The Toronto Raptors have some good news and bad news ahead of their matchup against the Boston Celtics.
The good news is after missing 5 straight games, Precious Achiuwa is available for the Raptors.
Meanwhile, the bad news is that Gary Trent Jr. is out with plantar fasciitis:
Precious Achiuwa is available vs. Celtics. Gary Trent Jr. (Plantar Fasciitis) is a no go.
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) November 11, 2023
Achiuwa had been dealing with a left groin strain that he injured against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 28. He has only played in 3 games this season averaging 7.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
Trent Jr. was a surprise scratch for this one. He is coming off arguably the best performance of his season. He scored 16 points on 6-11 shooting against the Dallas Mavericks. Trent Jr. has been ruled out as he’s dealing with plantar fasciitis.
Even without Trent Jr., the Raptors bench will have to come up in a big way against the Celtics.
The Celtics will be on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Boston has owned the Raptors as of late. They swept Toronto last season and have won 10 of the last 12 against them.
Toronto is hoping they will receive strong play from their starters who should be well rested. The Raptors last played on Nov. 8.
Darko Rajakovic shares important article with Malachi Flynn
With Trent Jr. out this is an opportunity for Malachi Flynn to have another nice game. He is coming off the best game of his season against the Mavericks. He had 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 0 turnovers in 15 minutes of action.
Darko Rajakovic recently said that he shared an article he read about Tom Brady’s journey with Flynn earlier this season.
“I shared that article with Malachi. Like don’t think about like, am I playing five minutes, seven minutes, 10 minutes, make sure that everything counts when you go out there. Go play defense, play the right way, set up your teammates, and then when you play in that rhythm without the pressure that you have to make shots, then shots come, and they fall down.”
Flynn looks to make it back-to-back solid outings in Boston.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!