5 things to watch for in Celtics-Magic Game 3

With their star Jayson Tatum on the sidelines, the Boston Celtics still found a way to grind out a 109-100 victory against the Orlando Magic securing a 2-0 series lead. Jaylen Brown was the star of the show putting up 36 points to guide the Celtics to the win.

Now two games into the series, it seems more clear to how the remainder of the series should play out. There are certain residual factors that persisted from Game 1 to Game 2 that will likely carry over as the series heads south to Orlando.

Without further ado: Here are five things to watch out for in Game 3 of Celtics vs. Magic.

As it was in "5 things to watch for in Celtics-Magic Game 2," the No. 1 thing(s) that should must be watched in Game 3 is Tatum and Brown.

Tatum - who did not play in Game 2 - will be someone to look out for ahead and during Game 3. He was out due to a right wrist bone bruise that was seen wearing a brace for on Wednesday. It came as a surprise to many that he was sidelined because the star is notorious for playing almost always. So, the question going into Game 3 will be whether or not he is well enough to play on Friday.

Also in Game 2, Tatum had a relatively quiet night only putting up 17 points. So, if Tatum plays, it will be interesting to see at what level he can perform. Conversely, if he is on the bench again, it could create more concern around the severity of the injury to his wrist.

Shifting gears to Brown, who like Tatum underwhelmed in Game 1 with 16 points. But, he bounced back in a way on Wednesday with a game leading 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Brown certainly stepped up with Tatum's absence in Game 2.

UPDATE: Jaylen Brown has been added to the Celtics Injury Report and is listed as questionable for Game 3 with a right knee posterior impingement.

What makes the performance even more impressive was that Brown had missed the last few games of the season due to a nagging knee injury. Even while likely being at less than 100 percent, JB was still able to takeover a game, and he did so at a time when his team needed him.

It will be interesting to see what Brown's role is in Game 3. He will certainly be expected to perform if Tatum is out, and may still be relied on even if Tatum takes the court.

Through the first two games the calling card of the series has been the physicality. Orlando has lived up to their scouting report as a scrappy team, and the series has become a dog fight. For the most part the Celtics have been able to play through the physicality, but that's not necessarily their game.

In Games 3-4, the expectation must be that the physicality will persist, so it will be a good test. However, Tatum is now hurt, Brown already has an ailment, and Kristaps Porziņģis needed stitches in his forehead. So, the question is: If the Celtics win the series, will they have taken too many lumps from the Magic to be at their best down the line?

Watch out how the Celtics combat the physicality in Game 3 and onward. Mind you, the Celtics have players that can play hardball, but it's not in their best interest to lose players in the process.

Paolo Banchero has been the best player in the series so far. He's register 68 points through two games, yet the Magic have still fallen short. It appears the Celtics have adopted the philosophy of letting Banchero 'get his' and shut down the rest of the roster - sans Franz Wagner.

So far, it has worked for the C's, but it seems like a risky strategy. Banchero has showed to this point that he can take over games. With Wednesday's final scoring being much closer than Sunday, one can assume that the rest of the roster might begin picking up the pace in Game 3.

Also, as mentioned above Wagner has had two solid games. He has 48 points on the series, which is much fewer than Wagner, but still impressive - in fact he has the third most points out of anyone in the series behind Banchero (68) and Brown (52). If the Celtics continue to allow Banchero to go off for 30 per night, they should at least work to better limit Wagner's production.

The series is leaving Boston and heading south to Orlando. Now the home court allegiance favors the Magic. These two teams played each other in the Kia Center twice during the season, the Magic won both games. Of course there are certainly more hostile environments in the NBA than Orlando, but if the tides are going to be shifted at all, going south may help.

In fact, it's possible this playoff series could mirror the Magic's series in the first round of the 2023-24 NBA Playoffs. In that series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Magic found themselves down 2-0 after the opening games on the road. They then went on to stretch that series to seven games. They lost in the end, but by winning all their home games, they made it a series.

Also remember that the Cavs' extra games against the Magic, and the physical toll, carried over to their struggles against the Celtics in the following series. As the C's were waiting at home, Cleveland was in a similar 'dog fight' seven-game series - like the one the Celtics are in now - with this Magic team. The Cavs only lasted five games against the C's and star Donovan Mitchell was out for Game 5 due to an injury.

Now compared to the 2023-24 Cavs, the Celtics are much more 'battle-tested' and have not been the team that chokes up two game leads during their countless years of playoff experience. However, the Magic are scrappy and recent history show that they get an added boost when returning home. It will be interesting to see if home court matters in Game 3, but considering the way that the Cavs series went in 2024 this series can't yet be written off as an easy sweep like Celtics fans may expect.

In Game 2, the Celtics had a short bench - only playing eight guys. Considering the physicality of the series, a small rotation could wear on the guys the C's rely on. The guys that did not play in Game 2 are not stellar players and won't influence the series, but they can at least provide some reprieve for the starters.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard gave the Celtics 32 minutes and contributed with 14 points. However, besides Pritchard, who often plays starter minutes, the other reserves off the bench that did play (Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser) only combined for a little more than 25 minutes.

The Celtics should look to widen their bench in Game 3, especially if Tatum is out. If the series continues to be as physical as the first two games, they should to want to spare their starters - at least a little bit. Watch to see how Joe Mazzulla and crew delegates playing time in Game 3.

So, when tuning into Game 3 between the Celtics and Magic, be sure to consider some of these factors. With Tatum still up in the air, the Celtics starters baring the brunt of the series' physicality, Banchero continuing to look like a star, and the curious X-factor that is home court, this series could get interesting in Game 3.

Although the Celtics may be sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead, the Magic won't go down easy. The onus is on the C's to take care of business in Game 3. Look out to see which trends carry over as the series heads down south.

Game 3 between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic tips-off from the Kia Center at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 25. Be sure to tune into 98.5 the Sports Hub for the call of the game.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.