The Boston Celtics have made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals. They defeated the Orlando Magic in five games. However, the series wasn’t as easy as the bracket might suggest. Orlando forced Boston to dig deep.
Coming into the series, we knew that the Magic were the second-best defensive team in the NBA. We also knew that they limited three-point attempts better than any team in the world. So, it was no surprise that the Celtics saw their overall three-point volume decrease throughout the series.
Coming into the first-round matchup, the Celtics averaged 48.2 three-point attempts per game. Over five games against Orlando, those attempts dropped to 31.2. Rather than generating its offense on the perimeter, Boston was forced to adapt its entire approach.
To complicate things further, Orlando’s physicality led to multiple slight injuries throughout the Celtics roster. Jrue Holiday missed the final three games of the series due to a hamstring injury, too.
“It was probably exactly what we needed,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum said during his postgame news conference. “Good test, first round — couple guys really banged up and dealing with some things, but showing that mental toughness of getting up and getting ready for each game.”
Not only did the Celtics become a more dominant interior team, but they also rediscovered the defensive intensity that saw them become champions last season. That’s why Orlando failed to register more than 100 points in a single game, with the Magic being held to under triple-digit scoring in four of the five outings. For reference, the Celtics held playoff opponents to under 100 points in 11 of their games last season.
It would appear that for all of the Magic’s physicality, aggressiveness and defensive upside, they tapped into a level of competitiveness the Celtics haven’t shown since this time last year. In some ways, you could say the Magic awoke the championship mentality in Joe Mazzulla’s squad.
Orlando’s style of play is gritty, intense and abrasive. Boston hasn’t faced an opponent like that (in a playoff setting) in quite some time. So, while the Magic were trying to win, they may have just set Boston on the path to a second straight title. The Celtics look like a juggernaut again. Perhaps the rest of the NBA should take notice.
