The Magic are heading into Game 2 at TD Garden with one clear objective — find scoring help beyond Banchero and Wagner. Despite Paolo dropping 36 and Franz adding 23, Orlando still got handled 103-86 in Game 1. The rest of the squad? Practically invisible. The other three starters combined for just 10 points, and their bench got outscored by Payton Pritchard alone.
They actually did a solid job containing Tatum and Brown, holding them to 17 and 16 points, but it was Derrick White — not one of the headline names — who burned them from deep, hitting 7 threes on his way to 30 points. That’s where Orlando got caught. They locked up the stars, but the role players cooked.
Paolo said it straight: “We have to take away those guys on the wings. That’s where they hurt you.”
It was a tight game at half (Boston led by just 1), but the third quarter was the turning point — Celtics went on a 30-18 run and never looked back. Jaylen Brown lit up for 10 in that quarter alone, and Jrue Holiday added 9 after a scoreless first half.
Coach Mosley pointed out the key flaws: they didn’t capitalize in transition and weren’t sharp enough in defensive communication. Against a team like Boston, that’s a death sentence. If you let them get set defensively, you’re walking into a wall.
And don’t forget — Tatum had a brief injury scare in the fourth after a hard fall on his wrist, but he stayed in and X-rays came back clean. That’s something to keep an eye on ahead of Game 2.
Bottom line? Orlando knows they can’t win this series without stealing one on the road. Expect adjustments, faster tempo, and more urgency from the Magic Wednesday night. If they don’t show it, this series could get out of hand quick.
