5 must-see NBA games in December include a lot of Los Angeles Lakers

5a and 5b. Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors

Dec. 25 at Toronto, Dec. 28 at Boston

Entering Friday night’s schedule, the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors are tied for the Atlantic Division lead at 13-4, good enough for a share of the second-best record in the Eastern Conference in the process.

At the end of December, the two clubs will meet twice, with Boston holding the early advantage with its 112-106 victory over Toronto at TD Garden on Oct. 25. That was the first victory of the season for the Celtics and sparked an NBA season-long 10-game winning streak.

The Raptors shot themselves in the foot with 23 turnovers, wiping out any advantage they built by shooting 47.4 percent (37-for-78) overall and 18-for-36 (50.0 percent) from 3-point range. The Celtics outscored Toronto off turnovers by a whopping 26-9 margin, including 7-0 in the fourth, when the Raptors coughed the ball up six times to blow a six-point lead entering the period.

Kemba Walker scored 11 of his 22 points in the fourth, while prized young wing talents Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown dropped 25 points apiece. Pascal Siakam paced Toronto with 33 points and Kyle Lowry added 29 points and seven assists, but Siakam also had five turnovers, while Lowry and Fred Van Vleet had four each.

The Celtics also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Raptors by a 56-46 margin, with 21 offensive rebounds to just five for Toronto. That led to a 21-2 edge for Boston in second-chance points. Between the offensive boards and the turnovers, the Celtics were able to win despite shooting just 38.5 percent (42-for-109) overall and 13-for-38 from deep (34.2 percent).