If not for Terrence Ross, this game would've been a lot uglier. The Magic also didn't have Nikola Vucevic, who would normally make a big difference. But the way the Celtics looked in Friday's 100-75 win, his presence might've had a limited impact on the outcome.
Romeo Langford finally made his debut, scoring almost as soon as he entered the game. He took all three of his shots inside the paint. Langford looked OK on defense. Aaron Gordon backed him down low pretty easily on one possession. That's something Langford will run into throughout the year.
Romeo's first bucket pic.twitter.com/TmunLsFJfU
— Max Carlin (@maxacarlin) October 12, 2019Boston's defensive pressure was far better than it was against Charlotte. The Magic couldn't knock down wide-open looks, but there were plenty of instances where the Celtics got a hand in an opponent's face. Gordon Hayward did very well against Gordon, who never found a rhythm and finished 1-for-14 from the floor. And Daniel Theis' help defense made a significant impact on the Magic's shooting.
Here are some other takeaways from the win:
—The Celtics moved the ball around efficiently, especially the starters. Marcus Smart made the quick pass to the open man better than anyone.
—Speaking of Marcus Smart, he went 4-for-6 from three. He was lights out early, when all the other Celtics couldn't find their stroke from three.
.@smart_MS3 knew it was going in -- #NBAPreseason pic.twitter.com/XOeFmENWFs
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 12, 2019—Jayson Tatum was the only Celtic who tried to go iso with any frequency. But he made good on several of those attempts. Tatum's most impressive play was, without question, the stepback three he drilled in the corner in the first half.
Jayson Tatum hits the Harden-esque sidestep corner 3! pic.twitter.com/3qUrnMeOHi
— The Render (@TheRenderNBA) October 11, 2019—Like he was before he hurt his elbow against Charlotte, Hayward attacked the rim aggressively on Friday. Only, this time, he was able to do it throughout his whole performance. Like Smart, Hayward was very quick with his decision-making.
—As good as Tatum and Hayward looked on the drive, Jaylen Brown excelled better than anyone when going to the rim against the Magic. He made some great passes and had a few left-handed finishes, too.
What the WHAT Jaylen Brown??? pic.twitter.com/oJDEdTbLcB
— John Karalis ---- (@RedsArmy_John) October 11, 2019—Carsen Edwards could not find his shot. He went 1-for-7 from three. He went 3-for-5 from two and looked for most of those opportunities inside the arc when he struggled to get his three-point shot going. He's willing to adjust, but Edwards isn't going to stop shooting on an off night.
—Enes Kanter finished with eight boards, four on the offensive end. But he looked lost in the post. He made a few good passes when he identified he didn't have a look. That was pretty much it for him on a night he finished 1-for-7 from the field.
—Semi Ojeleye was, once again, a non-factor. Robert Williams didn't offer much, or play much, either.
