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- Tickets: $51-$432+ on StubHub
- Season Series: Magic 123, Celtics 110 in Orlando on Nov. 8; Celtics 111, Magic 107 in Orlando on Nov. 10; Tonight in Boston; April 12 in Boston
Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch
Orlando | Boston | |
|---|---|---|
100.8 | Pace | 96.4 |
115.9 | Off. Rtg. | 117.4 |
112.1 | Def. Rtg. | 112.8 |
54.3 | eFG% | 53.3 |
32.6 | O.Reb.% | 33.5 |
15.2 | TO% | 12.1 |
36.5 | FTR | 19.9 |
3. Turnover turnaround?
When the Orlando Magic lost to the Boston Celtics two weeks ago, Jamahl Mosley had only one message postgame: "17 turns for 26 points." It was the only answer he gave to the media, and he would not hear any other reason for the team's defeat.
Turnovers have been a major problem for the Magic throughout the season. Their 15.2 percent turnover rate is 17th in the league, and their 18.3 points off turnovers per game are 13th in the league.
But Orlando has come a long way with the turnovers.
In their last seven games, where they are 6-1, the Magic have a 13.3 percent turnover rate. That is good for fourth in the league.
That does not mean the Magic are not susceptible to some high-turnover moments. The Orlando Magic had five turnovers in the first quarter of their win over the New York Knicks on Saturday. They can still get loose with the ball.
But the team has made some major improvements since that frustrating defeat.
2. 3-point math
Any time you face the Boston Celtics, you have to reckon with the 3-point math.
The Celtics overwhelm teams with their 3-point volume and if they are hitting, they become very difficult to beat. That goes double with their ability to hit the offensive glass.
This season, Boston is averaging 43.6 3-point attempts per game, good for third in the league. The Celtics are 22nd at 34.6 percent shooting. That is actually worse than the Magic's 3-point percentage. But because Boston takes so many, the team actually averages nearly four more threes per game.
That is the 3-point math the Magic are working against.
The good news is the Magic defend the Celtics as well as anyone from beyond the arc.
Boston took just 37 3-pointers in Orlando's win and 33 3-pointers in Orlando's loss a few weeks ago. Those account for the fewest and third-fewest 3-point attempts the Celtics have taken in a game this season. The middle one occurred Friday when the Boston Celtics lost to the Brooklyn Nets.
Three-point defense will again be the key to slowing down a still-potent Celtics offense.
1. Getting to the line
One of the big ways the Orlando Magic have always fought the 3-point math is by getting to the foul line a lot more. The Magic still lead the league in free throw rate at 36.5 percent (36.5 free throw attempts for every 100 field goal attempts).
A lot of the Magic's push to get to the line is part of the team's strategy, but also one of Paolo Banchero's biggest strengths.
Banchero is still seventh in the league with 9.3 free throw attempts per game. One of the concerns without Banchero was whether the Magic would be able to feed their offense with free throw attempts.
Put those worries to rest. Orlando is eighth in the league with a 31.9-percent free throw rate since Banchero's injury.
Franz Wagner is getting to the line at a high rate, too. He is 16th in the league with 7.5 free throw attempts per game for the season. But since Banchero's injury, he is up to ninth in the league with 9.2 free throw attempts per game.
On a back-to-back, the will to get to the foul line will be crucial for this team.
Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics: Injury Report & Projected Lineups
Orlando Magic Injury Report
- Paolo Banchero - OUT (Left Groin Strain)
- Franz Wagner - AVAILABLE (Face Mask)
- Jalen Suggs - OUT (Left Knee Injury Management)
- Wendell Carter - QUESTIONABLE (Left Ankle Sprain)
- Moe Wagner - OUT (Left Knee Injury Recovery)
- Colin Castleton - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Boston Celtics Injury Report
- Jayson Tatum - OUT (Right Achilles Repair)
- Ron Harper Jr. - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Max Shulga - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Amari Williams - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Projected Starting Lineups
Orlando | Boston | |
|---|---|---|
Anthony Black | PG | Payton Pritchard |
Desmond Bane | SG | Derrick White |
Franz Wagner | SF | Jaylen Brown |
Tristan da Silva | PF | Jordan Walsh |
Wendell Carter | C | Nemias Queta |
Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics: Prediction
Our Record: 9-8/8-9 ATS
This is the kind of game you worry about when the schedule comes out.
An Orlando-to-Boston back-to-back screams schedule loss. There is just too much travel for one night, and it is a tough trip. The Magic have two or three home-road back-to-backs like this every year.
The best versions of the Magic find a way to win these games. And so this is a gut-check game in a lot of ways. Can the Magic execute and defend at a high level even with fatigue? Can they score and keep up their pace?
Can they win without Jalen Suggs and all he does for them? The Magic are 2-2 without him this season
They may be lucky that the Boston Celtics play at one of the slowest paces in the league. They may not be looking to punish the Magic for their fatigue as much as other teams might.
This game will simply come down to shooting. Will the Celtics hit their threes and how well will the Magic limit the Celtics' three-point shooting? That is the central question of the game.
It feels this is ripe for a loss everyone can chalk up to fatigue. But I would still expect the Magic to fight deep into the game with a chance to win at the end one way or the other.