The Orlando Magic take their four-game win streak on the road as they take on the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics in the first of two at the TD Garden.
Orlando Magic (9-20) at Boston Celtics (22-7)
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m./Bally Sports Florida
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Line: Celtics by 12.5
Tickets: $39-$2,354 on StubHub
Season Series: Celtics 126, Magic 120 in Orlando on Oct. 22; Tonight in Boston; Dec. 18 in Boston; Jan. 23 in Orlando
| Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | 98.3 | 110.3 | 114.8 | 53.3 | 28.7 | 16.6 | 29.6 |
| Boston | 99.8 | 118.1 | 111.1 | 58.1 | 23.1 | 13.5 | 25.0 |
OMD Prediction
The Orlando Magic did exactly what they were supposed to do during this five-game homestand. They got right and won four of five games. They used the practice time to sharpen their defense and enjoyed the comforts of home. That is actually a sign of great maturity. The team used the time well.
Now comes the next step: Going out on the road.
That part will not be easy, of course. Especially considering they are facing the Boston Celtics, the team with the best record in the league. This will be a good test to see how this Magic team handles adversity and continues to fight.
But the Magic are right to put the focus on themselves and what they need to do. They need to defend at the level they played at earlier in the homestand to give themselves a chance. Then it will come down to their ability to get into the paint and the foul line, just as they did in their close loss earlier in the season.
3 Keys To Watch
Traveling band
The Orlando Magic’s task on this four-game road trip is pretty simple: Figure out what travels from their strong homestand. They did a good job establishing a way to play and gaining confidence on the Amway Center’s parquet floor. Now they need to carry that with them on the road.
That is not an easy thing to do for any young team. It is often what separates the good teams from the bad teams and the young teams that make the leap and the ones that ultimately sputter. Right now, the Orlando Magic are 8-9 at home and 1-11 on the road, with that one win the game-winning shot from Jalen Suggs against the Chicago Bulls.
The stats show this split too. The Magic have an offensive/defensive rating of 113.8/114.7 at the Amway Center (that -0.9 net rating is still 24th in the league for teams at home) and 105.3/114.8 split on the road. The offense is the trick here as the Magic have struggled to make shots and execute away from home.
The team’s defense should be sharper than those numbers — during the Magic’s five-game homestand, it had a defensive rating of 110.0 including that big outlier from Wednesday’s win over the Atlanta Hawks — but this game will be about bringing the same offensive fire and precision on the road.
Life in the paint
The Orlando Magic’s offensive identity is very much about their ability to get to the paint and get to the basket. Opposing coaches are noting how the concern when playing the Magic is to stop their driving and their determination to get to the basket.
If it seems like Orlando is a bit iso-heavy, it is because the team’s offense starts with this dribble drive — and the young players do not quite know how to spread the ball out to the perimeter yet.
The Magic are currently third in the league in free throw rate and 17th in the league points in the paint at 48.6 per game. That is the number the Magic need to keep boosting and raising.
The Celtics are going to be a challenge on that front for sure. They not only have the reigning defensive player of the year Marcus Smart, but they will get both Al Horford and Robert Williams back from injury with Williams making his season debut. Even with Williams, one of their top defenders, out for the year to date, the Celtics are 13th in the league giving up 48.6 points in the paint per game.
Boston’s defense is about to make some major improvements.
Paolo from deep
Paolo Banchero had a big game in the first meeting with the Boston Celtics, scoring 23 points on 6-for-19 shooting and 8-for-11 shooting from the foul line. He was still establishing himself and the Celtics frustrated him some by throwing multiple bodies at him and keeping him on the perimeter. Banchero would likely say he settled some in that game.
He is still getting to the line plenty. But of note in that game was that he was not quite ready to shoot from deep, making only 2 of his 7 3-point attempts that evening.
As Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel detailed, Banchero is trying to take more spot-up shots and not wait for the defense to reset on him. That is definitely noticeable lately. And Banchero is hitting those shots more.
Banchero went just 5 for 20 in the five-game homestand from deep. But taking four 3-pointers per game is definitely a step up for him and his willingness to shoot. He hit some pretty big shots and being even a nominal 3-point threat is going to help him with his drives a whole lot more.
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