Toronto Raptors (43-34) at Boston Celtics (52-25)
Sunday, April 5, 2026
3:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #78 Home Game #38
TV: NBCSB, Sportsnet, NBA-TV
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub,TSN 1050, Sirius XM
TD Garden
Boston, MA
Toronto Raptors (43-34) at Boston Celtics (52-25) Game #78 4/5/26
The Celtics return home to take on the division rival Toronto Raptors. This is the 4th, and final meeting between these two teams this season. The Celtics won 121-113 on December 7 in Toronto. They won 112-96 on December 20, also in Toronto. They won 125-117 on January 9 in Boston. The Celtics have won their last 8 games against the Raptors in Boston. The Celtics won the series 3-1 last season, losing one game in Toronto. The Celtics are 76-43 overall all time and they are 45-14 in games played in Boston.
The Raptors made 2 minor deals at the trade deadline . They traded Ochai Agbaji to the Clippers for Chris Paul, who they then waived and CP3 chose to retire. Similar to several of the Celtics deadline deals, this was to bring the Raptors under the tax line. They also traded a second round pick to the Warriors for Trayce Jackson-Davis to fill the need for a back up center.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 4.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 2.5 games ahead of 3rd place New York, 4 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 7.5 games ahead of 5th place Atlanta, and 9 games ahead of 6th place Toronto and 9.5 games ahead of 7th place Philadelphia. The Celtics are 33-15 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 26-11 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 2 games.
The Raptors are 6th in the East, 6.5 games behind 3rd place New York, 5 games behind 4th place Cleveland, and 1.5 games behind 5th place Atlanta. They are half a game ahead of 7th place Philadelphia, 1.5 games ahead of 8th place Charlotte, and 2 games ahead of 9th place Orlando. They are 30-17 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 22-17 on the road and 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a win in their last game.
After this game at home against Toronto they will host Charlotte before one game on the road at New York. They will finish the season with 2 games at home against New Orleans and Orlando. After this game on the road at Boston for Toronto, they will return home to play 2 games against Miami. They will then play at New York before finishing the season at home against Brooklyn.
After being out 4 weeks due to surgery to stabilize a fracture in his right ring finger, Nikola Vucevic has been upgraded to questionable for this game. His status will be a game time decision. For the Raptors, Chucky Hepburn is out due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. Immanuel Quickley will miss his eighth straight game due to right foot plantar fasciitis.
Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Ja’Kobe Walter
SG: Jaylen Brown vs RJ Barrett
SF: Sam Hauser vs Brandon Ingram
PF: Jayson Tatum vs Scottie Barnes
C: Neemias Queta vs Jakob Poeltl
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Hugo Gonzalez
Luka Garza
Amare Williams
Jordan Walsh
Baylor Scheierman
Max Shulga
John Tonje
Ron Harper, Jr
2-Way Players
None
Injuries/Out
Nikola Vucevic (finger) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Raptors Reserves
Jamison Battle
Gradey Dick
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Jonathan Mogbo
Collin Murray-Boyles
Jamal Shead
Garrett Temple
2 Way Players
Chucky Hepburn
AJ Lawson
Alijah Martin
Injuries/Out
Chucky Hepburn (knee) out
Immanuel Quickley (foot) out
Head Coach
Darko Rajakovic
Key Matchups
Sam Hauser vs Brandon Ingram
Ingram is averaging 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc. In the 2 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 27 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting 56.8% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to do a better job of defending him in this game.
Jayson Tatum vs Scottie Barnes
Barnes is averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 50.4% from the field and 29.6% from beyond the arc. In the 2 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 40.7% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc. Although he has been struggling to hit 3’s, he is capable of hitting them if left open.
Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs RJ Barrett
Barrett is averaging 19.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 49.5% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc. He played in just 1 game against the Celtics this season and finished with 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists while shooting 40% from the field and 60% from beyond the arc. The Celtics have to defend him better in this game.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is the most important key to winning. The Celtics are 4th in the league with a defensive rating of 111.8. The Raptors are 7th with a defensive rating of 114.7. The Celtics must stay committed to playing tough, lock down defense, especially against a Raptors team that plays good defense themselves. The Celtics must especially defend in the paint as the Raptors put up 53 points in the paint per game (5th).
Rebound – As with defense, rebounding will always be a key to winning every game. The Celtics are 4th with 46.5 rebounds per game. The Raptors are 23rd with 42.2 rebounds per game. The Celtics will need to rebound as a team with players crashing the boards from every position. The Celtics can’t score without the ball and rebounding is a great way to get the ball and to get extra possessions and to also deny the Raptors extra possessions and 2nd chance points.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics are at their best when the ball moves and they make the extra pass. When the ball sticks and players try to do too much, the Celtics struggle. They are 34-2 this season when they have 25 or more assists and they are 18-0 when they have 29 or more assists. The Raptors are 2nd with 29.5 assists per game. But, the Celtics have to make careful passes and not get sloppy because the Raptors are 5th in the league, averaging 20 points off turnovers and 18.9 fast break points per game (1st).
Play with Energy and Focus for 48 Minutes – The Celtics must play with effort and energy and they have to play harder than the Raptors for all 4 quarters. The team that plays the hardest and that is more aggressive will usually get a better whistle. They also must stay focused on taking good shots and making them. If the 3’s are falling, they are tough to beat. But, if the 3’s aren’t falling, it can get ugly and so the Celtics need to focus on taking the best shots, whether that means shooting more 3’s or taking the ball into the paint if they aren’t falling.
Home Game – The Celtics are once again home and they should get a boost from the home crowd and they have the benefit of not having to travel. The Raptors are playing in the 2nd straight game on the road and may be a little road weary. They also have the distractions of travel, staying in hotels, and playing in front of a hostile crowd.
Officiating – The officiating can always be an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently. Some call it tight with a lot of fouls while others let them play and let a lot of contact go. The Celtics have to adapt to how the game is being called and not allow bad calls and no calls to take away their focus on playing the game. If they play well enough, the refs won’t make a difference.
Boston, MA
Friend of Worcester woman killed in Virginia I-95 crash ‘cannot believe she is gone.’ – The Boston Globe
When Priscilla R. Mafalda left for Florida last week, she sounded exhausted but happy.
“Friend, I’m very tired, but thank God I’m finally taking some vacation time. I’m going to Florida,” she told her work friend, Thaiz Ramos, on Thursday.
Ramos said Mafalda promised she would call when she arrived.
“I am still waiting for that call,” Ramos said Sunday afternoon, “because part of me still cannot believe she is gone.”
Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, was identified over the weekend as the fifth person killed in the devastating Interstate 95 crash in Virginia that also claimed the lives of four members of the Doncev family from Greenfield, Massachusetts. Authorities said Mafalda was traveling in a separate vehicle, a Chevrolet Suburban, when it was struck by a passenger bus that failed to slow for traffic near a work zone.
Friends say Mafalda, who was born in Inhapim, Brazil, had built a life in Massachusetts. A GoFundMe, which refers to her as Priscilla Ramos, no relation to Thaiz Ramos, was created after her death and says relatives are raising money to return her body to Brazil for burial.
The GoFundMe said that her husband, Igor Ernesto, was also in the vehicle and hospitalized. Mafalda’s family and GoFundMe organizers could not immediately be reached for comment.
By Sunday , over $14,000 was raised.
Ramos worked with Mafalda for years at a Massachusetts house-cleaning company. She described her as “one of the kindest and hardest-working people I have ever known.”
Virginia State Police said the crash happened around 2:35 a.m. Friday in Stafford County, when a bus traveling from New York to North Carolina struck slowed traffic near a work zone, setting off a chain-reaction collision impacting Mafalda’s vehicle. It forced her vehicle into the Doncev family’s Acura SUV and several others. The bus driver has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, with additional charges pending.
