The Celtics are hosting the Orlando Magic for the third and final game this season. The Magic won 113-96 on November 24 in a game that counted for the In Season Tournament. The Celtics won 128-111 just 2 days ago on Friday, also at TD Garden. 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 second of 2 consecutive road games. After this game in Boston, they will return home for a game against the Miami Heat before heading out on a 3 game road trip. The Celtics are playing in the 5th consecutive home game. This game closes out their home stand and they will head West for a 4 game road trip that will begin on Tuesday against the Warriors and then go through the Kings and Clippers and will finish against the Lakers on Christmas Day.
The Celtics remain first in the East, 2 game ahead of Milwaukee and Philadelphia and 3 games ahead of Orlando. They are 13-0 at home and 18-4 against Eastern Conference teams. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 4 games. The Magic are 4th, 3 games behind the Celtics and 1 game behind both Philadelphia and Milwaukee. They are 5-6 on the road and 11-5 against Eastern Conference teams. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are coming off a loss to the Celtics.
Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis are no longer on the injury list. Luke Kornet is out due to a thigh injury. Delano Banton is questionable due to an illness. For the Magic, Jalen Suggs is questionable after injuring his wrist against the Celtics on Friday. Joe Ingles is questioinable with an ankle injury and Markelle Fultz is doubtful as he works to come back from a knee injury. All three will be a game time decision. Wendell Carter, Jr is out due to 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
Nathan Knight
Neemias Queta
Injuries/Out
Luke Kornet (thigh) out
Delano Banton (illness) questionable
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) doubtful
Jalen Suggs (wrist) questionable
Joe Ingles (ankle) 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. On Friday, he finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block. He shot just 29% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to once again limit Banchero in this game.
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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. On Friday, he finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 42.9% from the field but just 25% from 3. He is very capable of having a big game and the Celtics need to defend him well.
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. On Friday, he finished with 17 points, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 62.5% from the field and 66.7% from beyond the arc. Pritchard got the best of this matchup on Friday, finishing with 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. He shot 70% from the field and 85.7% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need another big game from Pritchard in this one.
Keys to the Game
Defense – I can’t say it enough, but defense is always the key to winning. The Celtics are 4th in the league with a defensive rating of 109.6. The Magic are 3rd with a defensive rating of 109.5. 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. On Friday, the Celtics allowed the Magic to shoot 48.3% from the field and 40% from 3. 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 3rd in the league with 56.4 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, that effort often translates into other parts of the game. The Magic are 4th 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. The Celtics had 31 rebounds to 25 for the Magic on Friday and they need to beat the Magic on the boards again in this one.
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 reserves came through for them on Friday with Payton Pritchard scoring 21 and Sam Hauser and Oshae Brissett both scoring 11. Lamar Stevens scored 8 while starting at center. The Celtics need to be ready for the Magic reserves while getting good production from their own reserves once again in this game.
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 had 31 assists in Friday and they moved the ball very well. They need to do the same in this game. They also have to move the ball carefully and not turn the ball over. The Magic are 2nd in the league with 19.8 points off turnovers per game. If the Celtics get sloppy, the Magic will make them pay.
X-Factors
Celtics Pride at Home – 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 played harder and beat the Magic on Friday but they need to be ready for the Magic to come back looking to avenge that loss. 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.
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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