While Orlando needs to finish strong in Boston against a quality opponent as it looks to close out the 2025-26 regular season with six consecutive wins, its dream outcome following Sunday\u2019s action requires intently following what will be happening simultaneously in Toronto.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With a victory at home over a Brooklyn Nets team that has already clinched the NBA\u2019s worst record, the Raptors will lock up the No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in tournament. If an upset loss arrives, the Magic will be able to rescue a disappointing season by taking down the Celtics.<\/p>\n
Fortunately for Boston, Joe Mazzulla has no plans to prove any point to the Magic in case they\u2019re eventually the Celtics\u2019 first-round foe for a second straight year, prioritizing resting his key players over one last run in a game that means nothing for Boston\u2019s playoff seeding.<\/p>\n
Even if Toronto handles Brooklyn, Orlando needs to pull off a win to avoid the possibility of falling to No. 8, in which case it would open the play-in tournament in Philadelphia instead of hosting the 76ers in the 7-8 matchup.<\/p>\n
The Magic have already failed to claim their third straight Southeast Division title even if they finish with the same record as the Atlanta Hawks since they lose the head-to-head tie-breaker by virtue of getting swept.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Boston has locked up the No. 2 seed and another Atlantic Division title despite a loss to the New York Knicks earlier this week. They will await the winner of the 7-8 play-in likely to be contested by the Magic and Sixers to open the first round late this week.<\/p>\n
Franz Wagner and Anthony Black remain off the injury report, while center Wendell Carter Jr. (nasal fracture) is listed as probable. Orlando was fined $25,000 for allowing Black to return on April 6 after originally listing him as \u201cout.\u201d Black scored 14 points in 15 minutes in Detroit and added seven points and five rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench the night vs. Minnesota.<\/p>\n
The Magic are 19-19 on the road and 26-25 against Eastern Conference foes. The Celtics are 29-11 at home and 35-16 against East opponents. A victory would make Boston the fifth team to win 30 home games, joining OKC, San Antonio, Detroit and New York.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vitals – How to Watch Magic at Celtics<\/p>\n
Game date, time and location: Sunday, April 12, 6:10 p.m. EST, TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts<\/p>\n
TV: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Magic), NBC Sports Boston (Celtics)<\/p>\n
Radio: FM 96.9 The Game\/AM 740 WYGM (Magic), WBZ-FM (Celtics)<\/p>\n
Magic look for sixth straight victory to keep Top-6 hope alive<\/p>\n
The Orlando Magic (45-36) visit the Boston Celtics (55-26) looking to continue their late surge to continue building confidence with the majority of the team\u2019s rotation intact.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Given the possibility that these teams will meet in the playoffs at some point, it\u2019s also important for Orlando to continue showing some backbone after winning the head-to-head series in \u201824-\u201925 for the second time in three seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The best the Magic can do this time around is split, having dropped the last two meetings. All three of the encounters between Orlando and Boston came in November, with the first two games being contested at Kia Center and the most recent (Nov. 23) producing a 138-129 Celtics win at TD Garden.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That final was misleading since the Celtics led 80-57 at halftime against a group missing starters Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter. Jett Howard scored 30 points off the bench to help the result cosmetically.\u00a0 Orlando hasn\u2019t won in Boston since Dec. 18, 2022, which includes three defeats in 2025\u2019s 4-1 first-round loss. The Magic will be looking to keep the skid from reaching eight games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since winning 10 straight from 2020-Oct. \u201822, Boston is just 5-7 in regular-season matchups vs. Orlando. Including last season\u2019s playoff conquest, the Celtics are on a 19-8 run against the Magic. They lead the head-to-head regular-season series 78-58 dating back to 1989-90, having won 11 of the first dozen meetings.<\/p>\n