20160131-BOSORL

Marc D'Amico

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ORLANDO – If the Celtics didn’t know it before Sunday night, they sure know it now: it’s tough to sweep a home-and-home set in the NBA.

Sunday’s 119-114 loss in Orlando stands as the latest supporting evidence in this case.  Boston has now failed to sweep all three of its home-and-homes during its 2015-16 season.

Two nights ago at TD Garden, the Celtics dismantled Orlando.  They legitimately forced their visitors into submission during a 113-94 victory.  The Magic quit.

Boston’s dominant victory left the Magic demoralized, mystified and utterly dejected.

“We’re just not playing good basketball,” Tobias Harris said after the loss, Orlando’s eighth in a row and 12th in 13 games.

“We are playing soft right now,” Victor Oladipo added.  “We’re not playing together, and it’s not working.”

Yet as Brad Stevens warned prior to Sunday’s game, nothing is guaranteed in this league.

“It’s a hard league to win in,” he said, making a subtle and eerie forecast of what was to come later on in the night.

Orlando took the floor Sunday night and looked like a completely different team in its home arena, where it has now accumulated a 13-11 record on the season.  It played with fire and passion and controlled the second half en route to a relatively comfortable win.

Some of the Magic’s youngest players shined during the win.  Aaron Gordon tallied career highs of 19 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.  Mario Hezonja also set a new career high by scoring 17 points of his own.

Keep in mind, those two players had combined for 14 points Friday night in Boston.

Suddenly, these two teams had changed places; the Magic exited Amway Center with their heads held high, while the Celtics felt deflated thanks to a disappointing loss.

It just goes to show that nothing can be taken for granted in this league.  Not a series.  Not a game.  Not a possession.

Any team can win on any given night, which makes it all the more difficult to sweep an opponent in consecutive games in two different arenas.

Boston failed to capitalize on a similar opportunity back in November against the Brooklyn Nets.  The Celtics crushed Brooklyn on Nov. 20 at TD Garden, by a count of 120-95.  That victory dropped the Nets to 2-11 on the season.

Two nights later, also on a Sunday evening, Boston’s opponent bounced back.  The Nets never trailed while logging a breezy 111-101 victory that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.  Brooklyn secured a split of its home-and-home with the C’s.

Boston’s third home-and-home of the season was also played against Brooklyn, this time in early January.  The two teams just happened to flip roles during that set.

It was the Nets who snagged a 100-97 win on Jan. 2 in Boston on the front end of that back-to-back.  The C’s then responded two nights later in Brooklyn with a 103-94 victory, keyed by Jae Crowder’s career-high 25 points.

Boston’s four games against the Nets are far in the rearview mirror.  As the Celtics saddle up to head to New York for a tilt with the Knicks, so, too, will be this split with the Magic.

In the end, no one should overreact to Sunday’s defeat in Orlando, just as they shouldn’t have done back in November and January when the Nets rolled through.  Yes, between the Celtics and the Magic, the Celtics are undoubtedly the better team.  But that’s why they play the games.

Sweeping a home-and-home in the world’s greatest basketball league, let alone one against a team that’s loaded with young talent like Orlando, is a daunting task.

It should be no surprise, to the Celtics or to anyone else, that Boston came up empty in its attempt to do so this season.

no-sweeping-results-in-bostons-home-and-homes

No Sweeping Results in Boston's Home-and-Homes

Taylor Snow

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Entering Sunday night’s contest, the Orlando Magic had only averaged 93.1 points per game during the month of January.

Well, it appears that the Magic saved all of their offensive energy for their final half of the month, as they poured in 72 second-half points against the Boston Celtics, en route to a 119-114 win.

The C’s actually held a 14-point lead during the third quarter. That was quickly forgotten, however, as the Magic went on two huge runs that enabled it to end its eight-game losing streak, and halt Boston’s five-game winning streak in the process.

The Celtics were up 70-56, four minutes into the third quarter, when Orlando went on its first run. Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon scored seven points apiece during a 16-2 stretch that tied the game, 72-72.

The teams entered the fourth quarter knotted 81-81, and then Orlando cooked up some Magic again, this time with a 21-5 run that began with six and a half minutes left in the game.

As for that offensive energy that Orlando had been searching for all month? Gordon supplied plenty of it here. He closed out the run with a driving layup and then a put-back slam that gave the Magic a 110-100 advantage with a minute and a half remaining.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens gave credit to Orlando after the game for making a lot of tough shots, but added that Boston’s defense was “porous” during the fourth quarter.

