Photo: Ashley Landis, Pool Photo via USA Today Sports

The head coach of the Toronto Raptors, Nick Nurse, opened up about the semifinals series against the Boston Celtics.

Nurse explained that the way the Celtics swept their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers makes them a very dangerous opponent for the defending champions.

“I think they’re really good. They’re super talented, deep, they’re very well coached. I think they’re playing great at the moment.

They put away a very talented (Philadelphia 76ers) team with ease, with ease. There was never a doubt really in that series, which way that was going, maybe a little bit in one game.

They handled us really good in the bubble here. I’m hoping it’s a great series. We’re going to need to play great to beat them,” Nurse said of the Celtics on Monday, via The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.

Both the Raptors and the Celtics swept their respective series in the first round of the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Game 1 will take place on Thursday, August 27.