The Boston Celtics, a team built for championship contention, have finally reached the promised land – the playoffs. But before they can chase the Larry O’Brien trophy, they’ll need to navigate a first-round gauntlet against a feisty Orlando Magic squad hungry for an upset. This Eastern Conference clash promises to be a dynamic test of wills, pitting the Celtics’ seasoned veterans against the Magic’s youthful exuberance. Get ready, Celtics faithful, because the battle for playoff bragging rights is about to begin!
The Celtics’ Playoff Path: Who Will Challenge the Green Machine?
The Boston Celtics are gearing up for their playoff run, and their first-round opponent is still up in the air. According to Geeksultd, the Celtics’ potential first-round opponents are officially locked in at two after the Atlanta Hawks beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.
The Hawks’ win secured their spot as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, setting the stage for a matchup with the No. 7 seed Orlando Magic in Orlando for the right to face the Celtics in the first round. The Magic will host the Hawks on Tuesday night in the opening game of the play-in tournament, with the Celtics set to host the winner of that game on either April 19 or April 20 for Game 1 of the first round.
The loser of the Hawks-Magic game will still have a chance to qualify for the postseason as they will play the winner of the Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat matchup for the right to play the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
The Magic and Hawks: A Playoff Preview
The Orlando Magic are looking strong in the final stretch of the season, securing the 7th seed with a crucial win over the Hawks. The Hawks, on the other hand, are not giving up easily, still in contention for the 8th seed.
Orlando’s Surge
The Magic have endured injuries to start the year to their best players in guys like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but they’ve been heating up in recent games, going 6-2 in their last eight contests.
The Magic are a chore defensively, with a top-3 defensive rating, but they’re also 27th in offensive rating. They have a 1-1 record against the Celtics this season, with one final game scheduled for April 9 in Orlando.
Atlanta’s Fight
The Hawks have been one of the more interesting teams this season, with a middle-of-the-pack offense (20th) and defense (19th) rating. Dyson Daniels has emerged as a force defensively in a breakout season, while Trae Young continues to put up impressive stats.
The Hawks gave the Celtics some trouble earlier this season, with a 2-1 record against the defending champs, although regular season results don’t always translate to the playoffs.
Head-to-Head Matchups
The Celtics have a mixed record against both the Magic and Hawks, but past performance doesn’t always predict playoff success. The Celtics went 1-2 against the Magic this season, with both losses coming without Jayson Tatum in the lineup.
The Celtics also went 1-2 against the Hawks this year, including a pair of surprising home losses in the first half of the season. The Hawks have undergone several trades since those matchups, with the last head-to-head contest coming on January 18, a 119-115 overtime loss for the Celtics in Boston.
The Play-In Tournament: A Defining Moment
The Celtics will need to wait a few extra days after the conclusion of the regular season to find out who they play in the first round. Fortunately, as the No. 2 seed, they’ll find out their opponent after the first slate of games.
The No. 1 seed, on the other hand, won’t find out their opponent until late in the week after the entire play-in tournament is wrapped up.
A Look at the Play-In Teams
Here’s a look at each of the four teams competing in the play-in tournament and how they’ve fared this season:
- No. 7 Orlando Magic: The Magic have endured injuries to start the year to their best players, but they’ve been heating up in recent games, going 6-2 in their last eight contests.
- No. 8 Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks have been one of the more interesting teams this season, with a middle-of-the-pack offense (20th) and defense (19th) rating.
- No. 9 Chicago Bulls: The Bulls have strung together some wins, going 11-4 to clinch a spot in the play-in tournament.
- No. 10 Miami Heat: The Heat looked like they could be done with the season in the post-Jimmy Butler era, but they recovered with six straight wins, including one over the Celtics, to threaten to get back up to the 7/8 line in the standings.
The Play-In Tournament Format
The play-in tournament features teams 7-10 in each conference. The No. 7 and No. 8 teams play each other, with the winner earning the seventh seed in the playoffs and a first-round series vs. the Celtics.
The loser of that 7-8 game faces the winner of the 9-10 game. The winner of that game will be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs and face top-seeded Cleveland in the first round.
The Bottom of the East Standings: A Three-Team Race for the 8th Seed
The Magic have opened up a two-game lead on the eighth-place Hawks with three games left. Those teams play again in the season finale Sunday, so Orlando hasn’t clinched the No. 7 spot.
The Bulls and Heat also face each other on Wednesday in Miami in a huge game in the standings. The winner will likely avoid being No. 10 in the East.
The Play-In Picture
Here’s a look at the bottom of the East standings and the play-in picture:
- No. 7 Orlando Magic: 39-40, 2 games ahead of the Hawks
- No. 8 Atlanta Hawks: 37-42, 2 games behind the Magic
- No. 9 Chicago Bulls: 36-43, 3 games behind the Hawks
- No. 10 Miami Heat: 36-43, 3 games behind the Hawks
The Stakes
The play-in tournament adds another layer of intrigue to the playoffs. The 7-8 game will likely be a fierce battle, with the winner earning a shot against the Celtics. This setup increases the stakes, making every game count as teams fight for a spot in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Bulls and Heat are vying for the 9th seed, with the winner facing the loser of the 7-8 matchup. This creates a thrilling scenario where teams must perform at their best to advance to the next round.
The Celtics, on the other hand, have a few days to prepare for their first-round opponent after the play-in tournament concludes. This brief respite will give them time to analyze their opponent, make strategic adjustments, and mentally prepare for the battle ahead.
Preparing for the Challenge
Analyzing the Opposition
The Celtics will need to carefully study their opponent, regardless of who emerges from the play-in tournament. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses will be key to success. This involves analyzing their past performances, identifying patterns, and developing a game plan that exploits their vulnerabilities.
