And now for something completely different: Playing their 17th game of the regular season, the Raptors finally get a look at a division foe in their next game when they face the Celtics in Boston on Friday night. The Raptors have forged a record that's all right, nothing spectacular but not enough to bury them in the East, and because they've yet to face a division rival there is more reason for optimism. While Boston is a tough challenge -- the Raptors have lost eight of their last nine against the Celtics -- the rest of the Atlantic Division is made up of relative minnows. And when the Raptors get to their four games each against the lowly Nets, the equally inept Knicks and the so-so Philadelphia 76ers, they should be able to make some noise in the conference.
The Celtics, though, are a different animal. They have the kind of aggressive, tough defense that could challenge even Toronto's potent offense.
Chris Bosh, who has added 20 pounds of muscle and is much more willing to go wrestle opponents in the post, never seems to play well against Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins has a way of muscling Andrea Bargnani that frustrates the Raptors' center.
BOBCATS 116, RAPTORS 81: Toronto scored its fewest points of the season and shot a season-worst 35 percent from the floor. Absorbing their worst drubbing of the season, Toronto got only 18 points from Chris Bosh and just five from Hedo Turkoglu one night after the team went off for 123 points against Indiana.
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