Boston Celtics take care of Orlando Magic after week off

After a week off from games due to COVID-19-related cancellations, the Boston Celtics returned to play with a victory against Orlando.

There was no rust in sight as the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic on Friday night by a score of 124-97. This was the team’s first game in a week, and they came out dominant against a short-handed Magic squad.

With their last three games postponed, Boston was without Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams, and Carsen Edwards due to COVID-19, while Kemba Walker and Romeo Langford are still sidelined due to their respective injuries. Although both Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson were healthy and active, coach Brad Stevens went away from the double big lineup for the first time, starting Grant Williams alongside Thompson in the frontcourt.

Grant did not have the best statistical game–scoring just 2 points and grabbing 2 rebounds in 23 minutes–but his impact on the offensive flow is immense compared to other bigs. His ability to stand at the three-point line as an actual threat to hit the long ball gives space to the rest of the Celtics offense, something that Theis has not proven he can do.

With Williams on the perimeter and Thompson manning the glass inside, the Boston Celtics may have found a successful offensive system for them to run without Kemba Walker.

Thompson did have his impact on the boards, recording 11 in 20 minutes, but the Magic kept it close on the strength their offensive rebounding. They outrebounded the Boston Celtics on the offensive glass 15-6, with seven of those going to fourth-year man Khem Birch.

Birch did get free from the Celtics’ bigs often, having free looks at the basket again and again. However, besides the poor boxing out from the Celtics, this was their best game of the year.

Jaylen Brown manned much of the offense with Tatum in quarantine, and it remained productive with the future all-star at the helm. Scoring 21 points in 25 minutes on 50% shooting, Brown was once again extremely efficient while also finding his teammates for open looks, dishing eight assists, tying his career-high.

Jaylen has taken on more of a playmaking role as he has become the number two option for the championship contenders. He is an underrated passer and has a very high basketball IQ. It also helps that players who haven’t hit shots from outside in past seasons (Semi Ojeleye), are suddenly draining them at a remarkable rate in the 2021 campaign.

Ojeleye finished the night with 18 points on 6/10 from the field and 3/6 from deep in only 20 minutes. Off the bench, Semi has quickly become one of the most reliable options for coach Stevens and Celtics fans alike. The improvements he has made have been so drastic in a short period of time, considering he was close to not making the team this year. Hopefully, this is not just a flash in the pan and instead is a sign of things to come…but either way, Ojeleye’s play has been encouraging so far.

Marcus Smart started at the shooting guard position this game, sharing the backcourt with Jeff Teague. He scored 14 points on four 3-pointers, while recording a game-high +/- of +28. Smart will always be the engine of this Boston Celtics team on the defensive side of the ball. Without Tatum and Kemba, he has had to take a bigger offensive role, unable to focus on his shot selection as much as he would like to. So far, his threes are going in at a reasonable rate, helping the Celtics create offense out of defensive-heavy units.

Teague played solid minutes as the starting point guard in this one, scoring 17 on 5/10 shooting. With offensive units ran by Teague and Brown, the veteran would often take the lead and look for his own shot before giving Jaylen any touches. It’s good for him to play his game and get to the rim, getting to the line five times in 21 minutes, but Brown should be the main creator without Tatum in the lineup.

No harm no foul, as the Boston Celtics won by a hefty margin, but it’s something to look out for in the future.

Payton Pritchard continued his splendid rookie season with 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a block while shooting 4/8 from downtown in 25 minutes. Pritchard has led the second unit better than any of the Celtics’ coaching staff could’ve hoped for. Whether it’s shooting deep threes, playing the pick and roll and getting to the lane, or finding the open man under the basket, the Oregon product has shown it all. Celtics fans have to be excited about both his future and his immediate impact on the team.

The other Celtics rookie, Aaron Nesmith, got extended playing time with the lack of healthy wings. His intrigue as a modern 3-and-D wing showed for the first time in this one, getting good looks from deep both off the catch and shoot and off the dribble. In his first stretch of the season, he looked lost on defense and missed several defensive rotations. Fast forward a few weeks, and although he committed three fouls in 18 minutes, he didn’t have nearly as many defensive errors as before. That’s the easiest way to get yourself into the rotation, and Nesmith is on his way to doing that.

Javonte Green also got a bigger opportunity, scoring 10 points in 21 minutes. He got to show off his quickness and explosiveness at the rim, jamming this one in off a quick baseline drive. His athleticism will always be underrated around the league due to him not getting as much playing time as he probably should, but the Boston Celtics have something there. With his raw tools and defense, don’t be surprised if he makes an impact on this team.

It would be cruel to talk about this blowout without mentioning the great Tacko Fall, who ended the night by first banking in a 22-footer, then driving from the top of the key to the rim for a two-handed slam. Of course, this won’t be a part of his game, but we can only imagine how loud the fans would have been in TD Garden if that were to happen last season.

For the Magic, with both Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac out for the season and Evan Fournier out for this game, they struggled to find points on offense. Aaron Gordon led the team with 17, while Dwayne Bacon, Nikola Vucevic, and rookie Cole Anthony all had 15 apiece. They didn’t move the ball as well as Boston, only recording 14 assists compared to the Celtics’ 25. Losing their last four straight, Orlando has to turn it around soon or they’ll be on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

This is as complete of a win that the Boston Celtics have had all year, and fans should be happy to watch their team play basketball once again.

New York is next on the schedule on Sunday.