Why Paolo Banchero adores Jayson Tatum, Celtics matchups

The Orlando Magic (23-19) will finish their two-game road trip with a high-stakes matchup against the Boston Celtics (28-12) on Friday night at TD Garden. The nationally televised game on ESPN brings together the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, with the Magic currently the fifth seed and the Celtics in second place. Ahead of the contest, Orlando’s All-Star forward Paolo Banchero shared his thoughts on the challenge Boston presents.

In an interview with Andscape’s Mark J. Spears, Banchero praised the Celtics for their consistency and depth.

“You always get up to play the Celtics,” Banchero said. “They’ve been the best team in the East since I’ve been in the NBA.” Almost all three years they were (Eastern) 1-seed. So you’re always ready to play the Celtics. Full team. Obviously they were leading Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum). But then you also have a bunch of great players, whether it’s Jrue (Holiday), Derrick White, (Kristaps) Porzingis, Peyton Pritchard, the guy from the northwest off the bench.

Paolo Banchero highlights the TD Garden atmosphere ahead of the Celtics game.

The Magic entered this match with confidence after defeating the Celtics 108-104. in his first game of the season. Orlando deserved that win despite being shorthanded as both Banchero and Franz Wagner were ruled out with injuries. Wagner, who suffered a torn right tibia earlier in the season, has yet to return, making the win a testament to the Magic’s depth and resilience against one of the league’s most dominant teams.

Since returning from his torn right oblique that sidelined him for 34 games, Banchero has been in terrific form. In the last three games, he averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and one block per game, while shooting 49% from the field and 47.1% from three-point range. His ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor was key for Orlando.

Banchero also talked about the electric atmosphere at TD Garden, one of his favorite arenas to play in.

“And so, it’s a big challenge. And also playing at TD Garden is one of my favorite places to play,” Banchero said. “The fans there are always engaged and really loud.” And we had some close games there, where it was a pretty fun environment. So I can’t wait to get back to Boston and play there and fight and hopefully win.”

The Magic-Celtics matchup offers a potential playoff preview

This game could offer a preview of a potential playoff matchup between the two teams. The Magic came close to facing the Celtics in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals, but they did eliminated in a seven-game sweep against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. Meanwhile, the Celtics won the Eastern Conference and won the NBA Championship.

In his career, Paolo Banchero has pitched well against Boston, posting a 4-3 record in seven games. In those games, he averaged 24.3 points, six rebounds and 3.4 assists, while shooting 43.4% from the field and 46.7% from three-point range. His consistency highlights his ability to rise to the occasion against one of the league’s best teams.

Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM ET at TD Garden. The Magic will look to secure another win against Boston as they continue to establish themselves as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.