The second consequences of Boston Celtics of the Eastern Conference (61-21) will face the Orlando Magic, seventh seeded (41-41) in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The two franchises have not met in the playoffs since the 2010 Eastern Conference final, when Paul Pierce and Co. ousted the magic of Dwight Howard.
What we know of Boston
To start, the Celtics won the 2024 NBA championship. And they brought about everyone, including the best rotation of six basketball men. It was an expensive company but necessary if they wanted to give themselves the best chance of defending a title (or rather, “attack“Their defense of the title). And they did it.
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Regarding the defenses of the regular season title, it was the best since these Golden State Warriors in the last decade, the team which won three titles in five consecutive trips in the NBA final. The Celtics are also tested in combat as we have seen for some time, having reached six conference finals in the past eight years.
They have Jayson Tatum, who is better than ever, and who has always been damn good. He collected on average 26.8 points (45/34/81 shooting), 8.7 rebounds and six assists per game and should finish the first four in the MVP race. He is essentially a leader and a large 9 inch 9 inch, if not larger, and he can mark in all directions. There is really nothing to do in the field, including in defense.
They have Jaylen Brown, the reigning finals MVP. It was again an All-Star this season, with an average of 22-6-5 on the shooting divisions of the 46/32/76. He can do almost anything that Tatum can do and sometimes more, especially in defense. The concern is now his right knee despite, because he would have received pain management injections. This has clearly disturbed him in recent weeks, although he insists that he can play through it.
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They have Derrick White and Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, a collection of veterans, each as talented as the next. There is no weak link in the mixture. Even Horford at 38 years old can hold on to both ends of the soil. Add Payton Pritchard, the sixth alleged man of the year, with a mixture, with Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet, who know their roles, and it is a team as deep as the east.
What we know about Orlando
It started well. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, two rising stars, led a hot start. Defense evaluated the best in the East, supporting an offense that could not generate points in the half-terrain. But the magic had these two young swingmen, playing like all-NBA candidates, and with that, they deserved our attention.
Weeks in the season, Banchero has torn his muscle in the right abdomen. And in a strange torsion of fate, Wagner was torn a month later. They would no longer play together before the end of January, when the magic, after their departure from 15-7, was fighting at 0,500. The defense remained among the first five of the NBA, but this offense … yuck. It was worse than everyone, but Washington Wizards producing 1.07 points per possession.
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In the meantime, Orlando has lost Jalen Suggs, his third best player, and Mo Wagner, one of his best rotation players, to end-of-season injuries. Both are great losses. Because as frantic as Suggs can be in defense, it is a soothing force in attack. When Banchero, Franz Wagner and Suggs played together, the magic was +7.8 points per 100 possessions. Without him, these same alignments are only marginally better than adversaries.
No one could take advantage of the increase in the available keys than Cole Anthony. He is not afraid, which causes him as many problems as Orlando. Anthony Black's progress in his second season was a welcome development. His offense is also inconsistent a product of his age. Cory Joseph was not a veteran answer to the rear area problems of anyone this decade, and Orlando was not different.
When the magic signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a heavy contract during the offseason, they considered it as the last piece of their puzzle, only it was never finished. It is difficult to be a connector in a team that does not have all its parts to connect. KCP still made things more difficult, pulling below the league average.
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Wendell Carter Jr. remained a constant in the front area. Jonathan Isaac is a defensive threat there. It is the offensive that cannot detach itself from the mud. Without a dynamic two -way goalkeeper and without a reference option in the center, too much is placed on the shoulders of Banchero and Wagner. Given that neither can draw (a 28.4% handset on the 3 shots), and none of their safety valves can be systematically invoked to shoot (magic is the worst capture and fire team), the offensive is particularly difficult to find at that time.
Tête-à-tête
The Magic won its regular season series with the Celtics, 2-1. Take few of their three meetings.
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In the first, neither Banchero nor Wagner played for Orlando. The two rested their sick abdomen. Tatum (illness) has not played for Boston either. The magic needed a return of 15 points and a 3 -point pointer from the Tristan da Silva recruit – their top scorer at night – to lead the Celtics, 108-104.
Wagner also missed their second match, and the Celtics put a darling on magic, 121-94, while Boston's starting program combined for 94 points. The reigning champions pulled 45.9% out of 37 attempts of 3 points.
Banchero and Wagner were back for the third, but the Celtics rested everyone. The recruit Baylor Scheierman led them in a score. Orlando stars did not even need 30 minutes each in a 96-76 victory.
Match to watch
Jaylen Brown could be unless there is a full force against magic. (Photo by Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
(Maddie Meyer via Getty Images)
Attackers
We rarely see that the two best players of the two teams correspond to each other, but we can here.
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During their only meeting, Banchero spent most of his time on Tatum and resisted quite well when Tatum did not rush into more advantageous matches in a performance of 30 points. The two are among the most powerful NBA attackers, at least among the new type that can create, well … everything. They are from Duke Bred to be great. One was a global choice n ° 1. The other should have been. What theater.
Wagner and Brown never clashed during the regular season, but Wagner defended a few more people than Brown last season. These are full -fledged creative wings. They will go to their place and organize others in their own just as easily. It's just that Brown is not lacking in points of sale, because, in addition to Tatum, White and Holiday and Porziņģis or Horford are waiting for the arc for an open 3.
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Boston Celtics
The Celtics could end with their starting range from Tatum, Brown, White, Holiday and Porziņģis, although this five -men unit is a sort of -2 during their 357 limited minutes of the season – for a team of 61 victories.
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The Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla felt more comfortable with Horford in place of Porziņģis, depending on additional defensive efficiency, and he was right. This group is part of the most productive ensemble in the league (+17.7 points per 100 possessions) and in the fourth quarter (+20.3 points per 100 possessions).
Orlando Magic
The programming of the fourth quarter of Orlando since the stars break is its starting group: Joseph, Caldwell-Pope, Banchero, Wanger and Carter, which are healthy of +11.5 points for 100 possessions in 216 minutes together this season. But when Push came to push in the magic game against the Atlanta Hawks, head coach Jamahl Mosley turned to the youngest black instead of Joseph in a program that was not so successful (-17.7 points for 100 possessions over 66 minutes) but could have a higher ceiling.
Prediction: Celtics in four
They have too much firepower. Tatum and Brown, even 80%, are better than Banchero and Wagner at this stage. And then there is the depth of Boston. How will magic mark with them?
Paris Ribs in series
(Via betmgm))
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Boston Celtics (-10000)
Orlando Magic (+2200)
Series schedule (all time is)
Game 1: Sunday @ boston (3.30 p.m., ABC)
Game 2: Sea., April 23 @ boston (7 p.m., TNT)
Game 3: Fri, April 25 @ orlando (7 p.m., ESPN)
Game 4: Sun, April 27 @ orlando (7 p.m., TNT)
* Game 5: Mar. April 29 @ boston (TBD)
* Game 6: Thu., May 1 @ orlando (TBD)
* Game 7: Sam., May 3 @ boston (TBD)
* If necessary
