The Boston Celtics test the mettle of the streaking Orlando Magic on Friday, November 24, in a battle of two Eastern Conference teams at the Amway Center in Orlando Florida.
Tip-off for the Magic vs. Celtics encounter is at 2:30 p.m. EST, with both teams coming off wins.
The Magic are on a 5-game winning run and will try to add the Celtics' scalps to their list. Their last win was a 124-119 win over the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, November 22.
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Boston, on the other hand, came off a 119-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, also on Wednesday, per ESPN. This will be the first time this NBA season that the Celtics and the Magic will cross paths.
Magic vs. Celtics Odds
Despite their winning run, the Magic enter this game as 5-point underdogs against the Celtics per OddsSharks.com.
The Moneyline for the Magic vs. Celtics matchup is +160 for Orlando and -185 for Boston. The Celtics lead the Atlantic Division with a 12-3 card, while the Magic are lording it over the Southeast standings with a 10-5 win-loss record.
Magic vs. Celtics Preview
The Magic are on a roll this season with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner playing well for head coach Jamahl Mosley. And with their showing thus far, Mosley shared that his team is starting to realize that they can compete with the heavily favored teams right now, Reuters reported.
"The trust and belief these guys have in one another. ... Our identity is that we're a defensive team that strives for pushing each other to be better every night," the Magic coach said.
For the Celtics, head coach Joe Mazzulla needs to find a way to get support for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Kristaps Porzingis is doing his share, but other players on the roster need to step up.
The Celtics are 2-0 in tournament games this season while the Magic are 2-1.
Although both teams have the firepower to turn this game into a shootout, a defensive battle looms.
The Celtics and the Magic are among the top three NBA teams when it comes to defense, both owning a defensive rating of 107.5 per NBA.com.
However, there are other departments worth watching.
For the Celtics, they are doing well in the rebounding department, tops in the league with 36.9 rebounds in 15 games so far.
However, the Magic counters that with their hustle, they are second in the league in steals in 15 games with 10.4 swipes per contest.
As far as injuries, one thing that Celtics fans may be wary of is the condition of Brown and Jrue Holiday. Both are listed as game-time decisions. Brown is dealing with an adductor strain while Holiday has a right ankle sprain via Masslive.com.
For the Magic, Markelle Fultz is listed as out, while Wendell Carter Jr. is also a game-time decision.
Magic vs. Celtics Pick
The Boston Celtics are favored although this depends on how well they can fend off a gritty Magic five. Orlando is on a roll, although the Cs are tournament favorites that can test just how good they are.
Boston is likely to come out with a win although this game is likely to be tight all the way to the last minutes of the contest.
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