Strategic Adjustments
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla will likely make strategic adjustments to the team’s game plan based on their opponent’s style of play. This could involve tweaking their defensive scheme, adjusting their offensive strategy, or making lineup changes to counter their opponent’s strengths.
Mental Fortitude
The playoffs are a mentally demanding time, and the Celtics will need to stay focused and determined throughout the series. This involves maintaining a positive mindset, managing pressure, and staying resilient in the face of adversity.
The Road to the Playoffs
The Celtics pool of potential first-round opponents is officially locked in at two after the Hawks beat the 76ers on Friday night. The win locked Atlanta into the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, setting the stage for a matchup with the No. 7 seed Magic in Orlando for the right to face the Celtics in the first round.
The Magic will host the Hawks on Tuesday night in the opening game of the play-in tournament. Boston will then host the winner of that game on either April 19 or April 20 for Game 1 of the first round. The loser of the Hawks-Magic game will still have a chance to qualify for the postseason as they will play the winner of the 9 vs. 10 matchup (Bulls vs. Heat) for the right to play the top-seeded Cavaliers in the first round.
The Celtics have gone 1-2 against the Magic in head-to-head matchups this season, but both of those losses came without Jayson Tatum in the lineup. Wednesday’s loss in Orlando came as Boston sat out their top six players on the back end of a back-to-back.
Boston also went 1-2 against the Hawks this year, including a pair of surprising home losses in the first half of the season. Atlanta has gone through a number of trades since those matchups, though, with the last head-to-head contest coming on Jan. 18, a 119-115 overtime loss for the Celtics in Boston.
The Magic have a 2-1 edge over the Hawks in their season series, with one meaningless game still looming between the two teams on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. The Celtics have plenty of history against the Hawks in the postseason, most recently facing Atlanta in the 2023 first round, a series Boston won in six games.
The Celtics have not faced the Magic in a postseason series since the 2010 Conference Finals when Boston upset Orlando to earn a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics will get at least three full days next week to prepare for the play-in tournament winner before Game 1 of their first-round series begins next weekend.
The Play-in Picture
After Saturday, here’s a look at the East play-in picture:
- Place Team Record Games back
- No. 7 Orlando Magic 38-40 —
- No. 8 Atlanta Hawks 36-41 1.5
- No. 9 Chicago Bulls 35-42 2.5
- No. 10 Miami Heat 35-43 3.0
The Bulls, Hawks, and Heat are mainstays in the play-in at this point. This will be the third straight season all three teams will participate in the tourney.
As a reminder of the play-in format, the No. 7 and No. 8 teams play each other with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The loser of the 7-8 game faces the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game, then the winner of that game gets the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. All higher seeds will host play-in games.
So, the Celtics will need to wait a few extra days after the conclusion of the regular season to find out who they play in the first round. Fortunately, as the No. 2 seed, they’ll find out their opponent after the first slate of games. The No. 1 seed doesn’t find out their opponent until late in the week after the entire play-in tourney is wrapped up.
Opponent Breakdown
Here’s a look at each of those four teams and how they’ve fared this season:
No. 7 Orlando Magic
The Magic endured injuries to start the year to their best players in guys like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. They’re 6-2 in their last eight games to heat up a bit.
They’re a chore defensively with a top-3 defensive rating but they’re also 27th in offensive rating. They have a 1-1 record against the Celtics this season with one final game scheduled for April 9 in Orlando.
They face the Hawks twice to end the season, so those games will be huge for the standings.
Remaining schedule: vs. Atlanta, vs. Boston, at Indiana, and at Atlanta.
No. 8 Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have been one of the more interesting teams this season as they’re middle-of-the-pack in offensive (20th) and defensive (19th) rating.
Dyson Daniels has emerged as a force defensively in a breakout season while Trae Young continues to put up impressive stats. No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher is also starting to turn heads.
They gave the C’s some trouble earlier this season as they have a 2-1 record against the defending champs, though regular season results don’t translate to the playoffs.
Those Magic games are the big ones, though they also have three games against losing teams left.
Remaining schedule: vs. Utah, at Orlando, at Brooklyn, at Philadelphia, and vs. Orlando.
No. 9 Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have also strung together some wins, going 11-4 to clinch a spot in the play-in tournament.
They’ve made some big trades this season, including moving on from Zach LaVine. The Bulls are 24th in defensive rating and 19th in offensive rating.
The Celtics went 3-1 against the Bulls this season.
Remaining schedule: at Charlotte, at Cleveland, vs. Miami, vs. Washington, and at Philadelphia.
No. 10 Miami Heat
The Heat looked like they could be done with the season in the post-Jimmy Butler era when they went on a 10-game losing streak.
But afterwards, they recovered with six straight wins, including one over the C’s, to threaten to get back up to the 7/8 line in the standings.
The Heat have lost their last two games to playoff teams, but they also have an easy schedule the rest of the way with a big one against the Bulls coming up.
Conclusion
The Celtics’ first-round playoff matchup against the Orlando Magic has set the stage for an intriguing Eastern Conference battle. While MassLive highlights Boston’s dominant regular season performance and the Magic’s surprising resurgence, the series outcome remains far from certain. Orlando’s young core, led by Paolo Banchero, presents a dynamic challenge for the Celtics’ seasoned veterans. The Magic’s ability to disrupt Boston’s rhythm on both ends of the court will be a pivotal factor in determining the series’ trajectory.
This matchup carries significant implications for both franchises. For Boston, it’s a chance to validate their regular season success and prove their championship aspirations. Conversely, Orlando sees this as an opportunity to make a statement on the national stage and solidify their position as a rising force in the East. Regardless of the outcome, this first-round series promises to be a compelling clash of styles and a testament to the evolving dynamics of the Eastern Conference landscape.
