Celtics Host Raptors in Potential Playoff Preview

Boston and Toronto clash in key late-season East matchup

Apr. 5, 2026 at 2:42pm

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The Boston Celtics, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, will host the Toronto Raptors, the No. 6 seed, on Sunday afternoon in a potential playoff preview. The Celtics are coming off a big win over the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Raptors recently defeated the Memphis Grizzlies.

Why it matters

This matchup between two of the top teams in the East could provide a glimpse of a potential playoff series down the road. Both teams are jockeying for position in the standings, making this a crucial late-season game with postseason implications.

The details

The Celtics (52-25) have won 14 of their last 15 games and are led by their All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Raptors (43-34) are sixth in the East and are coming off a win over the Grizzlies. This will be the fourth and final regular-season meeting between the two teams, with the Celtics leading the season series 2-1.

  • The game is scheduled for Sunday, April 5, 2026.
  • The Celtics most recently played on Friday, defeating the Bucks 133-101.
  • The Raptors last played on Friday, beating the Grizzlies 128-96.

The players

Jayson Tatum

All-Star forward for the Boston Celtics.

Jaylen Brown

All-Star guard for the Boston Celtics.

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What they’re saying

“This is a big game for us as we try to lock up home-court advantage in the playoffs. Toronto is a tough team and we know we'll have our hands full.”

— Jayson Tatum, Celtics Forward

What’s next

The winner of this game will have the upper hand in the season series and potentially secure a more favorable playoff position.

The takeaway

This late-season matchup between the Celtics and Raptors is an important one, as both teams jockey for position in the Eastern Conference standings and look to gain momentum heading into the playoffs.