5 Biggest X-Factors For Celtics vs Magic Playoff Series

The Boston Celtics are the second seed in the Eastern Conference and face the seventh seed Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The series starts April 20 at 3:30 p.m. EST.

Entering the series, the Celtics are the clear favorite on paper, but there are multiple factors that could shift the tides of the series.

Whether discussing specific player matchups or team statistics, here are five x-factors to watch throughout the series.

Pace of Play

One of the more fascinating team statistics with these two teams is pace of play. This could make fans feel worse about watching this series, but the Magic and Celtics were the two slowest-paced teams in the entire league this regular season.

It will be interesting to see if that continues, or if either team tries to speed things up to make the other team uncomfortable. That seems more like a potential Magic strategy, but the Celtics definitely have the players to play faster if necessary.

If either team can throw each other off their game through pace, this series could change drastically until adjustments are made.

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Shooting

One of the more egregious differences between these two teams from the regular season is shooting. Looking at effective field goal percentage, the Celtics ranked fifth in the entire NBA, while the Magic ranked 29th.

These show just how different these two teams are on the offensive end. As mentioned before, both teams play slowly, but one relies on three-point shooting while the other relies more on getting inside the arc.

Regarding this stat, it will be interesting to keep an eye on shooting numbers in each game. If the Celtics have an off-shooting night or two, the Magic could steal some games and gain some belief in the series.

Kristaps Porzingis

Kristaps Porzingis embodies everything that could go wrong for the Magic. Porzingis’s outside shooting and height will be a huge problem for the Magic. He also should be a stifling presence on the interior that will make it hard for them to score.

If the Magic want to have any chance of winning this series, their best bet may be to get Porzingis into foul trouble.

The Celtics were still good in the playoffs last year without Porzingis, but they looked unbeatable with him. If the Magic wants any chance of winning this series, limiting Porzingis’s impact is of utmost importance.

Paint Scoring

While the Celtics are more of a three-point focused offense, they are also elite at stopping opposing teams in the paint. The Magic are even better, however, which shows yet another similarity between the two teams.

The Celtics were fifth in the NBA in shots blocked with 5.5, fourth in points in the paint allowed, and fifth in second chance points allowed. The Magic were first in shots blocked with 6.0, third in points in the paint allowed, and first in second chance points allowed.

If either team can find ways to score on the interior, things could change a lot in the series. If the Celtics are able to find ways to score inside, this series could get ugly quickly, but if the Magic can score inside, they could make every game in this series close.

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Star Matchups

Both teams are led by a star power forward and have a secondary star small forward. They will often be matched up with each other on both ends, so how each set of players fares will be a huge part of how the series plays out.

Banchero is one of the few players at power forward with the size and athleticism to match up with Tatum. Wagner is the same way regarding Jaylen Brown. Whichever pair plays better, their team should have plenty of success in the series.

The biggest difference between the two duos is age, with Tatum and Brown being much more experienced and ready for these playoff moments.

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.