The Raptors’ gradual return to competitive basketball has come to an end.

After starting the preseason with back-to-back games against the Washington Wizards that offered little more competition than the intrasquad scrimmage that preceded them, the Toronto Raptors played the first game of this home-and-home against the defending champion Celtics in Boston on Sunday.

Fresh off a 139-89 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers the night before, the Celts opted to bench seven of their top eight players, including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. As a result, their lineup bore a greater resemblance to the Maine Celtics than the team that lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy four months ago.

Two disparate halves saw the Raptors fall 115-111. Now the two teams will once again tip off in the Dino’s return to Scotiabank Arena, but one will look very different.

It goes without saying that most of the Celtics starters will be in play for Tuesday’s game. The water wings that were the Wizards and Celtics third stringers come loose and the Raptors are thrown into the deep end.

This isn’t exactly a team equipped for a tough challenge right now. Once again, the Raptors will be without at least one starter as RJ Barrett has been ruled out for the remainder of the preseason due to a sprained right AC joint.

Immanuel Quickley is currently listed as an everyday player, and Darko Rajakovic has told the media he expects the 6-foot-1 guard to see action in the preseason. But the Raptors were without two of their four guaranteed starters (Barnes and Quickley in game one, Barrett and Quickley in games two and three) for each of the first three games of the preseason. Add in the fact that they have also been without a few additional rotation players (Bruce Brown, knee and Kelly Olynyk, lower back) and you get a team that lacks stability and continuity as it prepares for the start of the regular season.

That’s not too much of a problem for this Raptors team as they enter the first year of a rebuild by Rajakovic on media day, but it’s still not ideal.

Over the past two games, the Raptors have been outscored by 54 points from three-point range. Gradey Dick let him fly on Sunday night – he made 5-of-10 from deep – but overall the Raptors haven’t made many threes so far. They rank 29th in attempts per game during preseason with 31.7.

The Celtics rank first in three-point attempts per game at 52.0.

For both Ochai Agbaji and Davion Mitchell, three-point shooting is a swing skill that can help cement their status in the league. It would be nice to see both of them take a few more shots than the 2.0 and 1.3 per game respectively they averaged in the preseason.

The first half of the previous game and Friday’s loss to the Wizards left little to be desired. Raptors fans may be more inclined to focus on Vince Carter’s illustrious career, his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday, and the Raptors retiring his jersey on November 2.

But all the caveats of the preseason apply, and we’re bound to see some ugly basketball during these exhibition games. There is still plenty to look forward to on the track this year (if you know where to look).

Game information

Tip-off: 7:00 PM ET

Television: Sportsnet One

Radio: Sportsnet 590 De Fan

Starting lineups (projected)

Boston Celtics

PG: Jrue Holiday

SG: Derrick White

SF: Jaylen Brown

PF: Jayson Tatum

C: Luke Kornet

Toronto Raptors

PG: Davion Mitchell

SG: Gradey Dick

SF: Ochai Agbaji

PF: Scottie Barnes

C: Jakob Poeltl

Injury report (unofficial)

Celts

Kristaps Porzingis (foot) – Out

Birds of prey

Immanuel Quickley (thumb) – Out

RJ Barrett (shoulder) – Out

Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder) – Out

Bruce Brown Jr. (knee) – Off

Kelly Olynyk (back) – Questionable

Garrett Temple (Hamstring) – Questionable

Toronto’s final preseason game is on Friday, October 18 against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Centre. Tip-off at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.