Orlando’s Toronto rematch turned on a much cleaner possession profile, and that is the hinge I’d bring into the Boston game. The Magic went from a heavy turnover night to a win with far fewer giveaways and much better outside shooting. Boston’s latest win, though, came with relatively modest three-point production and a lot of points at the foul line. Orlando can improve its own shot diet and still have work to do defending the other end.
Our match records show Orlando with 20 turnovers and 10 made threes in its first Toronto game, then 13 turnovers and 18 made threes in the rematch. Boston scored 125 against Chicago while making 10 threes and 31 free throws. Those are different routes to offense, so the matchup question is whether Orlando can protect the ball without giving Boston repeated trips to the line. A scoreline alone will not answer how those possessions were won.
