After defeating the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, the Orlando Magic will face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The series’ first game is scheduled for Sunday, April 20 at 3:30 p.m., streaming on ABC. In this week’s edition of Tyler’s Take, I discuss everything you need to know before watching the matchup.
Looking at the regular season, the two franchises clashed three times, with the Magic holding a 2-1 record over the Celtics. The team gave the Celtics trouble in December after taking a narrow 108-104 win. Despite losing, the Magic struggled to contain Jaylen Brown as he scored 35 points, hitting 14 of 22 field goals and one of seven three-pointers. Additionally, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White both ended with 17 points, while Jrue Holiday dropped 16 points. Regardless of performing well, the key factor was that Jayson Tatum was injured. With the star forward participating, the Celtics notched a 27-point dub against the Magic.
Fast forward to their recent meeting, the Magic took a 96-76 victory at home. Nonetheless, the defending champs sat every starter, including Al Horford. Despite using their bench players, Paolo Banchero finished with only 15 points. Compared to the Magic’s previous contest against the Hawks, the former Duke Blue Devil secured 33 points. Heading into Sunday, taking Banchero out of the equation is needed for a potentially easy four-game sweep.
However, problems could arise for the Celtics depending on whether Brown and Porzingis can perform. Brown was sidelined in the team’s last three matches after receiving pain management injections for his knee, per ESPN. The guard suffered the knee injury at the beginning of March, according to Fox Sports, but continued to play through the pain, appearing in 13 of 22 matchups between March and April.
The 28-year-old last performed on April 6 in the franchise’s overtime win against the New York Knicks. However, Brown contributed six points, missing every deep shot attempt and knocking down two of eight shots within the arc. Additionally, the veteran turned the ball over three times. With that being said, Brown is a crucial part of the team, as he averages a little more than 22.2 points per contest, the second-most on the Celtics. When asked about his confidence in Brown being ready for the postseason, head coach Joe Mazzulla said, “a hundred percent,” per CBS News. Currently, the big man’s availability on Sunday is a game-time decision.
Porzingis, another outstanding player for the Celtics, has a history of injuries. In last year’s postseason run, the dynamic center missed 10 clashes after suffering a dislocated tendon in his ankle. Nevertheless, the team lost just one of 10 games while the 29-year-old missed time. Come Sunday, the same story could be told, as Porzingis played the first half, but missed the second half against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. When asked about the big man, Mazzulla said, “He’s good. Perfectly fine,” according to Athlon Sports. Similar to Brown, the veteran cashed in 19 and a half points, the third-most on the team, with nearly seven rebounds—the second-most per match. Currently, Porzingis’ status for Sunday is healthy.
Regardless of the potential injuries, players like Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser proved to be reliable sixth men over the 2024-2025 campaign. In the month of April, Pritchard finished with 10-plus points in six of seven clashes, averaging 17 points per match. Additionally, Hauser dropped 10-plus points in four of the last seven contests. The off-the-bench duo steps up for the franchise in big moments and their contribution is needed come gameday.
Turning to the Magic’s roster, no injuries arise for the team. However, the squad struggled from beyond the arc against the Hawks, hitting 11 of 49 total attempts. This should come as no surprise, as the Magic sit at No. 15 when it comes to scoring, per the NBA. With the third-best defense in the NBA, taking advantage of this and getting boards is key to winning for the Celtics.