Over the full season, only the Rockets, Magic and 76ers have more consistently and thoroughly won the possession battle than Boston. That has actually held up over the past month, with the Celtics continuing to outperform opponents on the offensive glass, commit fewer turnovers than they create, and generate more free throws than they allow.

Two short weeks after losing by 54 points in Boston, the Toronto Raptors handed the Celtics their most humbling loss of the season.

The Boston Celtics trekked north to Canada to face the Toronto Raptors Wednesday eve, with all the expectations a contending ball club ought to have against a team like Toronto. The Raptors, after all,