Boston Celtics will continue to seek winning NBA championships on Sunday when they open playoffs against the visitor Orlando Magic.
Celtics, who defeated Dallas Mavericks in the 2023-24 NBA Finals, is the seed number 2 at the Eastern Conference and has been trying to be the first franchise to win consecutive titles since the Golden State has done so in 2017 and ’18.
Orlando defeated Atlanta Hawks 120-95 at the game tournament to win the Seed 7 and set up seven best series against Boston.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla, “(Magic) There is a DNA about them. They are doing well, they have a lot of depth.” He said. “They played, they have gained many different ways similar to being healthy during the season. So there are things you can get from every game.
Orlando won two of the three meetings between the teams during the normal season, but Celtics did not play those who started during the 96-76 victory of Orlando on April 9, because they had nothing to win.
Boston’s leading scorer Jayson Tatum (26.8 points per game), Orlando’s 108-104 victory on December 23 with a disease. Celtics defeated Magic 121-94 on January 17, which was the only time the teams met in Boston.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley, “This is a different environment in Boston.” He said. “We know how high this is.
The series matches the first two defense teams in the NBA with the points permitted per game. The magic league gave the best 105.5 points, and Celtics was at the top 107.2.
Orlando (41-41), both rely on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who missed important time with injuries at the beginning of this season. Banchero made an average of 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 46 normal season matches, and Wagner made an average of 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 60 matches.
The series will probably be determined in a 3 -point line. Celtics (61-21) broke a NBA record for 3 numbers (1,457) in a season (1.457), and the average of 17.8 per match is no. Derrick White (265), Payton Pritchard (255) and Tatum (250) directed the team in 3 -point field goals.
Orlando was the best team in the league that limits the 3 -point trials of competitors in the normal season (31.4 per game), but 3 points (11.2) per competition (11.2) and 3 points (31.8) was the last among the NBA teams. However, it should be noted that Orlando hit 36.7 percent in the last 16 matches of the season.
Celtics, 7-14 this season, where they can not make more than 3 counts than their competitors.
“I think there is still another level for us.” He said. “I think we’ll find this here in the playoffs. But it’s great. After it’s late, we started to hit the ball better and this is better, when you want to enter the playoffs, towards the end of the year.”
Teams will play Game 2 in Boston on Wednesday before moving to Orlando on Friday.
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