Why Paolo Banchero loves Jayson Tatum, Celtics matchups

The Orlando Magic (23-19) wrap up 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 two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams, with the Magic currently holding the fifth seed and the Celtics in second. Ahead of the contest, Orlando All-Star forward Paolo Banchero shared his thoughts on the challenge Boston presents.

In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, 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. Pretty much every three years they’ve been the (East’s) No. 1 seed. So you’re always ready to play the Celtics. A loaded team. Obviously, that they got Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum) to lead the offense. But then you also have a bunch of good players, whether it’s Jrue (Holiday), Derrick White, (Kristaps) Porzingis, Payton Pritchard, a Northwest guy off the bench.”

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

The Magic enter this meeting with confidence after defeating the Celtics 108-104 in their first game of the season series. Orlando got that win despite being shorthanded as both Banchero and Franz Wagner were out with injuries. Wagner, who suffered a torn right side earlier this 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 own torn right oblique that sidelined him for 34 games, Banchero has been in terrific form. Over the last three games, he is averaging 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and one block per game. His ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor has been crucial 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’ve also had some close matches there, where it’s been quite a fun environment. So I’m just looking forward to going back to Boston, playing there and fighting and hopefully winning.”

Magic-Celtics matchup offers potential playoff preview

This game could offer a preview of a potential playoff matchup between the two teams. The Magic came close to meeting the Celtics in last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, but were eliminated in a seven-game sweep against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. Meanwhile, the Celtics went on to win the Eastern Conference and capture the NBA Championship.

In his career, Paolo Banchero has performed well against Boston, boasting a 4-3 record in seven games. He has averaged 24.3 points, six rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 43.4% from the field and 46.7% from three-point range in those games. His consistency underscores his ability to contend against one of the league’s leading teams.

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