Few people would say that the Orlando Magic are playoff contenders.
Most analysts agree that it’ll still be a few years before they are legitimately great and able to take down the best teams in the league.
However, they have somehow found a way to beat the current top squad in the NBA three times in a row.
Three wins in a row vs the Celtics.
No team has beaten Boston more this season. pic.twitter.com/lGOuj5orYF
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 24, 2023
On Monday night, the Magic defeated the Boston Celtics with a 113-98 victory at home.
This follows two back-to-back wins over the Cs back in December, meaning that the Magic have done what no team has: they have created a consistent advantage over Boston.
It’s not like the Celtics were playing horribly on Monday: both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 26 points each, although the rest of the squad fell short.
As for the Magic, Paolo Banchero continued his amazing rookie season with 23 points, while Wendell Carter Jr came out in a big way (21 points and 11 rebounds) and Cole Anthony (18 points), and Franz Wagner (15) gave huge assists too.
It was an important night for Jonathan Isaac too.
The forward missed out on two seasons of play due to injury but he made his return on Monday and scored 10 points and 3 rebounds.
Even though they are the 13th team in the East, the Magic are going to pull off surprise victories here and there throughout the season.
But it’s a bit of a shock to see them outsmart the Celtics three times in a row.
Is this cause for concern for Boston?
Obviously, they don’t want to lose to any team but they should pay close attention to their defeats at the hands of the Magic.
They need to be sure they are doing all they can so that no team is able to figure them out three times in a row.
NEXT: Jonathan Isaac Had A Must-See Return Monday Night