Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic game preview, injury report, and info - November 3, 2021

BostonGlobe.com

The Boston Celtics are coming off their worst loss of the season to the Chicago Bulls. They blew a huge lead in the fourth quarter and Marcus Smart had some choice words after the game. They have a chance to right some wrongs tonight as they take on the struggling Orlando Magic.

How to Watch

Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Fla.

Time: 7:00 p.m. (EST)

Channel(s): NBC Sports Boston, NBA League Pass

Team Breakdowns

As mentioned, the Celtics are coming off of what is probably their worst loss of the season. They absolutely collapsed in the fourth vs. the Bulls and went from winning by 19 to losing by 14 in a single quarter. It just seemed as though they stopped trying on both offense and defense. They started trying to feed Jayson Tatum rather than simply continuing the offense they had been running previously, which was actually working pretty well.

Tatum’s performance has been subpar this season, to say the least. He’s been shooting absolutely horribly from three, and yet the team continues to go to him down the stretch. Either he needs to turn it around or the Celtics have to realize that they have other players on their team. This offensive game plan of just giving him the ball late in the game clearly is not working.

The Magic are 2-6 on the season, with their only wins coming against the Knicks and the Timberwolves. Cole Anthony has been their leading scorer, and he has been on absolute fire this season. His shooting splits are incredible and he’s looking like a real leader for the magic. He is followed closely by rookie Franz Wagner in the scoring column, who is slowly making a name for himself as well. Orlando may not be the best team in the league, but they definitely have some players who can do some damage.

Injury Report

For the second game in a row, the Boston Celtics have no players listed on their injury report. Robert Williams headed back to the locker room last game, but he quickly returned to the bench. Things seem to be okay now, as he is not listed on the report.

Orlando has a fairly lengthy injury report, but most of the players listed are dealing with long-term ailments. Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, and Michael Carter-Williams all remain out. In addition, both E’Twaun Moore is listed as out, while Gary Harris is questionable.

Keys to the Game

The first key for the Celtics is to not let off the gas. Ime Udoka commented on the fact that they took their foot off the gas last game. They played amazing basketball for most of the game vs. the Bulls, but then they just let Chicago right back in it. There’s absolutely no excuse for the lack of effort the Celtics showed in the final quarter of last game. Not only did they let the Bulls back in the game by letting up on defense, but their offense completely stalled as well. Boston needs to play a full basketball game, no matter who the opponent is.

Past that, Jayson Tatum needs to calm down. Whether the game plan is bad on Ime Udoka’s part, or Tatum just thinks he can do it all, he needs to realize that when he’s not shooting well, he has a team behind him. Too many times this season Tatum has shot poorly from the field, yet continued to chuck up shots. Just last game, Tatum got eight shots in the fourth quarter while Jaylen Brown only got two. Tatum shot 1-8 in those eight shots. Something has to change on that front.

Finally, Ime Udoka needs to get his rotations ironed out. Sometimes it feels as though he is so stuck on using the same player, that he forgets to account for situational needs. Just the other night, for example. The Celtics were having their worst three-point performance in a long time, and yet Aaron Nesmith still got no minutes. Udoka needs to loosen up a bit and experiment.

Pregame Show

Make sure to tune in to our live pregame show, “The Banner Town Build Up.” We are live 30 minutes before every Celtics game at @GuyBostonSports on YouTube and Facebook. See you there at 7:00 p.m. (EST) tonight!

Jack Simone

Jack Simone is the founder of Banner Town, USA and now works across the NBA landscape. He is the site expert at Hoops Habit and a contributing writer for At The Hive. He has also spent time with CLNS, Hardwood Houdini, and All U Can Heat. In addition, he is currently attending Regis College to earn a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication focused on sports. Make sure to check out the From the Rafters podcast on all podcast platforms.

Twitter - @JackSimoneNBA

Business Email - jacksimone25@gmail.com

http://www.bannertownusa.com
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8 takeaways from the Boston Celtics win vs. the Orlando Magic

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6 takeaways from the Boston Celtics ugly loss vs. the Chicago Bulls