Magic Game 3 Defense Caused Massive Hit to Celtics Advantage

The 2024-25 Boston Celtics are the most prolific 3-point shooting in the history of the NBA. The 61-21 team boasts three players who broke the previous club record for most made triples from a Celtic in a given regular season.

Boston took a whopping 48.2 3-point attempts per bout, nearly six more than the next-closest competition, the Golden State Warriors' 42.4 long range tries. The Celtics' 36.8 percent 3-point conversion rate during the regular season ranks 10th-best.

Funnily enough, that kind of prolific shooting has not extended to the postseason so far. The Celtics are averaging just 33.7 triple attempts, just 11th best among 16 playoff teams. Their 36.6 percent conversion rate, meanwhile, ranks seventh-best.

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Per Jack Simone of Hardwood Houdini (via FanSided), Boston never took less than 30 triple tries a night during the 82-game regular season. In Game 3, that streak ended. The Magic hounded the Celtics into taking just 27 treys.

NEW from Orlando: During their 82-game campaign, the Celtics never attempted fewer than 30 threes.

They took 27 in Game 3.

“They're denying off-ball. They're kind of allowing guys to play more one-on-one ball."

More on the Magic forcing the Celtics to think differently 📰⬇️ pic.twitter.com/g9s9otwOQF
— Jack Simone (@JackSimoneNBA) April 27, 2025

The Magic's physical, borderline bully-ball defense held the Celtics under 100 points, and Orlando held on to win, 95-93. The less-talented Magic still trail the reigning champs by a game, 2-1, heading into Sunday's pivotal Game 4 in Orlando.

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In speaking with reporters Sunday morning during a team shootaround, freshly minuted 2025 Sixth Man of the Year reserve point guard Payton Pritchard explained how Orlando has managed to find a way to cut off passing lanes and disrupt the Celtics' brand of beautiful basketball.

Noa Dalzell of CLNS captured the conversation, crediting Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston for asking the question.

Payton Pritchard on what the Magic are doing differently to defend him:

“They're denying off ball. They're not allowing catch & shoots. They're not allowing quick swings. But there's different ways I need to get open, or create openings for my teammates.”

(Q: @tvabby) pic.twitter.com/xpWAYnktFG
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) April 27, 2025

“They're denying off-ball,” Pritchard said. “They're kind of allowing guys to play more one-on-one ball on an island, and taking away catch-and-shoot threes and stuff like that. If you can tell, they're denying off in the corners and stuff like that. So, that means we probably got to take it to the rim, be efficient in that area.”

As Simone notes, Boston tried to pivot to post scoring with its 3-pointers being limited by Orlando's perimeter defense. But Wendell Carter Jr.'s harassing coverage has restricted the team's best paint scorer, 7-foot-2 center Kristaps Porzingis, and All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been hacked frequently whenever they penetrate. That dynamic duo coughed up the ball to the tune of 13 turnovers.

Beyond the paint, Boston connected on a scant 16-of-53 shooting from the floor.

The Celtics' other top reserve, backup center/power forward Al Horford, explained the team's strategy for surviving Orlando's attacks on its 3-point shooting going forward.

“Continuing to execute our offense,” Horford. “Have to make sure that we do a good job executing offensively, getting to our spots, and taking advantage of those shots when we get them.”

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