The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers might’ve finished with better records, but no one’s brushing off the Boston Celtics. Not when they went 61-21. Not when they’re the defending champs. Not when they still look like that team.
It’s Boston against the Orlando Magic in the first round, and Boston’s advantages are obvious. They have the depth, the playoff reps, scoring versatility, and top-tier talent on the wings. Game 1 backed it up with a comfortable 103-86 win. But former Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard isn’t backing down from picking the upset.
The Magic are still learning on the fly, but if young superstar Paolo Banchero is healthy and looks like the guy who put up 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 45.2% shooting in the regular season, Howard is betting that Boston won’t have an answer.
“I’ve got Orlando beating the Celtics. And then I’m going to tell you this: When Orlando beat the Celtics who’s going to stop Paolo Banchero? Who’s going to stop a healthy Paolo Banchero in a seven-game series?”
