What Went Well
Tatum and Brown Held in Check
It’s rare for both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to be held under 20 points in the same game. During the regular season, it only happened twice—and the Celtics lost both. In Game 1 against Orlando, Tatum had 17 points on 8-of-22 shooting, while Brown managed 16 on 6-of-14. That’s a defensive win for the Magic.
Banchero Found His Range
With Boston known for protecting the paint (allowing a league-low 59.2% shooting within six feet), Paolo Banchero wisely focused his attack from further out. He hit 9 of 16 shots from at least 10 feet (56.3%), while struggling near the basket, going just 2-of-6 (33.3%). His quick decisions and confident shooting made it tough for Boston to double him effectively.
Strong Defensive Presence
Orlando’s defense made an impact. Boston attempted just 82 field goals—eight below their season average—and were held to 103 points, about 13 less than usual. The Celtics also took 11 fewer threes than their league-leading average. Impressively, 62.2% of Boston’s shots were heavily contested, a stat where Orlando ranked third during the regular season.
Crashing the Offensive Glass
Both teams are strong on the boards, and the Magic showed grit with 13 offensive rebounds to Boston’s nine. Though Boston capitalized better with 17 second-chance points to Orlando’s 11, the Magic’s effort on the glass stood out.
Respectable 3-Point Shooting
Orlando hit 10 of their 27 three-point attempts (37.0%). While the number of attempts was low, the efficiency was there. During the season, they went 20-5 when shooting at least 36% from beyond the arc—so this wasn’t a typical loss due to poor outside shooting.
What Went Wrong
Costly Turnovers
Orlando turned the ball over 15 times—high by their post-All-Star break standards. More troubling was the nature of these turnovers: many were live-ball mistakes that led to fast-break opportunities. Boston scored 24 points off turnovers and 26 in transition.
Struggled to Draw Fouls
One concern heading into the series was whether the Magic could draw enough shooting fouls against a disciplined Celtics team that ranked No. 1 in fewest shooting fouls allowed. In Game 1, Orlando drew just five, with only three coming in the first three quarters—a stark contrast to their No. 2 ranking in shooting fouls drawn per 100 possessions during the season.
Limited Support from Role Players
Boston’s supporting cast stepped up. Derrick White exploded for 30 points—21 from three—and Payton Pritchard added 19, including 12 from deep. Jrue Holiday chipped in with three key triples.
Meanwhile, outside of Banchero and Franz Wagner, no Magic player hit double digits. It wasn’t necessarily poor shooting—just a lack of open looks. The Celtics’ defensive strategy limited Orlando’s space, especially around the perimeter.
Bottom Line: Orlando showed flashes of playoff-ready intensity, particularly on defense and from Banchero’s perimeter scoring. But to steal a game from Boston, they’ll need to tighten up on turnovers, get to the line more, and spark more production from their bench.
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