*This is the first time since 1954-55 (when the Baltimore Bullets disbanded after 14 games) that not every NBA team will finish with the same number of games played.
–This will only be the 2nd NBA season in which there will be teams finishing with exactly 81 games played.
–That other season was 1966-67: the Celtics, who finished 60-21 (2nd-best record in the league), were 1 of 10 teams to play 81 games in that season 46 years ago.
*The Celtics have one of the league’s best defenses since Rondo tore his ACL on January 25.
–In that span, they have held teams to 43 percent shooting, which is the 3rd-best mark in the NBA.
–In that span, they have a league-best 32 percent defense against the 3-point shot, best in the NBA.
*Not only have the Celtics defended well, but they also have shot the basketball well heading into the playoffs.
–Their 59-percent performance from the field on Saturday at Orlando was Boston’s best shooting percentage in a road game this season.
–It also pushed the Celtics’ shooting to 2nd-best in the NBA over the last 10 games.
*Saturday was a new season-high in plus/minus (+27) for Kevin Garnett.
–He impressively did it in less than 20 minutes.
–Garnett is 1 of 6 players this season with at least a +27 in less than 20 minutes.
*The Raptors are 2-35 this season when allowing their opponent to score at least 100 points.
*The Raptors are playing for an above .500 record at home.
–They enter this contest 20-20 at the Air Canada Centre this season.
–The Raptors can tie their season-long winning streak with a win Wednesday.
*During Toronto’s current 4-game winning streak, DeMar DeRozan has led the team with 26 points per game on an impressive 60 percent shooting.
–He has also made 6 of his last 9 shots from 3-point distance.
–DeRozan has played in every game this season, accumulating the 5th-most minutes and making the 8th-most free throws of any player in 2012-13.
*Brandon Bass has now scored double-digit in all 7 games in April, his longest streak of scoring double-digit points this season.
–Bass is averaging 15 points per game and shooting 60 percent from the field in that span.
*Going into Friday’s game, Courtney Lee had scored fewer than 10 points in his last 5 games, just 2 games off his worst streak this season.
–On Friday, Lee impressively scored 18 points, tied for his 2nd-most in a game this season.
–Then, on Saturday against his former team, Lee scored 20 points and made three 3-pointers, which both tied for his most as a Celtic. In addition, he scored more than 15 points in consecutive nights for the first time as a Celtic.
*In 26 games as a Celtic, Friday and Saturday combined to be the first time that Jordan Crawford scored double-digit points and shot that well from the field in consecutive games.
–The Celtics are a much stronger offensive scoring team when Crawford is on the floor. They are almost 5 points per 100 possessions with him out there.
*The Celtics’ victory on Saturday was their largest margin of victory this season.
–It also became the Celtics’ new season-high with 120 points scored.
–The Celtics have now won 8 consecutive games over the Magic.
–It was tied for the Celtics’ 2nd-largest victory over the Magic in franchise history.
–The Celtics’ 59.3% shooting was their 2nd-best performance in a game this season.
*The New York Knicks have made 11 shots from 3-point distance per game and have attempted 29 of those per game, both the most in a single season in NBA history.
–882 made 3-pointers and 2,347 attempted 3-pointers are also single-season records.
–The 2012-13 Rockets are 2nd in all 4 of those categories. I guess we will call this the season of the 3-pointer.
*The Knicks have attempted the most 3-pointers from above the break (1747 from where the arc turns into a straight line), more than 100 more than the team that took the 2nd-most this season – the Houston Rockets (1632).
–The Knicks’ shooting percentage on those 3-pointers is 38%, 2nd-best in the league.
*The 3-pointer is also important for the Celtics.
–They are 9-1 this season when making double-digit 3-pointers this season (4-0 when making more than 10).
–They are 8-2 this season in games in which they shoot at least 50 percent on 3-pointers.
*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Raptors
–With a 3-0 record against the Raptors this season, the Celtics are in search of their only 4-game sweep of an opponent in 2012-13.
–The Celtics have not been the victim of a 4-game sweep by any team this season.
*Milestone Watch:
–All-Time NBA Points Scored–
13. Alex English 25,613
14. Reggie Miller 25,279
15. Kevin Garnett 25,274 (Garnett needs 6 to move into 14th place)
–Celtics History: All-Time Regular Season and Playoffs Wins–
1. Red Auerbach 885
2. Tommy Heinsohn 474
3. Doc Rivers 473 (Rivers needs 1 to tie Heinsohn for 2nd place)
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