The Celtics finally know their first-round opponent as they will face the Magic starting this weekend. The Magic blew out the Hawks in the play-in tournament as they meet the defending champions.
The NBA announced the full first-round schedule of Celtics vs. Magic, which will open at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at TD Garden. Here’s a look at the full schedule (Games 5-7 if necessary):
Game 1: 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 20 at TD Garden in Boston on ABC
Game 2: 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 23 at TD Garden in Boston on TNT
Game 3: 7 p.m. Friday, April 25 at Kia Center in Orlando on ESPN
Game 4: 7 p.m. Sunday, April 27 at Kia Center in Orlando on TNT
Game 5*: TBD time on Tuesday, April 29 at TD Garden in Boston on TBD
Game 6*: TBD time on Thursday, May 1 at Kia Center in Orlando on TBD
Game 7*: TBD time on Saturday, May 3 at TD Garden in Boston on TBD
The Celtics knew they would open the playoffs Sunday at the Garden, but they now know the tip time and the rest of the series schedule. The Celtics will be favorites against the Magic as they eye back-to-back NBA titles. The C’s are the No. 2 seed in the East playoffs after a 61-31 season while the No. 7-seeded Magic finished 41-41.
Should the Celtics advance, they’ll face the winner of the Knicks vs. Pistons series. The Knicks are favored to beat the Pistons, though they went 0-4 against the C’s during the season. The Pistons have been one of the pleasant surprises this season as they look to win their first playoff series since 2008.
