The Celtics play on the road for the second straight night as they take on the Magic in Orlando. This is the third, and final, game between these two teams this season. The series is tied 1-1 with the Celtics losing in Orlando on 12/23 and winning in Boston on 1/17. The Celtics won the series 2-1 last season, winning 2 in Boston and losing 1 in Orlando.
Both teams are playing on the second night of back to back games. The Magic played the Hawks at home on Tuesday night. They are 5-7 on the second night of back to back games. The Celtics played at New York on Tuesday night and the game went to overtime. They are 8-4 in the second of back to back games and they are 5-2 when the second game is on the road.
The Celtics remain 2nd in the East. They are 4 games behind 1st place Cleveland. They are 9 games ahead of 3rd place New York and 11 games ahead of 4th place Indiana. They are 33-7 on the road and 9-1 in their last 10 games. They are 37-12 against Eastern Conference teams. They have won their last 3 games.
The Magic are 7th in the East. They are 24 behind first place Cleveland and 5 games behind 6th place Detroit. They are 2 games ahead of 8th place Atlanta, 3 games ahead of 9th place Chicago and 3 games ahead of 10th place Miami. They are 21-19 at home and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They are 29-20 against Eastern Conference teams and have won their last 3 games.
These 2 teams are forever linked together in their histories. The final game played at the Boston Garden was against the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the 1995 NBA Playoffs. The Magic secured a 95-92 win, marking the end of the Boston Garden’s 67-year operation and it also marked the first time in franchise history that the Magic won a playoff series and advanced to the second round.
The Celtics are 77-55 overall, all time against the Magic and they are 26-38 in games played in Orlando. The Magic could very well end up being the Celtics first round opponent. To do that they would need hang onto the 7th spot through the play in games. The Magic are 9-8 against the Celtics in their playoff history.
Both teams are entering the final stretch of the season. After this game in Orlando, the Celtics will finish the season with 2 games against the Charlotte Hornets at home. After this game against the Celtics, the Magic will finish the season on the road, first visiting Indiana and finishing at Atlanta.
The Celtics are prioritizing health over tying the record for road wins in this one. Their injury report just came out with Al Horford (knee), Jayson Tatum (ankle), Derrick White (ankle), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (shoulder) all listed as out for this game. Jaylen Brown (knee) is listed as questionable. I really have no clue who will start so just making a wild guess.
For the Magic, Jalen Suggs is out for the remainder of the season after arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee. Moritz Wagner is also out for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL in his left knee. I’m not sure if they will sit anyone because they are still fighting for play-in position. This may also be a first round matchup for the Celtics so I’m not sure what tactics either team will use.
Probable Celtics Starters
- JD Davison Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
- Baylor Scheierman Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
- Jaylen Brown Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images
- Drew Peterson Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
- Luke Kornet Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images
PG: JD DavisonSG: Baylor ScheiermanSF: Jaylen BrownPF: Drew Peterson
C: Luke Kornet
Celtics ReservesPayton PritchardNeemias QuetaJordan WalshTorrey CraigSam Hauser
Xavier Tillman, Sr
2 Way PlayersJD DavisonDrew Peterson
Miles Norris
Injuries/OutJaylen Brown (knee) questionableJayson Tatum (ankle) outDerrick White (knee) outJrue Holiday (shoulder) outKristaps Porzingis (illness)out
Al Horford (knee out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Magic Starters
- Cory Joseph Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
- Franz Wagner Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
- Paolo Banchero Photo by Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images
- Wendell Carter, Jr Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
PG: Cory JosephSG: Kentavious Caldwell-PopeSF: Franz WagnerPF: Paolo Banchero
C: Wendell Carter, Jr
Magic ReservesCole AnthonyGoga BitadzeAnthony BlackTristan DaSilvaGary HarrisCaleb HoustanJett Howard
Jonathan Isaac
2-Way Players Mac McClungTrevelin Queen
Ethan Thompson
Injuries/OutMoritz Wagner (knee) out
Jalen Suggs (knee) out
Head Coach
Jamahl Mosley
Key Matchups
- Drew Peterson Photo by Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images
- Paolo Banchero Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images
Drew Peterson vs Paolo Banchero
Banchero is averaging 26 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He is shooting 45.3% from the field and 31.9% from beyond the arc. Banchero missed the first game at Orlando. In the second game, he finished with 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting 40% from the field with no 3’s. He is capable of having a big game if the Celtics don’t defend him well. It’s just a wild guess that Peterson will start here.
- Jaylen Brown Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
- Franz Wagner Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images
Jaylen Brown vs Franz Wagner
Wagner is averaging 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 46.3% from the field and 29.3% from beyond the arc. Wagner missed both of the games so far this season. He is always a threat to score. I’m guessing that Brown will play, but it’s possible he will be out.
Honorable Mention
Payton Pritchard vs Cole Anthony
Anthony is averaging 9.6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He is shooting 42.2% from the field and 34.8% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics, he averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 52% and 40% from beyond the arc in one game and no 3’s in the other. He has had big games against the Celtics in the past and so they need to pay attention to him on defense.
Keys to the Game
Defense – I can’t say it enough, but defense is always the key to winning. The Celtics are 5th the league with a defensive rating of 110.4. The Magic are 3rd in the league with a defensive rating of 109.2. The Magic are 29th in scoring at 105.1 points per game while the Celtics are 8th, scoring 116.9 points per game. The Magic have been winning with their defense and if the Celtics hope to beat them, they need to play tough lock down defense themselves.
Rebound – Rebounding is also crucial if a team wants to win games. You can’t score if you don’t have the ball and the best way to get the ball is to grab rebounds to give themselves extra possessions. Much of rebounding is effort and hustle and if the Celtics put the extra effort into grabbing rebounds, they usually show effort in all parts of the game. The Celtics are 38-7 when tied or out-rebounding their opponents. They need to give extra effort on the boards in this game.
Stay Focused – The Celtics need to stay focused and take care of the ball. The Magic score 18.7 points off turnovers per game. The Celtics can’t lose focus and turn the ball over or the Magic will make them pay. They also must stay focused on playing the game the right way and keep the ball moving. They also have to stay focused on taking good shots and making them. If the 3s aren’t falling, they need to get into the paint.
X-Factors
Road Game and fatigue– The Celtics are playing on the road. They are facing distractions of travel and playing in an unfamiliar arena in front of hostile fans. They need to shake off those distractions and keep their focus on playing the game. Both teams are playing back to back and so fatigue could come into play down the stretch.
Next Man Up – At this time, Orlando has just 2 players out while the Celtics have their entire starting lineup out along with a less than 100% Brown questionable. The Celtics have a deep bench, but can they hold up against a full strength Magic team that is playing for their play-in positioning?
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 to the way the game is being called and not allow the officiating to take away from their focus.
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