Celtics vs Magic NBA Pick: Who Takes Game 1? (Apr 20)

• The Celtics finished the regular season with a 61-21 record, the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
• Orlando finished 41-41 and locked up the No. 7 seed following a play-in victory over Atlanta.
• These teams last played on Apr. 9, with the Magic cruising to a 96-76 victory.

One of the games on Sunday’s NBA slate features the Boston Celtics hosting the Orlando Magic. Which team takes Game 1 in our Celtics vs Magic pick?

Celtics Looking To Take First Step Toward Defend Their Crown

Following a 20-point blowout loss against the Orlando Magic on Apr. 9, the Celtics concluded the season on a two-game winning streak, including a 93-86 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Apr. 13.

Payton Pritchard paced the offense with 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists on 56 percent shooting from the floor.

Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet added 15 and 11 points, respectively. Boston led by as many as 21 points in a matchup featuring all reserves for both teams.

Charlotte cut the deficit to one point after three quarters of action before the Cs pulled away with a 24-18 scoring edge in the final frame.

Magic Hope To Stay Hot Against Boston

Meanwhile, Orlando enters this first-round matchup on the heels of a blowout 120-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the Play-In tournament.

Wendell Carter Jr. led the starting unit with 19 points and seven rebounds.

Paolo Banchero had a solid game, finishing with 17 points, nine boards, and seven dimes. Cole Anthony led the reserves with 26 points.

Orlando watched a 22-point lead shrink to six points entering the fourth quarter. But thanks to a 41-22 advantage in the game’s final 12 minutes, the Magic won this won handily.

Celtics vs Magic Pick: Who Takes The Opener Of This First-Round Matchup?

Thanks to back-to-back wins against the Hornets, Boston has won eight of its last 10 games. Additionally, the defending champs finished second in offensive efficiency and are a top-five team from a defensive perspective.

On the other side of the matchup, the Magic have posted seven victories in their previous 10 outings. Although Orlando finished near the bottom of the league in scoring (28th), this bunch concluded the season with the best scoring defense, giving up 105.5 points per outing.

True, the Magic took two of three from Boston this season. However, the previous victory is somewhat skewed because the Celtics rested their top six players.

Both teams get it done from a defensive standpoint, but Boston just has too much firepower. With that in mind, look for the guys in green to take the opener.