Having taken a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, the Boston Celtics go up against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night with their sights on securing a spot in the playoff second round.
The Magic, who have lost each of their last five visits to the TD Garden since December 2022, will be looking to end this three-year run and keep their playoff dreams alive.
Match preview
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While the Boston Celtics shot 43% from the field on Sunday night, they got the job done against the Orlando Magic as they secured a 107-98 victory to move into pole position in the Eastern Conference series.
The Magic led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, with Paolo Banchero finishing with a team-high 31 points, but Jayson Tatum (37) and Jaylen Brown (21) tallied a combined 58 points to inspire the visitors to a vital victory.
Four of the Celtics' starters finished with at least 18+ points in a solid contribution across the board as Kristaps Porzingis tallied 19 points and five assists while Derrick White knocked down 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field.
Prior to that, the Boston Celtics kicked off their championship defence with back-to-back home victories to start the series before dropping Game 3 in a narrow 95-93 defeat in their first road game on April 26.
Joe Muzzula's men are now one win away from a seventh Eastern Conference second-round appearance in the last eight years, with the only exception coming in the 2020-21 campaign, when they failed to reach the playoffs.
The Boston Celtics will be backing themselves to secure the desired result on Tuesday night as they return to the TD Garden, where they are on a run of six back-to-back victories, stretching back to a 124-103 loss against the Miami Heat on April 3.
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Having finished the regular season with the third-fewest points per game in the league, the Orlando Magic have continued to struggle to make shots in the playoffs — a major factor behind their poor post-season performance.
Having rolled past the Atlanta Hawks 120-95 in the Play-In tournament, Jamahl Mosley's men have failed to cross the 100-point mark in three of their four playoff games, averaging 94.25 points per game so far.
While the Orlando Magic now need to win all remaining three games in the series to reach the second round for the first time since 2010, next up is a trip Boston, where they have lost each of their last five visits, stretching back to a 95-92 win in December 2022.
Recent results on their travels also offer little optimism as the Magic head into Wednesday's clash on a run of three consecutive away defeats — having won each of the six road games preceding this run.
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Team News
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The Boston Celtics had to make do without the services of experienced guard Jrue Holiday in Monday's Game 4 and the 34-year-old is considered day-to-head ahead of Tuesday's clash.
Barring any late fitness issues, Holiday remains the only injury concern for the Celtics, giving head coach Muzzula the luxury of a relatively full house to select from.
As for Orlando Magic, they remain without the services of Moritz Wagner, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign after undergoing successful surgery over an ACL injury back in March.
Jalen Suggs is also set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a severe knee injury in March and the 23-year-old guard will play no part in Wednesday's clash.
Banchero has done the heavy lifting in offence for the Magic and the 22-year-old currently sits third in the scoring chart with 32.0 points per game, only behind Giannis Antetokounmpo (33.8) and Jalen Brunson (33.2).
Boston Celtics possible starting 5:
White, Brown, Porzingis, Tatum, Al-Horford
Orlando Magic possible starting 5:
Joseph, Caldwell-Pope Carter Jr, Wagner, Banchero
We say: The Boston Celtics to win by 7+ points.
Fresh of the back of securing a vital victory in Orlando, the Boston Celtic will return to home court on Tuesday with confidence as they continue their title defence. The Celtics boast the firepower and experience needed to get the job done and we predict that they will make the most of their home advantage to send the Orlando packing.
Joshua Ojele
