Boston Celtics hunting consistency as Orlando Magic search for 3-point touch
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Kristaps Porzingis of the Boston Celtics and Jamal Shead of the Toronto Raptors leap for a jump ball during the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena.
PHOTO: AFP
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BOSTON – The Boston Celtics have not looked like a contender for the National Basketball Association (NBA) championship lately, and they will try to regain their early-season form when they face the visiting Orlando Magic on Jan 17 (Jan 18, Singapore time).
The Celtics are coming off a 110-97 loss at Toronto, which dropped their record to 7-7 in their past 14 games.
The NBA champions were outscored 85-68 over the final three quarters and were held to fewer than 100 points for the third time this season – all coming in their past three losses.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he delivered a simple message to his team following the defeat.
“Just stick together,” he said.
“We’re not playing our best basketball. You can’t always expect things to be easy. You can’t have an expectation it’s always supposed to go your way. We just have to find a way to enjoy the challenge. We just got to do it together.”
Kristaps Porzingis was one bright spot for Boston, tossing in 18 points on seven-of-11 shooting. He made four of his five three-point attempts, grabbed eight rebounds and had two blocked shots. He has made at least three three-pointers in each of his last three games.
“I feel like the last few games, my shot has been feeling better,” Porzingis said. “Slowly I’m starting to play better basketball from my own point of view, and I think it’s showing.”
Boston have lost by double digits in three of their past five games. In contrast, the Celtics did not have a double-digit loss in their first 35 games.
“Nobody points fingers and stuff, I know we’ll get past this,” added Porzingis. “I know it, we know it. But we have to start playing better. We just can’t keep cruising and expect to turn it up toward the end.”
The Magic are not playing their best basketball, either. Orlando have lost three of their past four games, their most recent being a 122-93 loss at Milwaukee.
“That wasn’t our standard,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.
“That wasn’t Orlando Magic basketball. Not even close. I will have to talk about it, figure out what it was. But the great part about this group is that they always find a way to bounce back.”
Shooting from behind the arc has been an issue all season for Orlando, who started Jan 17 as the NBA’s worst three-point shooting team (30.7 per cent).
The Magic were 12-of-46 (26.1 per cent) on three-point attempts against the Bucks, marking the 21st time Orlando have shot below 30 per cent from three-point range this season.
They have allowed the fewest points per game (103.7) among Eastern Conference teams but rank last in the NBA in scoring offence (104.5 points per game).
Boston are second in the East in both points per game (117.5) and points allowed per game (108.7).
The Jan 17 matchup will be the second meeting between the Magic and Celtics this season.
Orlando earned a 108-104 home win when the teams met on Dec 23. The Magic rallied from a 15-point half-time deficit. REUTERS
