The Toronto Raptors completed the first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday and put together an incredible offensive performance in a 150-122 victory in Game 4. This was the first sweep during the NBA Playoffs in Raptors’ history.
Also in historic fashion, Toronto set a record for the most points off the bench since the statistic started being recorded in the 1970-71 season according to Elias Sports Bureau. The Raptors finished with 100 points from their non-starters during the game, breaking the previous record of 94 in a regular season game and 86 in a postseason matchup.
Reserve shooting guard Norman Powell finished with a team-high 29 points on 9 of 14 shooting, while backup big man Serge Ibaka scored 27 points on 12 of 14 shooting from the floor with 15 rebounds. Pascal Siakam led the Raptors’ starters, securing a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists. He also added six rebounds in the victory.
Caris LeVert led the Nets with a game-high 35 points in the season-ending loss.
One ongoing situation that may impact the Raptors includes Kyle Lowry’s injured ankle. He rolled his left foot stepping on the foot of Brooklyn’s Chris Chiozza late in the first quarter and left the game. Lowry finished with two points, three assists and two rebounds for the Raptors.
Who’s next?
The Boston Celtics are coming off a sweep themselves against the Philadelphia 76ers, and that’s who the Raptors will be matching up with in the second round in one of the most compelling series so far in the NBA Playoffs. After receiving off days Monday through Wednesday this week, Toronto will return to the court on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. EST.
To get you ready for the series and how the oddsmakers view the Raptors following an impressive four-game series, here’s a look at some of the numbers provided by a popular United States sportsbooks.
Game 1
Point Spread
It remains unclear whether Kyle Lowry will see the court in Game 1 with a sprained left ankle, but the Raptors are coming into the first game of the series as two-point favorites in Orlando. Toronto went 3-1 against the spread in its series against Brooklyn. Boston also finished 3-1 against the number in its series against Philadelphia.
The Raptors were favored by at least 9.5 points in every game, so Boston should give them a much tougher matchup.
- Boston Celtics +2 (-109)
- Toronto Raptors -2 (-112)
In four regular season games against each other, Toronto covered the spread against Boston just once.
Moneyline
The Raptors are slight favorites on the moneyline. They are coming into Thursday night’s game riding an eight-game winning streak and won 15 of their last 16 games. Boston is the winner of four games in a row including eight of its last nine.
- Boston Celtics (+108)
- Toronto Raptors (-127)
The Raptors finished 1-3 against Boston during the regular season.
Point total
The over/under point total is currently set at 215.5. In the playoffs, Toronto is 2-2 in point totals, and Boston is the same.
- Over 215.5 (-112)
- Under 215.5 (-109)
The Raptors and Celtics hit the over twice with one under and one push in their regular season series against each other.
Series odds
With both teams coming off first round sweeps of their opponents, Toronto is still favored to win the series against Boston.
- Boston Celtics +115
- Toronto Raptors -143
NBA Championship odds
After a fantastic start to the playoffs with a first round sweep, Toronto now has much better odds to win the NBA Championship than expected prior to the playoffs starting. Before Game 1 of the previous series, the Raptors had the fourth best odds at +1400 and while they still have the fourth best chance to win it all, Toronto’s odds to repeat as the champions moved to +700.
Here’s a look where the NBA Championship odds stand:
- Los Angeles Clippers +260
- Los Angeles Lakers +270
- Milwaukee Bucks +333
- Toronto Raptors +700
- Boston Celtics +800
Oddsmakers believe Toronto and Boston are in the top five of teams that may win the NBA title this season, and we get to see matchup between championship-contending teams in the second round of the playoffs.
