Celtics Utilize Speed Advantage in Run Away Win vs. Magic: 'It Makes the Game Easier'

Missing their top three centers, the Celtics used their speed to stifle the Magic's offense and fuel their attack at the other end.

The Boston Celtics had a plethora of excuses available to them entering Friday's game against the Orlando Magic.

They were playing for the third time in four days, on the second half of a back-to-back, and missing their top three centers, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet.

But facing an opposition that beat them 113-96 on Black Friday and has won the last four meetings between these two, a Celtics team focused on "winning the day" wasn't about to spend the night feeling sorry for themselves.

Instead, they tapped into the speed advantage they had due to being depleted at the pivot.

With their defense swarming, walling off drives, shutting down Orlando's pick-and-rolls, and challenging shots -- the Magic were 8/25 (32 percent) from beyond the arc entering the fourth quarter -- the hosts maintained an up-tempo attack, frequently operating in transition.

That made it easier to get downhill against a defense that didn't have time to set up. That led to exceptional ball movement, with Boston assisting on 31/48 field goals and consistently creating quality attempts. That includes a season-high 17 corner threes, drilling ten of the most efficient long-range looks.

It also resulted in 52 points in the paint, as Jayson Tatum, who registered a game-high 30 points, and Jaylen Brown, who produced 18, relentlessly went to the rim.

And with the Celtics not taking their foot off the gas, their slower-footed opposition couldn't find a solution to corral them. Orlando's physicality has given Boston trouble in their recent meetings, but the hosts' speed advantage neutralized that. Furthermore, the C's were the more aggressive and assertive team on Friday.

"I think we just started playing faster," expressed Brown after his team's 128-111 victory in a contest they led by as much as 25. 

"We had all guards, all smalls out there, so our advantage was speed. That's how I want to play all the time. Let's run. On a made basket, on a missed basket, and that's what I've been trying to emphasize for our coaching staff and everybody all year.

"Today, you've seen we had a lot of red -- zone attacks -- we got the ball up the floor, and we were able to find a lot of easy baskets, but we need to start making those right plays. It makes the game easier that way."

Head coach Joe Mazzulla conveyed, "That's something (that) we've also tried to emphasize for the last five or six games. Jaylen's done a good job of leading that approach to our offensive pace. And when you can get out and score, whether it's baskets in transition or it gets us cross-matches. And then, I think it really sparks our defense. 

"So, I think the advantage for us tonight was speed. And I think we used it on both ends of the floor. But that's what we kept saying: 'We have the speed advantage, we have the speed advantage, we have to find a way to keep it.'"

Further Reading

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Celtics Evaluate a Key to Mini-Series Sweep of Cavaliers: 'Playing the Right Way'

Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Completed Sweep of Two-Game Series vs. Cavaliers

Celtics Reportedly Agree to Two-Way Deal with Drew Peterson

Derrick White Praises Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's Impact That 'Doesn't Show Up on the Stat Sheet'

Jayson Tatum Praises Kristaps Porzingis for Allowing Celtics to Spin the Dial Defensively

Wins on the Margins Help Propel Celtics Past Cavaliers

An Empowered Jaylen Brown Strives to Balance Scoring with Playmaking: 'I've Grown A Lot'

Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis Discuss Their Quickly Cultivated Chemistry: 'An Automatic Connection'

Joe Mazzulla Believes Celtics' Second Unit is 'Starting to Develop an Identity'

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present