The Celtics host the Orlando Magic for Game 1 of their first round series. This is the fourth time these two teams have met in the playoffs and the first time since 2010, when the Celtics won the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2. The Magic are 9-8 in the playoffs against the Celtics and are one of 3 teams that have a winning record against the Celtics in the playoffs. Charlotte and Brooklyn are the other two teams.
The Magic won the first series between these two teams 3 games to 1 in the first round of the 1995 playoffs. Game 4 of that series was the final game the Celtics played in the old Boston Garden. Magic won that game 95-92 and they won the series. Their 2nd meeting in the playoffs was in 2009 where the Magic won the series 4-3, this time in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Magic won the series with the Celtics this season 2-1. Although. we can’t take a lot from those games. In the Celtics 108-104 loss on December 1, the Celtics didn’t have Jayson Tatum and the Magic didn’t have Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner. In the Celtics 121-94 win on January 17, the Celtics were healthy, but the Magic were without Wagner. The Magic 96-76 win on April 9 meant nothing since the Magic were healthy and the Celtics sat their top 6 players.
This will be an interesting matchup as illustrated by several statistics. The Celtics average the 2nd fewest turnovers (11.9) while the Magic are 2nd with 16.2 forced turnovers per game. The Celtics are first in fewest shooting fouls committed while the Magic draw the 2nd most shooting fouls per 100 possessions. Most importantly, the Celtics average 48.2 threes per game while the Magic limit teams to 31.4 attempted 3’s per game, fewest in the league.
Much has been made of the Celtics health over the past week as we waited for the playoffs to start. Jaylen Brown missed the final 3 games of the season due to a bone bruise on his knee. He has looked good in practice and has participated fully and will have no restrictions in this game. Jrue Holiday has been playing with a black cast on his pinky finger due to mallet finger. He also has been a full participant in practice and should play with no restrictions. The Celtics have a clear injury list at this time.
The Magic have 2 players on the injury list but they have been out long term for them and both will miss the playoffs. Jalen Suggs has been out since March 4 after undergoing successful arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee. Moritz Wagner has been out since January 9 when he tore the ACL in his left knee. Other than these two, the Magic also have a clear injury report.
Probable Celtics Starters
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman
Jordan Walsh
Luke Kornet
Torrey Craig
Sam Hauser
Xavier Tillman, Sr
JD Davison
Al Horford
2 Way Players
Drew Peterson
Miles Norris
Injuries/Out
None
Probable Magic Starters
PG: Cory Joseph
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Franz Wagner
PF: Paolo Banchero
C: Wendell Carter, Jr
Magic Reserves
Cole Anthony
Goga Bitadze
Anthony Black
Tristan DaSilva
Gary Harris
Caleb Houstan
Jett Howard
Jonathan Isaac
2-Way Players
Mac McClung
Trevelin Queen
Ethan Thompson
Injuries/Out
Moritz Wagner (knee) out
Jalen Suggs (knee) out
Head Coach
Jamahl Mosley
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Key Matchups
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Jayson Tatum
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
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Paolo Banchero
Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images
Jayson Tatum vs Paolo Banchero
Banchero, a former #1 pick in the draft, is averaging 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He is shooting 45.2% from the field and 32.0% from beyond the arc. In 2 games gainst the Celtics this season, he averaged with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. He shot 37.8% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need Tatum to out-play Banchero if they want to get a win.
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Jaylen Brown
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
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Franz Wagner
Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images
Jaylen Brown vs Franz Wagner
Wagner is averaging 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He is shooting 46.3% from the field and 29.5% from beyond the arc. In one game against the Celtics this season, he finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 52.9% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. He is very capable of having a big game and the Celtics need to defend him well. Hopefully Brown’s knee is indeed healed and he can move well enough to defend at a high level.
Honorable Mention
Kristaps Porzingis vs Wendell Carter, Jr
Carter is averaging 9.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He is shooting 46% from the field and 23.4% from beyond the arc. In 3 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 11.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 54.2% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. Porzingis has a height advantage over Carter and should be able to draw him away from the basket with his outside shooting.
