | SG - Derrick White | SF - Jaylen Brown | PF - Sam Hauser | C - Kristaps Porzingis

POS	STARTERS	SECOND	THIRD
PG	Jrue Holiday	Payton Pritchard	JD Davison
SG	Derrick White	Dalano Banton	Svi Mykhailiuk
SF	Jaylen Brown	Sam Hauser	Oshae Brissett
PF	Jayson Tatum	Oshae Brissett	Lamar Stevens
C	Kristaps Porzinigs	Luke Kornet	Neemias Queta

Toronto Raptors starting lineups and depth chart for Dec. 29, 2023

The Toronto Raptors have a full-strength rotation outside of Christian Koloko and potentially Garrett Temple being injured. As such, their starting lineup should remain the same as it was against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 28.

PG - Scottie Barnes | SG - Gary Trent Jr. | SF - OG Anunoby | PF - Pascal Siakam | C - Jakob Poeltl

POS	STARTERS	SECOND	THIRD
PG	Gary Trent Jr	Malachi Flunn
SG	Scottie Barnes	Dennis Schroder	Gradey Dick
SF	OG Anunoby	Otto Porter Jr.	Garrett Temple
PF	Pascal Siakam	Jalen McDaniels	Thad Young
C	Jakob Poeltl	Precious Achiuwa	Chris Boucher

---

Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics key matchups

Both the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors have a significant amount of size and length in their rotation. Both teams are built around stellar wings. However, Scottie Barnes' transition to being an oversized point guard has been interesting. Still, the Celtics are consistently throwing out cross-matches on defense, so the size of Barnes won't phase them in the backcourt.

Scottie Barnes vs Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday is often put into cross-matches with opposing big men. The Celtics like to have a small guard a center, so there's no mismatch advantage on switches during screening actions.

As such, guarding Scottie Barnes won't be new for Holiday. Still, Barnes is at his best when getting downhill, so it will be interesting to see where Holiday sets his pick-up points and how he looks to shade Barnes off his line.

Jaylen Brown vs OG Anunoby

Before hurting his back against the LA Lakers, Jaylen Brown was playing some of the best basketball of his career. Assuming he plays, he will have a difficult matchup in facing OG Anunoby, who is a gifted defender. On the flip side, Anunoby could give Brown problems on offense, as the Celtics forward is sometimes prone to falling asleep when guarding off ball.