No, seriously—this ain’t your average “Game 1 preview” energy. The Celtics are stomping into the 2025 NBA Playoffs like a Marvel villain who’s tired of post-credit scenes and just wants to grab that trophy already. And guess who’s standing in their way?

Orlando Magic.

The same team that handed Boston a couple L’s in the regular season like it was handing out free Disney FastPasses. But let’s be real here—dropping the season series 2-1 didn’t rattle the Celtics. If anything, it probably just annoyed them. Like, “Oh, we gotta deal with this in Round 1? Cool. Watch this.”

Because while Orlando may have size, defense, and a walking mismatch named Paolo Banchero, Boston has something else: motivation, depth, a vengeance arc, and an absolutely unholy amount of three-point firepower. Plus, let’s not forget they’re the reigning champs. There’s a trophy to defend, a banner to chase, and no time for slow starts!

Celtics vs. Magic TV Schedule: How & Where To Watch The Games

Wanna know when and where to watch the Celtics start cooking? Bookmark this. Screenshot it. Tattoo it on your forearm if you must! Here’s the full Round 1 TV schedule (Eastern Time):

*Games 5–7 if necessary. But if Boston handles business like we expect? You might wanna clear just the four dates. But let’s talk about that delicious 3-point barrage the Celtics have been throwing at teams all year like dodgeballs at recess.

A league-record 1,457 made threes. That’s not basketball. That’s math class on steroids! And while the Magic might be allergic to shooting (dead last in 3-pointers made and accuracy), they’ve got one sneaky skill: stopping you from hitting them. I mean, works just as well, yeah?

In the two games Orlando won, Boston went a combined 15-of-73 from deep. That’s ice-cold! Like, “maybe the ball’s haunted” levels of cold. But this time, it’s the playoffs, and Boston’s not here to play nice.

With Jaylen Brown nursing that knee and still getting injections, the pressure might land squarely on Jayson Tatum’s shoulders—who, by the way, is casually on his way to a top-3 MVP finish and another All-NBA nod. Don’t sleep on the defense either. The Celtics are top-three in every scary stat that matters: opponent paint percentage, opponent eFG outside the paint, and opponent free throw rate. Basically, if you’re trying to score on them, you’d better bring a ladder, a flashlight, and a miracle. So yeah, we’re not worried.

And – Celtics in four. Yeah, we said it. Maybe it gets weird in Orlando and Boston has to wake up in Game 3—but let’s be real, this Celtics team is too locked in, too pissed off from last year, and too good across the board to let this thing go six or seven games.

Orlando’s fun. They’re scrappy. But Boston’s got bigger things in mind. Like a trip to Banner 19. And if that means dropping threes until the net catches fire and smothering Banchero like a weighted blanket, so be it. Catch y’all Sunday. Tipoff at 3:30 PM on ABC. Let the playoff chaos begin!