The C's allowed Orlando to outscore them 38-33 during the final frame, and that five-point advantage was the difference in the game.

Marcus Smart’s offense seems to be improving by the day, and Sunday night was no exception.

The guard poured in a career-high-tying 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds and pair of steals to that effort.

Smart also made things very interesting at the end of the game. Orlando held a nine-point lead with 19 seconds to go, but then he single-handedly narrowed the gap to three points, and it took him only four and a half seconds to do so.

He scored seven straight points, and Orlando only hit one of its free throws during that span, but the C’s could not get over the hump in the end.

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Keys to the Game: Magic 119, Celtics 114

photos-celtics-vs-magic-jan-31-2016

Photos: Celtics vs. Magic – Jan. 31, 2016

Pregame - Stevens Says C's, Magic Should Carry Similar Mindset

ORLANDO – The Celtics and Magic will sit on their respective benches at opposite ends of the court tonight in Orlando.

That’s fitting, because tonight’s matchup is a tale of two franchises at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Orlando has suddenly – and shockingly – turned into the worst team in the NBA during January.  Its 1-12 record this month is the worst in the league, and the Magic have now lost eight in a row overall.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have won five in a row and sit just a half-game back of the third seed in the East.

Ironically, Brad Stevens believes that these two teams should head into tonight’s matchup with the exact same mindset.

Moments before Stevens spoke to the media, Orlando head coach Scott Skiles told reporters that his job is to prevent doubt, fear and anxiety from setting into his players.  Stevens, asked for his take on those comments, replied with the following.

“I look at it the other way,” Stevens said, “because you’re preparing – you’re approaching each possession desperately.  You’re approaching each possession with that extra force and focus.”

Celtics.com then followed up with a question about Stevens’ Celtics.  A high standing in the conference, along with a five-game winning streak, is unfamiliar territory for many of the Celtics players.  So how does Stevens keep his players hungry amid such success?

“Well, a week ago we were in a bad rut,” he pointed out.  “It’s the NBA.  It’s a crazy league.  You can feel great about yourself or terrible about yourself within seven days.”

Then Stevens darted right back to where he was moments earlier while discussing how Orlando should play amidst its rough patch.

“It’s more about focusing on what you need to do to be successful,” Stevens said.  “Again, you have to approach each game with that force and that focus that you have to have, and if you don’t you’ll get beat.  The game is very honest in that regard.”

These two teams will sit at opposite ends of the court tonight, and they are surely heading in opposite directions right now when it comes to finding success on the court.  However, these teams aren’t as different as it might seem on the surface.

Both teams are talented enough to knock off any team in the league.  And as Stevens indicated, their mindsets may not be all that different either.

draftkings-post-ups-different-teams-same-mindset

DraftKings Post-Ups: Different Teams, Same Mindset?

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Here are five things to watch out for when the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic meet at 6 p.m. tonight at Amway Center.

The Boston Celtics will look for their first home-and-home sweep of the season Sunday night when they take on the Orlando Magic.

Boston beat the Magic handedly Friday night, 113-94. But as history suggests, its not easy winning two games on the same weekend against the same team. The Celtics split both of their previous home-and-home sets with a mediocre Brooklyn team.

Home-and-homes are somewhat of a double-edged sword. C’s coach Brad Stevens pointed out Friday evening that it takes away from the usual variety of the NBA schedule, but that such a fact can lead to some positive results.

“You really get a chance to not only focus on your opponent, but maybe take a breath and focus on your team because you’re not playing a different team the next night,” said Stevens.

Based on Friday night’s game, the Magic seem like a much different team than the one that pummeled the Celtics by 19 points in November.

That version of the Magic was energetic and aggressive, but Orlando has hit a major rut this month, and its players are growing frustrated.

Orlando guard Victor Oladipo said following Friday night’s loss, “We are playing soft right now. We’re not playing together and its not working.”

The Celtics, meanwhile, are at the other end of the spectrum. They have been extremely aggressive during their current five-game winning streak, and they should not let up against a Magic team that’s in dire straits right now.

One of the reasons why Boston has been so energetic and aggressive lately is because Marcus Smart is currently playing his best basketball of the season, particularly at the offensive end.

