The Boston Celtics will proceed their quest to win back-to-back NBA championships Sunday once they open the playoffs in opposition to the visiting Orlando Magic.
The Celtics, who beat the Dallas Mavericks within the 2023-24 NBA Finals, are the No. 2 seed within the Jap Convention and are attempting to develop into the primary franchise to win consecutive titles since Golden State did so in 2017 and ’18.
Orlando beat the Atlanta Hawks 120-95 within the play-in match to earn the No. 7 seed and arrange the best-of-seven collection in opposition to Boston.
“(The Magic) have a DNA about them. They’re effectively coached, they’ve a variety of depth,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “They’ve performed, they’ve received a variety of other ways, form of much like us not being wholesome all through the season. So there’s stuff you may take from each recreation. … So actually simply concentrate on the DNA of what they do, who they’re, once they’re at their finest, and form of take it from there.”
Orlando received two of the three conferences between the groups in the course of the common season, however the Celtics did not play their starters throughout Orlando’s 96-76 victory on April 9 as a result of they’d nothing to realize within the standings.
Jayson Tatum, Boston’s main scorer (26.8 factors per recreation), additionally sat out Orlando’s 108-104 win on Dec. 23 with an sickness. The Celtics beat the Magic 121-94 on Jan. 17, which was the one time the groups met in Boston.
“It is a completely different surroundings in Boston,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned. “We all know how loud it may be. We perceive how these followers are and the way they root and assist for his or her group. We gotta have the ability to embrace that, however perceive that we’re able to doing that on the street.”
The collection matches the highest two defensive groups within the NBA in factors allowed per recreation. The Magic gave up a league-best 105.5 factors, whereas the Celtics have been subsequent finest at 107.2.
Orlando (41-41) depends closely on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who each missed important time with accidents earlier this season. Banchero averaged 25.9 factors, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 46 regular-season video games, and Wagner averaged 24.2 factors, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 60 video games.
The collection doubtless will likely be decided on the 3-point line. The Celtics (61-21) set an NBA document for made 3-pointers in a season (1,457) and are averaging 17.8 made 3-pointers per recreation on 48.2 makes an attempt. Derrick White (265), Payton Pritchard (255) and Tatum (250) led the group in 3-point area objectives.
Orlando was the most effective group within the league at limiting 3-point makes an attempt by opponents in the course of the common season (31.4 per recreation), however ranked final amongst NBA groups in made 3-pointers (11.2) and 3-point share (31.8) per contest. Nonetheless, it is price noting that Orlando shot 36.7 % on 3-point makes an attempt throughout its last 16 video games of the season.
The Celtics are 7-14 this season once they did not make extra 3-pointers than their opponent.
“I feel there’s nonetheless one other degree for us,” Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac mentioned. “I feel we’ll discover that within the playoffs right here. However it’s nice. We have began to shoot the ball higher as of late, and that is the time you wish to shoot the ball higher, in the direction of the tip of the 12 months and going into the playoffs.”
The groups will play Sport 2 in Boston on Wednesday earlier than the best-of-seven collection shifts to Orlando on Friday.
–Area Stage Media
