The Boston Celtics were able to get much-needed days of rest after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Now they get right back to work against a host Orlando Magic team that has their eyes on a top pick in next year’s draft.
Orlando was on a six-game losing streak before rattling off three wins in four contests. Boston has the far better team overall, but the Magic have been playing very well as of late. Will the Celtics pick up a bounce-back win or will the Magic extend their streak to three games?
Boston Celtics @ Orlando Magic
- Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2021 – 7:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Amway Center, Orlando, FL
NBA Odds: Celtics -11
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics look to wrap up the season series against the Magic in a sweep after beating them in the first two matchups this season. The Celtics have had their fair share of struggles against below-average teams. That is evident by their 34-31 record, which has them as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. In case you haven’t been following the NBA news, this would mean that Boston would have to battle it out in the play-in tournament. Boston is simply too talented of a team to be playing extra games just to make the playoffs. The Celtics will have to win this game shorthanded, though, as Jaylen Brown was ruled out for this contest with an injury. This means that Jayson Tatum will have an even larger offensive workload to carry for this matchup – even more than his 26.5 points per game. If the Celtics want to lock themselves into the postseason, they are going to have to start winning the games that they should or else they could face the play-in.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic truly doesn’t have much to play for in this contest. The team is 21-44 and has been eliminated from postseason contention. This team has been completely changed compared to the last matchup against the Celtics. Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, and Aaron Gordon were all moved at the trade deadline, opening up a ton of opportunities for their younger players. Mo Bamba has exploded onto the scene as a result of that, posting career highs in both points (22) and rebounds (15) on Monday against the Detroit Pistons. If Orlando wants to play spoiler, it is going to need to rely upon Bamba and others. The Magic may also be shorthanded as James Ennis III, Terrance Ross and Chuma Okeke have all missed their last game and are each listed as questionable heading into this one. Even though the Magic don’t have any big stars on their roster, they have a ton of guys that are fighting for a chance to stick to a team. Their intensity and energy may be enough to not only keep them competitive but could help them win the ball game.
Celtics vs. Magic Prediction:
Celtics 104, Magic 102