Key Matchup off the Bench
Payton Pritchard vs Cole Anthony
Anthony seems to find a way to have big games against the Celtics. He is averaging 9.4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He is shooting 42.4% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc. However, in 3 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 17 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, while shooting 51.4% from the field and 41.2% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend Anthony well and keep him from having a big game in this one. The Celtics also need a big game from Pritchard.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always the key to winning and even more so in the Playoffs. The Celtics are 5th the league with a defensive rating of 110.1. The Magic are 2nd in the league with a defensive rating of 109.1. The Magic are 28th in scoring at 105.4 points per game while the Celtics are 8th, scoring 116.3 points per game. The Magic have been winning with their defense and if the Celtics hope to beat them, they need match Orlando’s defensive intensity and to play tough lock down defense themselves.
Rebound – As Pat Riley once said, “No rebounds, no rings.” Much of rebounding is effort and hustle and if the Celtics put the extra effort into grabbing rebounds, it usually translates to the rest of their game. the Celtics are 8th with 45.3 rebounds per game while the Magic are 27th with 41.8 rebounds per game. The Celtics are 40-7 when tied or out-rebounding their opponents. It’s very important that the Celtics give extra effort on the boards in this game.
3 Point Shooting The Celtics take the most 3’s per game while the Magic allow the fewest 3’s per game. In the 3 games this season, the Magic held the Celtics to 11.3 fewer 3 point attempts than their average. 56.8% of 3’s that opponents took against Orlando were heavily contested (3rd). In their win over the Magic this season, the Celtics shot 45.9% on 3’s but in the 2 losses, they shot 24.2% and 17.5%. The Celtics allowed the Magic to shoot 39.4% and 35.6% in the 2 Magic wins but held them to 15.6% in their win. The Celtics are tough to beat when they make their 3’s and they struggle when the 3’s aren’t falling. They have to find a way to neutralize the Magic’s tough 3 point defense.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics play best when they share the ball and keep it moving. They can’t try to do too much individually or the offense gets bogged down. They need to move the ball to find the best shots instead of taking quick shots or over dribbling. The Celtics are 44-2 when they have more assists than their opponents. They have to move the ball carefully, however, and not turn the ball over. The Magic are 6th in the league with 19.0 points off turnovers per game. If the Celtics get sloppy, the Magic will make them pay.
X-Factors
Celtics Pride at Home – The Celtics will have the playoff Garden crowd and that should give them a boost. The Magic will have all the distractions of playing on the road. Both teams should be rested. The Celtics need to be ready for a team that plays very hard for 48 minutes and that defends very well. The Celtics need to match the Magic’s effort especially on the defensive end. The Celtics have to show pride and play harder than the Magic to protect their home court and get a win against this motivated Magic team.
Injuries – Word out of practice is that Jaylen Brown looked really good and was coming into the playoffs with no restrictions. The Celtics need him at 100% and able to be physical against a very physical front line of the Magic. Any limitations that he has from the knee injury will limit the Celtics’ effectiveness, especially on defense. Also the Celtics need Jrue Holiday at 100% in order to be at their best. Both teams come into the game with a clear injury list, although there are some reservations about Brown’s knee and Holiday’s finger. Hopefully there will be no injuries in the games to change that. The Celtics need to stay healthy throughout their playoff run in order to repeat as champions.
Officiating – Officiating can always be an X-Factor. In some games, you don’t even notice the referees and in other games, they seem to make the game all about them. Some crews call the game tight and others let the teams play. Some crews favor one of the teams while others call it fairly. No matter how the game is called, the Celtics must adjust and not allow the officiating to take away from their focus.
Official Report
Crew Chief – Zach Zarba – Zarba called 60 games this season. His home team win/loss record this season was 37-23. He calls 49.1% of fouls against the home team.
Referee – Mitchell Ervin – Ervin has called 63 games this season. His home team win/loss record was 37-26. He calls 49.9% of fouls against the home team.
Umpire – Jacyn Goble – Goble has called 68 games this season His home team win/loss record was 35-33. He calls 50% of fouls against the home team.
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