The Orlando Magic, coming off a victory Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, faced a challenging game against the Boston Celtics on Thursday, resulting in a 128-111 defeat. The loss, largely attributed to an uncharacteristic 21 turnovers, saw the Magic's offense struggle, impacting their standing in the Eastern Conference. Franz Wagner contributed significantly to this issue, accounting for six of those turnovers.
Previously, the Magic had secured a comfortable win over the Celtics on Black Friday, 113-96, during their In-Season Tournament match at Amway Center. However, this encounter at TD Garden unfolded differently, with the Celtics overcoming the absence of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford to clinch the victory.
Magic doomed by turnovers vs. Celtics
Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley expressed concern over the team's performance, particularly the high turnover rate which led to 26 points for the Celtics.
“That was a big portion of it. And you got to give the Celtics credit. They came out blazing…But you turn the ball over 21 times for 26 points, give them 18 threes, uncharacteristic of us in a lot of ways,” he said.
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, both key players for the Magic, struggled to find their offensive rhythm, contributing to the team's challenges. Wagner ,who had a team high in turnovers with six, admitted turnover woes played a big role in Boston's blowout victory.
“It’s huge,” he said. “It takes away from obviously getting a good look ourselves, gives them easy looks and that lets them run out in transition and we’re a really good defensive team in the half court.”
Wagner recognized the need for the team to maintain control of the ball and continue taking quality shots. Together, Wagner and Banchero shot a combined 11-for-31 from the field, underscoring the offensive struggles their team faced throughout the game.
The Magic's defense also faltered, allowing the Celtics to shoot 52.2% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range, with a total of 18 threes. This defensive lapse contributed significantly to Orlando's downfall in the game.
Despite the setback, Wagner remains optimistic about the team's prospects, especially with another opportunity to face the Celtics on Sunday at TD Garden.
“It’s awesome. We’re excited for it, hopefully, we’ll play better and we will play better, and clean some of that stuff up that we didn’t do tonight,” he said.
The loss positions the Magic as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. But with the upcoming game on Sunday at 3:00 pm at TD Garden, the Magic have an immediate opportunity to bounce back and demonstrate their resilience and capability in high-pressure situations.