Magic Work on Pace, Playstyle at Monday Practice; 2025 Draft Order Finalized

After Game 1 didn't go the Orlando Magic's way, they quickly returned to the practice court with an emphasis on playing faster and cleaning up mistakes ahead of Game 2 vs. Boston. Plus, the results of NBA Draft tiebreakers that affect the Magic.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) tries to steal the ball from Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the second half at TD Garden. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

BOSTON – The Orlando Magic, after a 17-point loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their playoff series Sunday afternoon, wasted no time getting back to work.

While all of Boston parlayed the high of victory on Easter Sunday into Boston Marathon Monday, the Magic got back into TD Garden and recentered their focus on how to even the series Wednesday night before it swings back to Orlando.

"We came in and got a lot of shots up," he said. "[We've] got two days between games, so it's big for us to get our rest while we also come here and get the work."

Sunday was only Game 1 of the best-of-seven series, and many voices around the Magic stressed that fact postgame. In order for Orlando to not let Sunday's outcome serve as the precursor for how remaining contests will play out, Monday's session was pivotal to moving forward.

"We sat down and watched the film, studied some things that we'll need to clean up," said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, who said his team had a "great" practice Monday.

"[We got] a better understanding of just how we want to execute," Cory Joseph said. "We have a game under our belt now to kind of feel out the series."

Through that perspective, here's what the Magic said has to be better with Game 2 coming Wednesday.

Quicker play –> easier offense

In periods where the Magic's offense was stagnant during Sunday's game, they weren't pleased with the pace at which they played.

"We played pretty slow," Black said, "so big emphasis [was put] on playing faster and just playing more freely."

After the regular season, the Magic and Celtics ranked 30th and 29th in pace, respectively – a measure of the average number of possessions a team plays in their game. Both teams averaged a fraction over 96 possessions a game through the 82-game regular season.

The game slows down and becomes more physical in the postseason, and Sunday's 87-possession affair – Orlando's lowest and Boston's fourth-lowest in a game this year – is evidence to that.

In five other games this year that finished below 90 total possessions (all wins), the Magic had an average offensive rating of 119.2. Sunday, however, Orlando only mustered a 98.9 offensive rating.

Boston found 26 fastbreak points (tied for second-most this season) to Orlando's four in the victory (second-fewest this year), and the Celtics converted 15 Magic turnovers into 24 points while the Magic turned 11 Celtic giveaways into just eight points.

In a matchup that pits two of the NBA's best halfcourt defenses against one another, it's increasingly vital for Orlando to help its straggling offense by finding easier baskets.

"We can't get into the lull of a halfcourt game with them," said Jonathan Isaac, who was Orlando's third-leading scorer (seven points) behind Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on Sunday. "We've got to get up and down on makes and misses, get the ball out."

"I think once we can put the pressure on the defense that way, then we've got to look for the play after the play, not stall out and let their switching become an issue," Mosley said. "We've got to get easy baskets when you have a high-level defense as they are."

Asked how the Magic go about doing that, starting point guard Cory Joseph responded: "Cutting hard, moving off the ball and things of that nature."

Joseph, who went scoreless (one shot attempt) and committed five fouls in the Game 1 loss, acknowledged his role in that effort to play quicker. Praised effusively by teammates during the Magic's successful run at the backend of the season for helping that cause, Joseph also shoulders responsibility for when those efforts are unsuccessful.

"It's no secret, they're good in the halfcourt just like us, so we're trying to ... still play fast in the sense of making quick decisions."

Why the Magic struggled in the 3Q ... again

Review of Sunday's film also gave the Magic some insight into how their latest third-quarter malaise came to be.

Trailing by 12 early in the second quarter, Orlando banked on its poise to silence the Boston faithful and take a surprise lead into halftime.

"We felt like we played good defense," Joseph said. "We missed some shots we'll make next game, but we were in the game because overall, we didn't let mistakes build."

But in the third quarter, the tides quickly changed.

The Magic had as many made field goals as turnovers (six each) in the frame. Boston made its first four triples – all from Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, who, along with Payton Pritchard, drilled 14 of the Celtics' 16 threes – and it opened the third quarter with a 28-10 run spread over 10 minutes that Orlando never recovered from.

"That third quarter, we let our mistakes build up, and they're a good team [and] they capitalized," Joseph continued. "We've just got to limit even more mistakes."

"That momentum shift in the third quarter was big," Mosley said. "Us being deliberate and intentional in some of our defensive communication pieces ... [We] had a couple mishaps. I think that's what got to their spark."

The numerous misses and live-ball giveaways put Orlando at a disadvantage in transition, and 12 of the Celtics' 26 fastbreak points came in the quarter.

A shorthanded, undergunned Orlando team has no margin for error.

Not when Boston, who stresses opponents to play to near perfection, can punish every mishap to the max.

Draft tiebreakers decided

While Orlando's season is still ongoing, the Magic gained an ounce of offseason clarity Monday afternoon.

The NBA utilized random drawings to decide five ties between teams with identical regular-season records that impacted the order of this upcoming summer's NBA Draft.

The Denver Nuggets, who owe their 2025 first-round selection by way of the Aaron Gordon-Gary Harris swap at the 2021 deadline, lost a tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers and LA Clippers – all teams who finished 50-32.

As a result, the pick owed to the Magic landed at No. 25 in the first round. Orlando (41-41), who maintains control of its own first-round choice this summer, could've landed anywhere from No. 22-25 with the extra selection.

Orlando now officially owns picks No.16 and No. 25 in the first round and picks No. 46 and No. 57 in the second round this summer.

The 2025 NBA Draft takes place Wednesday, June 25 (first round), and Thursday, June 26 (second round).

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

• CELTICS REMIND WHY THEY'RE DANGEROUS: The defending champions' balanced Game 1 attack and ability to withstand Orlando's big swings remind the Magic just how dangerous they are. CLICK HERE
• 6 THINGS TO WATCH IN MAGIC-CELTICS SERIES: CLICK HERE
• MAGIC COMFY AS UNDERDOGS: Orlando feels it has the answers to Boston's test and is ready to "shock the world." CLICK HERE
• ARE MAGIC, CELTICS SIMILAR?: Some members of the Orlando Magic see bits and pieces of themselves in the Boston Celtics, while one prominent voice doesn't. CLICK HERE

Want more Orlando Magic coverage on Sports Illustrated?

Follow 'Orlando Magic on SI' on Facebook and like our page. Follow Magic beat reporter Mason Williams on Twitter/X @mvsonwilliams. Also, bookmark our homepage so you never miss a story.