NBA: Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic Preview, Odds, Prediction

Boston Celtics continue their tour through Florida with a game in Orlando against the Magic. The hosts don’t have a win after three games, and are eager to post one. Paolo Banchero, the top pick from this year’s NBA draft, looks fine, but his team isn’t winning. Meanwhile, the Celtics continued to play at the same level as in the second part of the previous campaign. They look cruel and very confident as if they want to send a message to all of the other rivals that the title will be theirs.

Preview

Boston Celtics (TBA, 3-0) beat the Miami Heat last night in the Eastern Conference finals replay. The Cs were better than the rivals 111-104, controlling the situation throughout the entire game and routinely keeping the hosts at a safe distance.

The Celtics had 51.9% shooting from the field, and made 14 threes in 33 shots, which is a very good percentage. Also, the Cs limited the Heat to only 36 boards, while they had 43. That was their primary weapon during the previous year, tough and physical protection of the glass, and it stayed the same this year as well.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were superb, combining for 57 points. As usual, Brown had a better shooting percentage, 12-for-18, while Tatum shot 10-for-22. Brown had 28, and Tatum 29 buckets. Two more guys had a double-digit number of points, Derrick white and Grant Williams, both with ten buckets.

Orlando Magic (TBA, 0-3) lost all three games, and the hype around Paolo Banchero flattened a bit. The top pick from this year’s draft posts excellent performances, but the fans aren’t taking that as compensation for the losses.

Banchero’s stats are excellent through these three performances, 27 points, nine boards, and five assists, with 61.1% shooting from the field. You really can’t ask for more from one rookie. If he continued to play like this, we just might see one of the best rookie seasons for one guy in the past few decades.

The Magic played the most recent game against the Hawks on the road, losing 108-98. Cole Anthony had 25 buckets off the bench, Banachero had 20 points with 12 boards, while Wendell Carter Jr. scored 14 points and added eight boards. The problem for the Magic was the fact that they made only eight threes in 34 attempts, Banchero and Carter one in 13 shots combined.

Head to Head Games

The all-time series during the regular part of the season is on the Cs’ side, as they have 72 wins and the Magic only 51. Right now, the team from Boston has nine consecutive victories, and they won all three during the previous year. Two were in Orlando, 92-79 and 116-83, while one at the TD Garden saw overtime, 116-111, and a very interesting battle.

Prediction

Boston is a better team with better players, and even though they played last night, we think they have more energy than the Magic, whose trip from Georgia back to Florida is more demanding than the one Cs had from Miami to Orlando. That’s why we pick the guests to triumph.

Pick: Boston wins