The Boston Celtics, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, have been considered among the favorites to win the 2025 NBA title for much of the season.
While the Thunder (and likely Cavaliers too) will enter the playoffs as their respective conference’s top seeds, few would be surprised if the second-seeded Celtics ran the table. Boston has an elite duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, plus arguably the best supporting cast in the Association.
With Sixth Man of the Year contender Payton Pritchard and defensive stalwart Derrick White, it’s been an historic season for the backcourt mates.
The rotation also includes one-time All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis and five-time All-Star center Al Horford, giving the group a formidable group down low.
Boston is looking to become the first repeat NBA champion in seven years, when the Golden State Warriors won their second straight title and third in four seasons in 2018.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla’s crew doesn’t yet know its first-round opponent and won’t find out until the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament.
While the Celtics should be expected to cruise into the conference semifinals regardless of who they compete against in the opening round, ESPN’s Zach Kram wrote on Sunday that one surprise team could make things difficult for Boston.
Magic’s ‘Defensive Personnel’ May ‘Create a More Frustrating Series Than Expected’
The Celtics (57-20) have all but locked up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, with the Cavaliers only needing one more win or a Boston loss to clinch the top spot. Tatum, Brown and company are also comfortably ahead of the third-seeded New York Knicks (49-28) by eight games with only five contests left in the regular season.
At the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff field will be two of the four Play-In Tournament competitors (Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat).
Kram sees one of those four groups as a potential threat to make a best-of-seven set against the defending champions “frustrating” for the favorites.
“Meanwhile, the Magic — who could face the Celtics in the first round — and Cavaliers have the best half-court defenses in the East,” he wrote. “Orlando, in particular, doesn’t have the offensive firepower to truly intimidate the Celtics, but its defensive personnel could create a more frustrating series than expected.”
The Magic enter Sunday at just 38-40 with four games left before the Play-In Tournament and even if they survive and advance, they’d be heavy underdogs in a potential matchup against the Celtics. Orlando has been mediocre both at home (20-19) and on the road (18-21) this season, while Boston is 25-13 at TD Garden and its 32-7 road mark is the best in the NBA.
The Celtics are top-10 in both offense with 116.8 points per game (eighth) and defense at 107.8 points allowed per contest (third). Orlando allows the fewest points per tilt in the NBA (105.6) but ranks 29th in scoring (105.1 points per game).
Celtics, Magic Have Split 2 Games This Season, Play Again on Wednesday
Boston and Orlando have met twice this season and will play for a third and final time before the playoffs on Wednesday.
The Magic edged the Celtics on December 23 at Kia Center, 108-104, though Tatum didn’t play in the contest. Boston did hold a 15-point halftime lead, however, before being held to just 46 points in the second half.
It was a much different story on January 17 in Beantown, as Tatum led all scorers with 30 points and Porzingis and Brown chipped in 23 and 20, respectively, in a 121-94 blowout.
With the Celtics’ playoff positioning essentially decided but the Magic still fighting for a home game in the Play-In Tournament, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Boston sitting some of its stars during Wednesday’s road tilt and Orlando taking advantage.
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