On Tuesday, April 29, the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic, 120-89. In doing so, Joe Mazzulla’s team ended their first-round series and booked their spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Boston’s 4-1 series win looks like a cakewalk on paper, when in actuality, every game was a physical battle between two very hungry rosters.
Orlando came into the series with one of the best defenses in the NBA. The Magic also do a great job of limiting the number of 3-point shots their opponents take. As such, Boston was forced to adjust its game plan, as Mazzulla explored different strategies to generate high-level offense. The result was a more interior-based system, with an increase in post-ups and spot-up shooting, courtesy of drive-and-kick playmaking.
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When speaking to the media as part of his postgame news conference, Jaylen Brown praised Orlando’s physicality, defensive execution and overall hunger. The All-Star forward admitted that the Magic’s style of play helped the Celtics learn some tough lessons and that they will be a better team moving forward because of the matchup.
You can watch the full news conference by clicking on the embedded video above.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jaylen Brown admits Celtics learned important lessons vs. Magic