Although it’s been six months since the Celtics eliminated the Magic from the first round of the NBA playoffs, the way Orlando saw its season end is still on its mind when Boston travels to Kia Center this weekend.

“It wasn’t too long ago,” second-year forward Tristan da Silva said after Friday morning shootaround at the AdventHealth Training Center. “It definitely plays a role.

“There’s a little bit of history with the Celtics so it’s extra fuel to the fire,” he later added.

After hosting Boston on Friday night as a part of the NBA Cup group stage, the Magic face their familiar Eastern Conference foe again on Sunday at home.

Orlando views its an opportunity to focus on one opponent and make the necessary changes from game to game if needed. After a 3-5 start to a highly anticipated season, the Magic could also use the three-game homestand (they host the Trail Blazers on Monday) as a chance to get on track after already dropping two home games this season.

“I look at it like as a playoffs series,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said about the two matchups against Boston. “We’re playing this team two times in three days. It’s an opportunity for us to come out, do what we do [Friday night] and then whatever happens, be able to make the adjustments as needed to have a better game or the same game, depending on how [Friday] goes, on Sunday.

“Our job is just to go out there and do what we do,” he added. “We’re pretty familiar with this team even though they’re missing a couple of their guys and through trade. It’s going to be a great test for us.”

Friday’s contest is also Orlando’s first for the NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament. The Magic, who reached the quarterfinals of last year’s knockout rounds, are in East Group B with Boston, Detroit, Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

While the Magic are focused on finding a way to string wins together regardless of the circumstances, it doesn’t hurt to have some extra stakes on the line.

“Us just continuing to do that regardless if it’s a Cup game or any game is going to be important,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Having a Cup game with the things that come with it, it’s good for this group.”

Carter added: “Five hundred thousand on the line, everybody wants a piece of that. Ain’t nothing wrong with a little extra money.”

That amount the Magic center is referring to is the prize pool teams earn as they advance through the knockout stages.

Each player on the wining team earns roughly $53,000 if they reach the quarterfinals, more than $100,000 for the semifinals, $212,000 if they finish as runners-up and more $530,933 if they win the Cup.

“It just keeps us engaged throughout the year,” Carter said about the tournament. “An 82-game season can get long, can get dreary, but with them incorporating the NBA Cup, I think it’s a beautiful thing to keep guys locked in throughout the whole season.”

But the Magic know they have plenty to work on before they begin to think about what could come down the line.

It’s why facing the Celtics twice this weekend offers a chance for the Magic to work on their communication, limit turnovers and be more precise on both ends off the court.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s an easy fix, it’s more of a simple fix,” Carter said. “It’s something that is simple, you’ve got to do it … It’s as simple as making better passes, dribbling the ball better, things like that, but I don’t think it’s easy. It’s something you’ve got to be conscious of and think about it.

“Not overthink, but have it in the back of your mind that that’s something we have to be better at if we want to be able to win, especially against the better teams in this league.”

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

Up next …

Magic vs. Celtics

When: 6, Sunday, Kia Center

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida