On Sunday, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis were a combined 15/44 from the field (34%) and 1/12 from 3 (8%).
The Boston Celtics still won Game 1 by 17 points.
Key Takeaways
While only one game has been played in this series, it’s clear the Magic are not close to the level of the Boston Celtics.
For one, we saw a couple of anomalies in their shooting. Paolo Banchero — not arguing he’s a bad player — went 4/7 from downtown on Sunday. That’s 57%, a staggering amount higher than his season average of 32%. Franz Wagner also had a decent game, piling up 23 points, three rebounds, five assists, and three stocks.
Are those two very good players? Yes. Should the fact that their elite performances barely impacted the game as a whole be worrisome? Absolutely.
As for the other Celtics, they showed up ready to work in Game 1. Derrick White added 30 points, and Payton Pritchard managed to score 19. If both of those players continue their hot start, the Celtics might once again dominate their way into the NBA Finals.
Brief Scuffle
With the game already in hand, Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s decision to commit a hard foul was, well, baffling. There’s truly no reason to put a player in danger while they’re in the air.
As Tatum went down, Horford got into it with multiple Magic players, including Wendell Carter Jr. and Cole Anthony.
Here’s a better look:
Caldwell-Pope was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul.
When asked about the situation, Joe Mazzulla didn’t seem too worried. As a matter of fact, neither did Jrue Holiday or Jayson Tatum.
“I just landed on it hard,” said Tatum after the game. “It was throbbing.”
“I mean [it’s] playoff basketball,” added Holiday. “…7 seed that’s gonna come out and fight and be physical, just a hard foul.”
The Celtics’ injury report will give us a clearer indication, but it looks like Tatum will be just fine.
Jaylen Brown’s Leadership
Jaylen Brown is the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics.
While the ESPN broadcast can catch some flak for its audio issues — yes, I’m talking about their silencing of playoff crowds — their ‘Mic’d Up’ segment certainly gives the casual fan a good outlook on player interactions.
With the Magic cutting a 12-point lead to just one late in the first half, Jaylen Brown felt the need to motivate the team.
“Long series… we’re not backing down,” said Brown during a timeout. “They’re younger than us and pushing us around… energy, effort, intensity. That’s all it is.”
The motivation clearly worked. The Celtics ultimately won by 17.
Game 2 of Celtics-Magic is on Wednesday. While I don’t foresee too much of a challenge for the Celtics, the playoffs are always surprising.
Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis should also be better. With a 2-0 lead in sight, don’t expect a let-down.
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