Magic vs. Celtics: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More
Wednesday night, the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics get the opportunity to renew their rivalry, but it may not be the last time the two teams meet in the upcoming weeks as this is a potential first-round playoff preview.
Orlando is a beat-up team heading into Boston, with both Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu on the shelf. Despite that fact though, the Magic have won two straight games and have a lot to play for.
Currently the Magic are tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. Whichever team comes out ahead in that race will draw the No. 4 seed Celtics in the first round. However, both Orlando and Atlanta may have their eyes on the No. 6 spot, hoping to draw the No. 3 seed Indiana Pacers instead.
The Celtics on the other hand are practically locked into the No. 4 seed, currently holding a 3.5-game lead over the New York Knicks for the Atlantic Division lead.
Playing the second of back-to-back games, after a 118-110 loss to the Knicks on Tuesday, the motivation for Celtics coach Doc Rivers may be different tonight. He could elect to get his starters some rest and not play guys like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo major minutes as the beginning of the postseason creeps ever so close.
With that being said though, Magic vs. Celtics is always a big game and Wednesday night should be no exception. Here's a look at everything you need to know about this Eastern Conference showdown.
When: Wednesday, April 18 at 8:00 p.m. EDT
Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
Watch: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN 3
Spread Info: Boston (-5)
Magic Key Injuries (Per ESPN)
Out: Dwight Howard (back), Hedo Turkoglu (facial fracture)
Day-to-Day: Glen Davis (sprained right knee), J.J. Reddick (foot)
Celtics Key Injuries (Per ESPN)
Day-to-Day: Ray Allen (sore right ankle), Mickael Pietrus (knee), Paul Pierce (left big toe)
What They're Saying
The Celtics could have wrapped up the Atlantic Division title by beating the Knicks Tuesday night, but can still do so with a win and a Knicks loss on Wednesday.
New York knocked down 19 shots from behind the arc Tuesday night, spoiling a 43-point effort from Pierce.
"We didn't defend the 3 at all tonight," Pierce said. "We dug ourselves a huge hole that we couldn't climb out of."
Allowing that many three-point shots give the Magic some hope, as Orlando will definitely be looking to knock down their share of shots from behind the arc, yet the Magic have had some bad moments this season against Boston.
Two of Orlando's worst loses of the season came within four days to the Celtics, scoring a franchise-low 56 points on January 23 in an 87-56 defeat. Four days later, Orlando blew a 27-point lead in a 91-83 defeat.
To exact some revenge against the Celtics, the Magic are going to have to do it shorthanded, which will require extra effort from the rest of the guys in uniform, as they wait for Howard to hopefully return.
""We're just playing ball," guard Jason Richardson said. "When he gets back it'll be great. We definitely want him back because we know how dominant he is on both ends of the floor. But right now we're just going with whoever is on the floor."
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Most Important Player to Watch: Rajon Rondo
Rondo's putting together an MVP-type season and his 13 assists Tuesday night against the Knicks extended his streak of double-digit assist games to 23.
If Rondo has his way with the Magic defense, it could be a long evening for visiting Orlando.
Key Matchup: Daniel Orton and Glen Davis vs. Kevin Garnett
If Davis can go, it's going to be a tough night against his former team. If he can't, Orton is going to have his hands full with Garnett, who's been playing as if he's five years younger than 35 years old.
Garnett has put together six 20-point, 10-rebound games since the All-Star break and is averaging 17.0 PPG and 9.4 RPG in the month of April. Orton won't give the Magic much offensively, but for Orlando to have much of a chance, he's going to have to find a way to slow Garnett down some.
Prediction
Celtics 92, Magic 83