This is a developing story.
Sarah Rahal can be reached at sarah.rahal@globe.com. Follow her on X @SarahRahal_ or Instagram @sarah.rahal.
Boston, MA
Where to watch Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Guardians: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 31
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Sunday as the Boston Red Sox visit the Cleveland Guardians.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Guardians?
First pitch between the Cleveland Guardians and Boston Red Sox is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, May 31.
How to watch Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Guardians on Sunday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 6:32 a.m.
- Matchup: BOS at CLE
- Date: Sunday, May 31
- Time: 1:40 p.m. (ET)
- Venue: Progressive Field
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
- TV: Guardians.TV and NESN
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for May 31 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
Boston, MA
Police Blotter: Cambridge meth chemist sentenced to prison; Boston firefighters make high-flying save
A “skilled” drug chemist who helped flood Greater Boston with methamphetamine will spend more than a decade in prison for his role in the enterprise.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV sentenced Schuyler Oppenheimer, who went by “SK” and conducted illicit trade with Chinese suppliers under the name “Michael Sylvain,” according to court documents, to 13 years in federal prison.
Oppenheimer, 35 of Cambridge, was arrested in July 2024 and pleaded guilty in January to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of wire fraud.
Authorities say that Oppenheimer’s drug business was partially funded through $40,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans.
FBI Special Agent Eric Poalino described Oppenheimer repeatedly in a lengthy affidavit supporting the charges as a “skilled” drug chemist. A rap sheet included in court documents shows drug charges — convicted or otherwise — dating back to 2008 and at the time of his arrest on July 18, Oppenheimer was on pretrial release for three pending cases.
In addition to his own record, law enforcement was already on to him because he is suspected “to historically have been a technician for other large-scale pill producers in Massachusetts,” according to Poalino’s affidavit.
That includes working for North Shore fentanyl kingpin Vincent “Fatz” Caruso, who along with his mother in 2021 pleaded guilty to operating a large-scale drug trafficking organization specializing in pressed fentanyl pills and was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Caruso and a lieutenant of his, Ernest “Yo Pesci” Johnson, who was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, gained notoriety through posting photos of their lifestyles to social media.
High-stakes save
Boston Fire Department firefighters saved a crane operator stuck in his cab at Conley Terminal in South Boston Saturday, despite the dangerous weather conditions.
The Department cheered the firefighters who worked “over 200 feet in the air under extreme weather conditions, high winds and heavy rain.” The department did not say how the crane got stuck.
Incident Summary
BPD responded to 249 incidents in the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Saturday, according to the department’s incident log. Those included four robberies, one aggravated assault, two residential burglaries, three thefts from a car, two auto thefts, and 26 instances of miscellaneous larceny.
Arrests
All of the below-named defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
— Nicole Anderson, no address listed. Trespassing.
— Kesner Forestale, no address listed. Trespassing.
— Sean Ribeiro, 112 Southampton St., Boston. Trespassing.
— Peter Antonaros, 4 Doncaster St., Roslindale. Possession of Class C drugs.
— Korie Berry, 93-95 Hyde Park Ave., Jamaica Plain. Possession of Class A drugs.
— Kaitlyn Quick, 39 Boylston St., Boston. Warrant.
— Marina Coelho, 35 Northampton St., Boston. Possession of Class B Drugs.
— Jason Toomer, 5 Toplift St., Dorchester. External warrant.
— Xavian Alvarado, 434 Georgetown Drive, Hyde Park. Shoplifting more than $250.
— Aidan Walsh, 20 Powell St., Boston. Shoplifting more than $250.
— Suker Francois, 18 Livingstone St., Boston. Operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
— Donald Villard 151 Hallet St., Dorchester. Carrying a firearm without a license.
Courtesy/Boston Fire Department
Boston firefighters saved a trapped crane operator 200 feet in the air on Saturday. (Courtesy/Boston Fire Department)
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