Smart had struggled with his shot, especially from 3-point range, for the majority of the season, but he’s been shooting lights out of late.

The guard has shot 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) from beyond the arc during his last four games, after shooting just 17-of-88 (19.3 percent) from 3-point range during his previous 23 contests.

Now that Smart is healthy and playing confidently, Boston’s bench appears to be unstoppable. The Celtics’ second unit scored a whopping 60 points in D.C. Monday night, and topped that performance with a 62-point effort Friday night.

Kelly Olynyk, Evan Turner, Jonas Jerebko and Smart are all scoring threats, and their versatility is giving opposing teams fits right now.

“It takes practice time and it takes games to play together, and I think we’re starting to find each other on the court,” said Jerebko, after compiling 13 points and 10 rebounds Friday night. “We’re starting to get a rhythm and it’s starting to show.”

Orlando is one of the warmest locations in the country during the month of January, but not inside Amway Center, which houses an ice-cold basketball team at that time of year.

The Magic have not have not won more than three or lost fewer than 12 during the month of January since 2012. During that span, they have compiled a dismal 8-51 January mark. That includes a 1-12 record this month, and a current eight-game losing streak.

Fortunately for Orlando, Sunday marks the last day of its most cursed month of the season. But before it flips the calendar, it has one more team to face: A red-hot Boston squad that is riding a season-high five-game winning streak.

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Watch It! – Celtics at Magic

The Boston Celtics got plenty of assistance from their reserves to extend their win streak to a season high and a remarkable string of scoring performances.

A chance to sweep the scuffling Orlando Magic in a home-and-home series Sunday night would only seem to aid their hopes of continuing both runs.

Boston (27-21) had seven players score in double figures in a 113-94 victory against Orlando on Friday, including four from its bench. Kelly Olynyk and Marcus Smart led the way with 16 points apiece as the Celtics' bench totaled 62, its second-highest output this season.

Their reserves also scored 60 in a 116-91 victory in Washington on Monday.

"I think we're coming together well. This last little bit we've played pretty well together, I think, the first and second unit," Olynyk said. "We've had that continuity and just getting used to each other and playing together, and really carving out roles."

In addition to collecting its fifth consecutive win, Boston scored at least 100 points for an 11th straight game. That's the franchise's longest streak since a 12-game run in 1995-96.

"They're playing at a level like we were five to six weeks ago," Orlando coach Scott Skiles said. "They get up, they get into you, they try to make it difficult, and you try to run something (and) they just blow right through it."

The Celtics get another matchup with the Magic (20-25), who have allowed an average of 112.0 points in their last four games. Boston shot 50.0 percent and went 10 for 24 from 3-point range in sending Orlando to its eighth consecutive loss and 12th in 13 games.

"We've got to figure something out. We've got to do it fast or it's just going to keep going south," guard Victor Oladipo said. "We've said it all. We've been saying it all the past couple of weeks, and we've just got to do it. There's nothing more we can say."

Orlando has struggled at the other end of the floor for much of that miserable stretch, scoring 93.1 points per game. The Magic have averaged 101.5 in their four consecutive home wins over Boston while giving up 93.8 per contest.

Oladipo has totaled 41 points and 15 rebounds in the last two visits from the Celtics. He had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 110-91 victory Nov. 29.

Tobias Harris is averaging 19.0 points in his last five home matchups versus Boston. Harris was held to 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting in Friday's loss and has missed 17 of his last 24 attempts. Oladipo had 11 points and has totaled 34 in his last three games after scoring 29 in his return from a sprained knee Jan. 22.

The Celtics' Isaiah Thomas has averaged 21.3 points and 8.3 assists in his last three games in Orlando. He had 14 points Friday, his fewest in 12 contest, and was averaging 24.5 in his previous 11.

Avery Bradley was held to six points on 3-of-9 shooting against the Magic after averaging 19.3 while shooting 52.3 percent in his previous six contests.

Orlando's longest skid last season was 10 games from Jan. 16-Feb. 4. The Celtics won their final six in 2014-15 for their longest win streak.

20160131‑BOSORL

No Sweeping Results in Boston's Home-and-Homes

Keys to the Game: Magic 119, Celtics 114

Photos: Celtics vs. Magic – Jan. 31, 2016

DraftKings Post-Ups: Different Teams, Same Mindset?

Watch It! – Celtics at Magic

1/31 Game Preview: Celtics at Magic