In Game 1, Celtics Quickly Reminded Magic Why They're Dangerous

Orlando Magic stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner shone bright while Boston's Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had off nights, but Boston still earned a 17-point Game 1 victory. The defending champions' balanced attack and ability to withstand remind the Magic just how dangerous they are.

Mason Williams | Apr 21, 2025

Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet (40) and Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) battle for a loose ball during the first half at TD Garden. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

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BOSTON – In a vacuum, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner outplayed Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for the entire league to see Sunday afternoon.

Banchero's 36 points were three more than that of Tatum and Brown's 33 combined, and he had 11 rebounds to boot. Wagner added 23 points himself, and together, they scored or assisted on 77 of the Magic's 86 total points.

Still far from perfect, the Orlando Magic's stars fought mightily and rose to the occasion.

But on the scoreboard, the Boston Celtics faced little resistance from the Magic to take Game 1 of the first-round playoff matchup between the East's second and seventh seeds by 17 points, 103-86.

Because whereas Tatum and Brown were inefficient at scoring the ball, others covered their slack and then some. Derrick White scored a Celtics-high 30 points, and Payton Pritchard had 19 points in a flash off the Boston bench.

“That’s something that, as a team, we harped on coming in, that they do have two main guys, but it’s really the other guys that kill you," Banchero said.

"That's what makes us so dangerous," Tatum told reporters after the Game 1 victory. "We just have a really well-balanced team, and guys step up and be different guys on any night, and everybody else just kind of figures out their part to make sure we win."

Fans cheer after a three point basket by Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) during the second half against the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Orlando only got 27 points on 33.3 percent shooting from anyone other than Banchero or Wagner. In a year when season-ending injuries have robbed the Magic of their third- and fourth-leading scorers, Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner, a national audience bore witness to a team that's struggled to consistently find solutions that help support Banchero and Wagner's brilliance.

There is evidence that it is possible. Take Tuesday's Play-In game against Atlanta as an example, where Banchero and Wagner had nights akin to Boston's star duo in Game 1 but Orlando got a much-needed scoring boost from the likes reserve guards Cole Anthony and Anthony Black to punch their ticket to this series.

Or, glance at the second quarter of Sunday's game where, after going down 12 early in the second quarter, the Magic gathered themselves in a poised manner and outscored the Celtics 31-22 in the frame. As a result, Orlando held a one-point lead at the halftime buzzer, and TD Garden was as subdued as it'd been all afternoon.

Banchero and Wagner were still doing the heavy lifting scoring-wise, but 11 points from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Caleb Houstan and Jonathan Isaac aided them in the frame. So too did the Magic's defense, which held Boston to 35 percent shooting in the quarter.

"We were doing a good job in the first half of keeping them in the halfcourt and having good offensive possessions," Banchero said.

When those went away, the Magic began surrendering transition opportunities off their misses and giving up live-ball turnovers. Facing a stout Celtics defense that is reminiscent of its own in ways, Orlando's attack became stagnant and slower-moving.

Those tendencies hurt the Magic all year in similar lulls, and Boston's evenly spread offense took advantage to gradually grow the Magic's deficit to an insurmountable difference. The Celtics' defensive switchability among on-court personnel didn't help matters either.

With mics on, voices around the Magic often emphasize the desire to be more free-flowing with the ball in their hands. Fourth-year coach Jamahl Mosley held true to that sentiment Sunday.

"I think it's just the ability to play faster," he said when asked about how his team can find further production beyond Banchero and Wagner. "When we get the stops, we've got to be able to get out and run, and make sure we put pressure on the rim early."

Posed a similar question, Wagner said Orlando's best possessions involved moving the ball and getting multiple drives, which generated good looks in turn.

Yet perhaps it shouldn't be shocking that the offense ranked 24th in shot quality – facing a team that ranked second in opponent shot quality, supported by a raucous home environment and is capable of punishing any slight mistake – experienced such struggles.

It didn't surprise Banchero.

Paolo Banchero on how the #Magic can find more scoring beyond him and Franz Wagner:

“I’m not sure. I’ve really got to go back and watch the game, see what went wrong, but it’s game one. There’s nerves, lit crowd, really loud. Not a total surprise that we struggled a little bit… pic.twitter.com/W6R2ubaebu
— Mason Williams (@mvsonwilliams) April 20, 2025

The Celtics have been here and done this before. They are on a quest to repeat as NBA champions, after all. Boston's respect is earned, and it goes beyond the top two options and their headline-grabbing name power.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla, in his third year manning the Celtics' sideline, said postgame Sunday that his team's greatest gift is the ability to "go to a bunch of different things and the open-mindedness that our guys have.

"It comes from the guys just having an understanding that everyone's a weapon," Mazzulla added later. "Everyone has a chance to impact the game."

It's how Boston can endure off nights from superstar talents and live to tell the tale, and Game 1 reminded Orlando that the Celtics have plenty of those weapons ready to fire.

The Magic are wise enough to understand that expecting the likes of Tatum, Brown and Kristaps Porzingis to be as quiet as they were for the duration of the series would be foolish.

The result only counts for one game, but Orlando must be careful not to let Sunday serve as a precursor for the remaining games to follow. While the Magic's stars threw heavyweight punches one after another, Boston took them on the chin and was no worse for wear because of it.

If Orlando is not to waste the ammunition in Banchero and Wagner's clips, their surrounding arsenal must step up – and fast.

Up Next

Game 2 of the series is set for Wednesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

To see the full series schedule, click here.

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Published Apr 21, 2025