The Celtics will have a considerable edge in talent and depth in their first-round playoff series against the Magic. But Orlando is capable of making life difficult for the reigning NBA champions.
Specifically, the Magic excel at taking away what the Celtics do best: drowning opponents beneath a deluge of 3-pointers.
Boston set an NBA record for made threes this season, canning 1,457 as it compiled the second-best record in the Eastern Conference (and third-best in the NBA). High-volume 3-point shooting is at the heart of “Mazzulla Ball,” the math- and trust-based approach that has fueled the Celtics’ high-powered offense under third-year head coach Joe Mazzulla.
The team that allowed the fewest threes and 3-point attempts: Orlando, by a significant margin. Limiting opponents’ clean looks from beyond the arc is a tenet of the Magic’s elite defense, which also ranks near the top of the league in a host of other categories, including defensive rating (second behind Oklahoma City).
“The key to countering it is just take the shots that they give you and fight for the best shot,” Mazzulla said after Wednesday’s Celtics practice. “And they do a good job. They have a lot of defensive versatility, change their coverages up, and they’re really physical at the point of attack. So to me, the most important thing is making sure we’re just as physical on the offensive end, owning our space and fighting for the best shot we can in each possession.”
In the two regular-seaon games the Celtics’ starters played against the Magic, Boston attempted 33 and 37 threes — its lowest and fourth-lowest totals of the season. The Celtics made just eight triples in the first meeting in Orlando (second-fewest this season) and lost 108-104. In the rematch at TD Garden, they made 17 on 45.9% shooting and won 121-94.
When Mazzulla sat his regulars for the teams’ final matchup last week, the Celtics’ backups went 7-for-40 from deep and were blown out 96-76.
“They switch,” Jayson Tatum said. “They have a lot of great defenders. They play to their style that benefits them on the defensive end. They kind of funnel you into the paint. They’re a big team. They have a lot of guys that will go at you, especially guys off the bench that make it difficult. So (that’s) something that you’ve got be ready for.”
The Magic also play a rough, aggressive brand of basketball that leads to frequent trips to the foul line at both ends. Orlando ranked in the top three in the NBA in fouls, fouls drawn, free-throw attempts and opponent free-throw attempts per 100 possessions. Boston, meanwhile, committed the second-fewest fouls per 100 possessions and attempted the fewest free throws, the latter a byproduct of its 3-point-heavy offense.
“It’s not about fouls; it’s just matching their physicality, Tatum said. “It’s being prepared for a fight, competing on both ends, and doing a lot of the little things as hard as you can.”
“Obviously they’re a physical team,” added Kristaps Porzingis, who’s the Celtics’ top rim protector and one of their most effective 3-point shooters. “They’re going to be big, they’re going to be handsy, and there are certain areas they’re good at. So we just have to make sure we do our best on those departments. And obviously, we’re preparing for an opponent, so we’re looking into what things they do well and trying to be excellent in those things.”
One thing Orlando generally does not do well, however, is score. Its offense was one of the NBA’s worst during the regular season, ranking 27th in offensive rating (no other playoff or play-in team was lower than 21st) and at or near the bottom in nearly every shooting metric. No NBA team made fewer 3-pointers (11.2 per game), nor converted them at a lower rate (31.8%).
And that’s despite boasting two bona fide offensive threats in 6-foot-10 running mates Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who are averaging a combined 50.1 points per game and have been back in the mix since January after missing extended time with torn oblique muscles.
“They’re big, they’re physical, they can handle, they can screen,” Mazzulla said. “They can get to the free-throw line on you, and they can really test the mismatches. They’re just versatile guys that can score in a lot of different ways — transition, half-court, handle, screen. They’re very versatile.”
That top duo’s supporting cast starred in Tuesday’s play-in victory over the Atlanta Hawks — headlined by Cole Anthony’s 26 points off the bench — but has not contributed consistently. Without a reliable offense, the Magic were one of just four non-lottery teams with a negative net rating during the regular season (-0.4). They ranked 17th in that metric, ahead of only Atlanta, Dallas and Chicago.
The Celtics were second in net rating, posting top-tier numbers at both ends of the floor. They are, unsurprisingly, heavily favored in this opening-round series.
Game 1 on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) likely will be the teams’ first time squaring off with both at full strength this season. Banchero, Wagner and Tatum all missed the first matchup; Wagner sat out the second; and Boston’s entire top six rested for the third.
“Of course the intensity’s higher, the attention to detail, but at the end, it’s just basketball,” Porzingis said. “We’re going to play, and in a seven-game series, most of the time, the best team wins.”
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