The Celtics will continue their quest to win back-to-back NBA championships Sunday when they open the playoffs against the visiting Magic.
Orlando beat the Hawks 120-95 in the play-in tournament to earn the No. 7 seed and set up the best-of-seven series against Boston.
Orlando won two of the three meetings between the teams during the regular season, but the Celtics didn’t play their starters during Orlando’s 96-76 victory on April 9 because they had nothing to gain in the standings.
Jayson Tatum, Boston’s leading scorer (26.8 points per game), also sat out Orlando’s 108-104 win on Dec. 23 with an illness. The Celtics beat the Magic 121-94 on Jan. 17, which was the only time the teams met in Boston.
The series will likely be determined at the 3-point line. The Celtics (61-21) set an NBA record for made 3-pointers in a season (1,457) and are averaging 17.8 made 3-pointers per game on 48.2 attempts. Derrick White (265), Payton Pritchard (255), and Tatum (250) led the team in 3-point field goals.
Orlando was the best team in the league at limiting 3-point attempts by opponents during the regular season (31.4 per game), but ranked last among NBA teams in made 3-pointers (11.2) and 3-point percentage (31.8) per contest. However, Orlando shot 36.7 percent on 3-point attempts during its final 16 games of the season.
The teams will play Game 2 in Boston on Wednesday before the series shifts to Orlando on Friday.
Here’s your preview.
When: Sunday, 3:30 p.m.
Where: TD Garden, Boston
TV, radio: ABC, WBZ-FM 98.5
Line: Boston -13.5. O/U: 206.0.
MAGIC
Season record: 42-41. vs. spread: 41-41, 1 push. Over/under: 35-48
Last 10 games: 7-3. vs. spread: 6-4. Over/under: 4-6
CELTICS
Season record: 61-21. vs. spread: 39-43. Over/under: 37-44, 1 push
Last 10 games: 8-2. vs. spread: 5-5. Over/under: 5-5
TEAM STATISTICS (2023-24 season)
Points per game: Orlando 110.5, Boston 120.6
Points allowed per game: Orlando 108.4, Boston 109.2
Field goal percentage: Orlando .476, Boston .487
Opponent field goal percentage: Orlando .474, Boston .453
3-point percentage: Orlando .352, Boston .388
Opponent 3-point percentage: Orlando .358, Boston .352
Stat of the day: The series matches the top two defensive teams in the NBA in points allowed per game. The Magic gave up a league-best 105.5 points, while the Celtics were next best at 107.2.
Notes: Orlando (41-41) relies heavily on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who both missed significant time with injuries earlier this season. Banchero averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 46 regular-season games, and Wagner averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 60 games. … The Celtics are 7-14 this season when they failed to make more 3-pointers than their opponent. … “[The Magic] have a DNA about them. They’re well coached, they have a lot of depth,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “They’ve played, they’ve won a lot of different ways, kind of similar to us not being healthy throughout the season. So there’s stuff you can take from every game. … So really just focus on the DNA of what they do, who they are, when they’re at their best, and kind of take it from there.”
Rumsha Siddiqui can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @rumshasidd.
