ORLANDO, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 28: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic dunks the ball against the … More
The Orlando Magic got on the board on Friday night. They earned a 95-93 win over the Boston Celtics, making this first-round matchup a 2-1 series. But the mood wasn’t overly celebratory post-game, understanding the challenge in front of them.
If the Magic come up short in Game 4 on Sunday, they’ll return to TD Garden on the verge of elimination.
When asked about the keys to a fast start to play from ahead and what it will take for Orlando to tie this series against the NBA’s reigning champions at two, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley immediately pointed to the team’s mentality entering Game 4.
“I think it’s always a mentality, the way in which we approach this game, understanding we [have] got to take care of home court, our ability to defend the right way,” said Mosley during his pregame media availability. “Offensively, can we move it? Can we share? Can we play with pace, all those little, small pieces that we’ve talked about from Game 3. Can we have that carryover?”
Orlando was the best team in the Association at limiting opponents’ three-point takes and makes in the regular season. It has carried over into stunning success against the Celtics.
Boston, far and away, led the league in shots from behind the arc in the regular season. The Celtics hoisted 48.2 threes per game. The next closest team was the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry and Co. took 42.4.
However, in the playoffs, that number has fallen off a cliff. The second seed in the Eastern Conference is attempting only 33.7 threes per contest, per NBA.com. That ranks 11th in the postseason.
“I think it’s our guys being able to follow the game plan in a lot of ways, the levels of the level of communication that we have where switches are happening, where they’re not happening, being up on shooters and knowing who we’re closing out to,” conveyed Mosley of his team’s success at protecting the perimeter against the league’s most lethal long-range attack. “A lot of that is personnel driven and knowing what we need to do and what we’re willing to give up.”
The Magic’s ability to win this battle of strength against strength was crucial to pulling out a two-point victory on Friday night at the Kia Center. That they also turned 21 turnovers by Boston into 26 points, parlayed 15 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points, and won by two is a testament to there being no room for letup.
Their season hinges on how effectively they protect the perimeter in Game 4.
