It’s official: the Celtics and the Orlando Magic will face off within the first spherical of the playoffs, set to start on Sunday, April twentieth.
That’s as a result of the Magic defeated the Atlanta Hawks 120-95 on Tuesday evening in a Play-In recreation match-up between the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds within the Japanese Convention. Because of the blowout victory, the Magic received the appropriate to face Boston, whereas the Hawks will play the winner of the Play-In recreation between the Miami Warmth and Chicago Bulls.
Joe Mazzulla mentioned at follow on Tuesday that the Celtics had assistant coaches scouting each the Hawks and Magic all yr — and the crew was unsurprisingly ready for each outcomes.
“The fellows main the cost [in preparing] are those who have been main the cost all through the season,” Mazzulla mentioned.
Joe Mazzulla says there are a gaggle of coaches on the employees that have been assigned to the Magic this season and a gaggle that have been assigned to the Hawks
Tonight, they’ll discover out whose work will come into impact this week pic.twitter.com/X1lgzpemcP
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) April 15, 2025
Now, the coaches who prepped for the Magic, will probably be activated because the Celtics have 4 days to organize for his or her first-round opponents. The crew will follow once more on Wednesday earlier than an off-day on Thursday.
Cole Anthony led the best way for the Magic within the Play-In victory
Cole Anthony led the Magic with 26 factors off the bench on Tuesday evening, whereas Wendell Carter Jr (19 factors) and Paolo Banchero (17 factors) have been each key contributors.
Anthony expressed his pleasure for the upcoming sequence postgame, and specifically, for the possibility to play in Boston.
“It’s gonna be a heck of a sequence, man,” Anthony mentioned, per Magic HQ reporter Brett James. I really went to the championship recreation in Boston final yr — I obtained to essentially see how that atmosphere was firsthand and that’s most likely the craziest atmosphere of a recreation I’ve seen.”
The Magic’s prime scorers this season are Banchero (25.9 factors per recreation), Franz Wagner (24.2 factors), Jalen Suggs (16.2 factors), and Mo Wagner (12.9 factors).
However, each Suggs and Mo Wagner suffered season-ending accidents, and the Magic’s offense has struggled mightily of their absence.
The Magic blew out the Celtics when the 2 groups confronted off final week, however that recreation wasn’t indicative of a lot, contemplating the Celtics rested their prime six gamers.
It was enterprise as traditional on the Celtics’ follow on Tuesday
The Celtics look to turn into the primary crew to go back-to-back for the reason that Golden State Warriors did it in 2017 and 2018.
And, whereas Al Horford received back-to-back NCAA titles in faculty, nobody on on the roster has received back-to-back NBA championships.
Vacation is the one member of the crew who’s been part of a title protection season; his Milwaukee Bucks crew received the championship in 2021, however he subsequently fell to the Celtics within the second spherical of the 2022 playoffs.
“We thought we had an opportunity of going back-to-back,” Vacation mentioned. “However typically, issues occur. Well being is a giant a part of it. There’s somewhat little bit of luck. However I feel it’s about making ready for our personal journey, and doing it worrying about us, worrying in regards to the issues that we are able to management.”
At follow Tuesday, Joe Mazzulla harassed that nothing is altering within the Celtics’ preparation because the crew transitions for the common season to the playoffs.
The gamers who spoke at Tuesday’s follow agreed.
“Actually, I feel it’s the identical,” Vacation mentioned of his method coming into the playoffs. “It’s mentally being ready… bodily being ready.”
Al Horford credited the Celtics for by no means trying too far forward this season — and famous that he personally appreciated and embraced each step of the journey this previous yr.
“At the moment was begin for us,” Horford mentioned. “We had follow.”
The Celtics’ title protection formally begins on Sunday, although the complete first-round playoff schedule has but to be launched.