Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics Prediction & Match Preview - January 15th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Orlando Magic will travel to the Boston Celtics' TD Garden on Friday in an enticing match in the 2020-21 NBA.
The Boston Celtics have enough players to play under the NBA's current guidelines after most of the team had to isolate because of stringent COVID-19 protocols.
Both sides have made positive starts to their respective campaigns. However, the Orlando Magic could look to bring in additional scoring options to replace Markelle Fultz.
Meanwhile the Boston Celtics have belied expectations in the absence of Kemba Walker and look primed to challenge for the Eastern Conference Finals again this season.
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Match Details
Fixture: Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics - NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Friday, January 15th, 2021, 7:30 PM ET (Saturday, January 16th, 6:00 AM IST).
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA.
Orlando Magic Preview
The Orlando Magic have struggled with player injuries in recent seasons. So when Markelle Fultz went down against the Cavaliers last week, fans must have wondered about the franchise's wretched luck in this regard.
After overcoming the Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic were sitting pretty with a 6-2 record but have since slipped to 6-5 after three crushing losses at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets and the Milwaukee Bucks.
It is not a disaster to lose to three of the better sides in the league. However, coach Clifford will look to see his Orlando Magic players step up to fill in Fultz' shoes or make some trades before the deadline.
There has been NBA trade fumors surrounding Aaron Gordon as a potential trading piece for the Orlando Magic for several years, but a deal has yet to come to fruition.
At least one positive came out of Fultz' injury: rookie Cole Anthony has been thrust into the spotlight and is averaging 9.5 points and three assists to emerge as an outside bet for the Rookie of the Year award.
Key Player - Nikola Vucevic
One player who will be particularly missing Markelle Fultz is Orlando Magic center, Nikola Vucevic. For a player of his caliber, Vucevic deserves to be in a team that can go deep in the postseason; however, without Fultz, the Orlando Magic may struggle to do so.
The Montenegrin center is having a stellar season so far. He is among the best big men in the league and is currently averaging 22.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. For a center, the 30-year old is a prolific scorer and is shooting at 42% from beyond the arc.
As one of the side's veterans and a former All-Star, Vucevic has the ability and leadership to lift the Orlando Magic into the playoffs, but that prove to be a challenging task despite his talent.
Orlando Magic Predicted Lineup
G Cole Anthony, G Dwayne Bacon, F James Ennis III, F Aaron Gordon, C Nikola Vucevic.
Boston Celtics Preview
The Boston Celtics will be playing their first game in a week due to COVID-19 restrictions disrupting their schedule. The Boston Celtics are currently on a four-game win streak and sit top of the East.
Without floor general Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have taken up the bulk of the Celtics' offense while new addition Tristan Thompson has added physicality and height at the defensive end.
Despite Walker's absence, the Boston Celtics have produced impressive performances. The player's return could propel the team to the postseason and possibly all the way. Walker provides a calming presence in offense and will return to being the Boston Celtics' third scoring outlet.
Key Player - Jaylen Brown
With Jayson Tatum missing for this fixture due to COVID-19 protocols, the onus will fall on the Boston Celtics' secondary offensive star Jaylen Brown.
Brown is doubtful for this matchup but could be available if he tests negative after a week in isolation.
After his breakout season last year, Brown is currently averaging 26.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Asked to step up in the absence of Kemba Walker, Brown is currently attempting 19.1 field goals per game, which is 3.5 more than what he did last season. Despite the increase in the quantity of his shots, the quality has also increased, as his 3-point percentage has surged to an efficiency of 42%.
At the other end, Brown is also a part of the Boston Celtics' mean defensive unit and is averaging 1.7 steals per game.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
G Jaylen Brown, G Jeff Teague, F Marcus Smart, F Grant Williams, C Tristan Thompson.
Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics prediction
A heavily depleted Boston Celtics side makes this a more even matchup than it would otherwise have been the case. While the Boston Celtics have a frustrating defense in place, they may struggle to put together enough points to overcome the likes of Vucevic and Terrence Ross.
Therefore, the Orlando Magic may feel they are meeting the Boston Celtics at just the right time. The Orlando Magic's bench is expected to be much stronger than Boston's, and that should be enough for the Magic to secure their seventh win of the season.
Where to watch the Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics matchup?
In the USA, fans can catch the game on the FoxSports Network. International viewers can be live-stream with an NBA League Pass.