11/29 Game Thread: Celtics (9-7) @ Magic (8-8) 6PM EST

[woosah]

@Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

The Magic have been particularly good defensively at home, allowing an average of 94.0 points on 40.3 percent shooting - including a 29.8 mark from long range - during a 6-1 stretch.

Orlando has dropped nine straight in Boston, but has won the past three home meetings. Oladipo led the way with 22 points, Tobias Harris had 21 and Elfrid Payton added 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a 103-98 win March 8 in the most recent meeting in Florida.

Payton also had 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go along with 10 assists and Harris scored 19 with four 3-pointers on Friday. The Magic improved to 8-8 after losing 57 games last season.

Now they'll try to sweep this three-game homestand with a win over a Boston team that was outstanding on the defensive end in back-to-back home victories. After holding winless Philadelphia to 37.3 percent shooting Wednesday while escaping with an 84-80 win, the Celtics (9-7) limited Washington to a season-low 32.1 from the field in Friday's 111-78 victory.

[Nemesis21]

Good thread! Go Magic! Lets get 3 in a row!

[Def Swami]

Been awhile since I've felt this way, but this is a big game for the Magic.

[j-ragg]

I think my favorite victory of all time was game 7 against the Cs in 2009. Hedo went nuts. We kicked their asses in Boston from start to finish when no one gave us a shot.

[3ddman23]

This one is going to be tough. It's a game we can win but we need to shoot the ball good and play sound defense ala the bucks game. If we can contain Thomas we can pull this off... go magic

[OrlandO]

yay people are coming through with game threads lately

lol woosah did you pick a dancer making a derp face on purpose?

[woosah]

Injuries: Evan Fournier (hip), CJ Watson (calf), Marcus Smart (knee), Evan Turner (eye)

Can't find the starters currently. If anyone finds it, POST UP!!!

yay people are coming through with game threads lately

lol woosah did you pick a dancer making a derp face on purpose?

haha yep, i thought it was funny

[OrlandO]

Vooch said he's been practicing threes a little this season and we might see him take some soon. A reporter asked Skiles about it and he said he'd be open to letting him shoot some, especially from the corners, as long as they're open looks and in the flow of the game.

[Von Bismarck]

What's up with CJ, I mean, calf injury and lasts this long?

[arkknight1988]

Been awhile since I've felt this way, but this is a big game for the Magic.

Same, I've missed that feeling! Go magic

[Def Swami]

Vooch said he's been practicing threes a little this season and we might see him take some soon. A reporter asked Skiles about it and he said he'd be open to letting him shoot some, especially from the corners, as long as they're open looks and in the flow of the game.

Have been waiting for this. Even if he can hit it at 33%, that'd be so much more helpful for the offense. Seems like so many centers/PF's who had a solid mid-range game (Horford, Cousins, Millsap, Bosh, Ibaka) have incorporated it well enough to be a threat that defenses have to react to it. Vucevic doesn't have to become Larry Bird, but just being a threat would be nice.

[The Real Dalic]

Good thread! I can't stand playing this team. They've always given us problems for years. No game is ever easy against them.

[tooler]

I don't see it as a must-win. We've barely scratched the surface with this team and they could still go either way.

[EAS Law]

I think we match up well with Boston. They're a much better team than what they look like on paper, but I think the match-ups will make this one exciting... if our guys show up.

[3ddman23]

What's up with CJ, I mean, calf injury and lasts this long?

I've asked this a couple of times on here and know seems to rrally know.. he has been out for quite a while now and no one has really seem to bring him up or ask question about him. Pretty weird

[Last Guardian]

Like Detroit, I never expect to beat the Celtics. No matter what there roster looks like they seem to have our number.

[woosah]

What's up with CJ, I mean, calf injury and lasts this long?

I've asked this a couple of times on here and know seems to rrally know.. he has been out for quite a while now and no one has really seem to bring him up or ask question about him. Pretty weird

found this update as of 11/28 (yesterday) from cbssports/rotowire

C.J. Watson (calf) will not play Sunday against Boston, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Watson will miss a ninth straight game as he continues to battle soreness in his left calf. The veteran remains without a timetable, but he'll likely need to return to full activity in practice before being being cleared to play. In his absence, Shabazz Napier will continue to pick up extra minutes off the bench.

hope it helps

[Def Swami]

What's up with CJ, I mean, calf injury and lasts this long?

I've asked this a couple of times on here and know seems to rrally know.. he has been out for quite a while now and no one has really seem to bring him up or ask question about him. Pretty weird

found this update as of 11/28 (yesterday) from cbssports/rotowire

C.J. Watson (calf) will not play Sunday against Boston, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Watson will miss a ninth straight game as he continues to battle soreness in his left calf. The veteran remains without a timetable, but he'll likely need to return to full activity in practice before being being cleared to play. In his absence, Shabazz Napier will continue to pick up extra minutes off the bench.

hope it helps

He tried a practice earlier in the week and couldn't make it through a full practice and had to be pulled out. The calf strain sounds worse than led on.

[woosah]

With a win on Sunday vs BOS, the #Magic would have a winning record for the first time since Nov. 6, 2013.

#funfact
#WINNNNNNNNNNNN

[tooler]

We knew CJ was a bit injury prone. That's why picking up Napier for free was so convenient.