INSTANT REACTION: C’s foul issues cost them chance to finish epic comeback in NBA Cup play

INSTANT REACTION: C’s foul issues cost them chance to finish epic comeback in NBA Cup play

All right, what’s going on? It’s Celtics postgame live. Tom Giles, Chris Forsburg, Eddie House. Celtics falling to the Orlando Magic and uh their second game of the NBA Cup. 123 to 110. Your final score. A game in which the Celtics trail by 16 early in the second quarter. Chipped away, chipped away. Jaylen Brown had a huge third quarter. They’re able to take a one-point lead midway through the fourth and then Orlando goes on a nine nothing run and uh had the advantage for the final six minutes. Eddie, what did you see that kind of turned things there towards the end that give Orlando the uh the victory? Well, I think we fouled too much the fourth quarter. We put them in the bonus so early. Uh, I mean, they were it was I think it was three foul. We already had three fouls with nine minutes and 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter. So, one more foul, one more foul. Everybody’s going to the free throw line after that. Um, you got to give credit to Orlando. They shot the ball well. They shot uh they made 17 threes. Um, but I think we just put them on the line too much. Uh the free throw discrepancy was 24-11 and fouls was 27 to 18. So we got to be able to defend without fouling. And I think that’s where this game came down to. We just didn’t defend without fouling at the times we needed to. We could say coming in right like Orlando has shot the ball so poorly to start the season. They were going to find a night where it got going. Unfortunately, you run into a little bit of a buzzaw when they’re shooting the three. little bit of bizarro world because that’s like the complete opposite of what we saw in the postseason when the Celtics were just devouring them and their and their offense was sputtering. Jaylen was great. Got you to a position where you had a chance in this game. The downside, look, I’ve been as much as anybody pumping the tires of Josh Min and Nimicada, but two rather unforgivable plays there. May not turning it over in the back court with a one-point lead and they end up going ahead. Then Nimi smokes a layup and has the the take foul going in transition. It’s a reminder that these guys are young, that there’s going to be some growing pains along the way. They’re a big reason why the Celtics were in this game, and they were great for stretches, but ultimately those little sequences there really felt like it sapped the momentum for the Celtics, put them in a tough spot. And those two plays a part of the nine nothing run that Orlando went on as they get the win here. Celtics two games left in the NBA Cup group play against the Nets in a couple weeks and the Pistons to wrap it up on November 26th. Heading back out to Orlando now where we got Drew and Scowl. fellas, it was also not just that 9-0 run, but Orlando over the last 6 minutes outscored the Celtics 28-4. What was the difference? Well, Jos, I think Eddie hit on it there. The the fouling early in the fourth quarter. The Magic were in the bonus with 749 to go. This is a physical team. They are not going to settle for a bunch of threes. Even though they shot it well tonight, they’re going to make you foul them. And the Celtics did that at the start of the fourth quarter, which it’s been an issue for the Celtics at the start of this season. Even though it’s a different style, more physical trying to cause turnovers today in the fourth quarter, it really bit them. Yeah, no doubt about that. And then when you are up against the penalty, now you have to downshift your defense just a bit. The Magic are better. Desmond Bane adds a whole different dimension. They gave up a lot to get him, including maybe a number two pick in the draft coming up in 2026, which is a very good class. So, they went all in on Desmond Bane and now he delivered. Last three games, he’s only had single digits. Today, he had his breakout performance. and when you watch him play with this group, he fits in great with them. So, I think the Magic are a really good team and we’re going to find out how we respond on Sunday. And that’s really what the most exciting part about this is we didn’t play well. We had our moments, but on Sunday, you’re going to get a chance to go look at the film, adjust, and see if this was a playoff series, how would we handle it if we didn’t have homec court advantage? Yeah. Well, that’s the beautiful thing about having these two games backtoback on the road. So, this is the only time the Celtics will do this all year, having two games in a row at the opponent’s building. And for the Celtics, I mean, what do you think has to change going into that game? I think just more Jaylen Brown opportunities. If when I watch the Magic, their spacing is not excellent. So, you beat them by having great spacing and you beat them by crowding up the floor there. So, there’s things you could do defensively and then offensively, you just got to make sure that Jaylen Brown has space to work. guys are in their spot. Nimi is diving to the basket. And if you do that and you replicate that over a course of 100 possessions, you’re gonna have your best chance to win. And you don’t expect the Magic to shoot 17 for 36 from downtown again, almost 50%. Yeah, I think that will guard them a little bit more than that. But watching this team, they don’t look like a bad shooting team to me. It I know on paper they didn’t make shots last year, but they could have spent all summer working on that, adding a guy like Baines. France Vagner is 10 points uh better from percentage than he was last year. So those things could add up 17. No, but if even if they hit 14 or 15, we probably still would have lost today. Well, I know we teased it in the pregame dials. The nickname for Kada and Minot is customer service because you dial 888 when you need something. And when you need when you need a big play, uh the Celtics have turned to those two guys. Why haven’t Why don’t you use that in the game? Well, I didn’t feel like it was the right game for it. They played they played all right. That’s a hat tip to Bill Sai on Twitter. So, it’s a fantastic nickname. Can’t wait to bust it out Sunday when they when those guys play awesome. All right.

Chris Forsberg and Eddie House join Tom Giles to offer instant reaction and analysis following the Boston Celtics’ 123-110 loss to the Orlando Magic in NBA Cup play. The Celtics trailed by 16 points after the first quarter, but came all the way back to take the lead in the fourth quarter before a 28-14 Orlando run to close the game sealed the win for the home team. Later, Brian Scalabrine and Drew Carter join from Orlando to share their thoughts on the loss.

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