The Celtics are hosting the Orlando Magic for the second of 3 games this season. The Magic won 113-96 on November 24 in a game that counted for the In Season Tournament. They will meet for the 3rd and final time in Boston on Sunday, December 17. The Celtics were just 1-3 against the Magic last season, winning their lone game in the series in Orlando and losing both games in Boston and one in Orlando.
The Magic are playing in the first of 2 consecutive road games. They will play in Boston on Sunday and then return home for a game against the Miami Heat before heading out on a 3 game road trip. The Celtics are playing in the 4th of 5 consecutive home games. They will close out their home stand on Sunday against the Magic and then head West for a 4 game road trip against the Warriors, Kings, Clippers and will finish against the Lakers on Christmas Day.
The Celtics are playing in the second of back to back games. They beat Cleveland on Thursday and host the Magic one day later. This is the Celtics 3rd back to back set so far this season. They are 1-1 so far on the second night of back to back games. They beat Toronto and then lost to Charlotte. They are 1-0 when the games are Home/Home. Orlando hasn’t played since Monday and so should be well rested while the Celtics will have to battle fatigue.
The Celtics remain first in the East, 1.5 game ahead of Milwaukee and 2 games ahead of both Orlando and Milwaukee. They are 12-0 at home and 17-4 against Eastern Conference teams. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 3 games. The Magic are 3rd, just 2 games behind the Celtics. They are 5-5 on the road and 11-4 against Eastern Conference teams. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have won their last 2 games.
The Celtics are likely to be shorthanded for this game, especially at center. Jaylen Brown was listed as questionable for Thursday’s game with an ankle injury but he played 36 minutes but is once again questionable for this game with a knee injury. Kristaps Porzingis was probable with tightness in his calf on Thursday but also played but is now listed as doubtful due to calf tightness. Luke Kornet missed Thursday’s game with left adductor tightness and is out for this game.
For the Magic, Markelle Fultz is questionable with a knee injury. He has missed the last 15 games but has been practicing with the team. If he plays, he will likely be on a minutes restriction. Wendell Carter, Jr. is out with a finger injury.
Probable Celtics Starters
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics Reserves
Delano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Al Horford
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Neemias Queta
Drew Peterson
Injuries/Out
Luke Kornet (hip) out
Al Horford (rest) out
Jaylen Brown (knee) questionable
Kristaps Porzingis (calf) doubtful
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Magic Starters
PG: Anthony Black
SG: Jalen Suggs
SF: Franz Wagner
PF: Paolo Banchero
C: Goga Bitadze
Magic Reserves
Cole Anthony
Gary Harris
Caleb Houstan
Jett Howard
Joe Ingles
Jonathan Isaac
Chuma Okeke
Moritz Wagner
2 Way Players
Kevon Harris
Admiral Schofield
Trevelin Queen
Out/Injuries
Wendell Carter, Jr (finger) out
Markelle Fultz (knee) questionable
Head Coach
Jamahl Mosley
Key Matchups
Jayson Tatum vs Paolo Banchero
Banchero was the #1 pick in last season’s draft. In his second season, he is averaging 20.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is shooting 49% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. He shot 50% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to do a better job of defending Banchero in this one.
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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 20.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is shooting 45.8% from the field and 30.4% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block. He shot 47.1% from the field but just 16.7% from beyond the arc. He is very capable of having a big game and the Celtics need to defend him well. If Brown misses this game, I’m going to guess that Sam Hauser starts in his place.
Honorable Mention
Payton Pritchard vs Cole Anthony
Anthony comes off the bench and plays very well for the Magic. He is averaging 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He is shooting 45.3% from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc. He loves playing the Celtics and in the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 16 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block and 2 steals. He shot 35.3% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need production from Pritchard in this game, but they also need to slow Anthony down.
Keys to the Game
Defense – I can’t say it enough, but defense is always the key to winning. If you look at the best teams in the league, they are always at the top of the league in defense. The Celtics are 4th in the league with a defensive rating of 109.3. The Magic are 3rd with a defensive rating of 108.7. The Celtics allowed the Magic to shoot 50% from the field and 39.3% from beyond the arc in their first meeting while shooting just 24.1% from 3 themselves. While the Magic don’t typically take a lot of 3’s and are last in the league, they can hit them if the Celtics leave them open. The Magic are 2nd in the league with 56.6 points in the paint and so the Celtics have to defend inside and keep the Magic out of the paint. The Magic are winning games with their defense and the Celtics have to play tough defense for 48 minutes if they want to win this game.
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 and 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 Magic are third in the league with 16.5 second chance points per game and so the Celtics have to work harder to grab rebounds to prevent those 2nd chance points against them.
Reserve Play – The Magic have some very good reserves and they depend on them to contribute. Cole Anthony (15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds), Joe Ingalls (5.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, shooting 40.7% from 3), Jonathan Isaac (6.4 points, 4.4 rebounds), Markelle Fultz (11.4 points, 3.4 rebounds) and Mo Wagner (12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds) are all capable of having big games if not defended well. The Celtics need to be ready for the Magic reserves while getting good production from their own reserves.
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. They also have to move the ball carefully and not turn the ball over. The Magic are 2nd in the league with 19.2 points off turnovers per game. If the Celtics get sloppy, the Magic will make them pay.
X-Factors
Celtics Pride at Home – The Celtics were embarrassed by the Magic in their first meeting. The Magic aren’t the pushover team that they have been in the past and 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 defend their home court and not allow the Magic to get a win in Boston. Celtics commentator Eddie House called the Magic “garbage” a year ago and the Magic have taken that as motivation and play extra hard in every game against the Celtics. 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.
Rest vs Rust and Fatigue – The Celtics are playing in back to back games while the Magic have been off since Monday. We saw the Celtics with some rest in their first game vs the Cavs and the Cavs showing fatigue at the end after playing back to back. The Celtics need to get off to a strong start and get a jump on the Magic right from the opening tip. They may run into fatigue at the end and don’t want the Magic to have a chance to steal the game because of it.
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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