One major addition to the 2023-24 NBA season will be the Play-In Tournament. The Celtics have been placed in Group C, pairing them with the Nets, Raptors, Magic and Bulls for the first stage of the festivities.
Ahead of the official schedule release, the league unveiled the Group Stage schedule for every team. Let’s take a look at Boston’s slate and predict how each contest will go.
Our In-Season Tournament schedule is set ✅ pic.twitter.com/sB65dzjr1s
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) August 15, 2023
Group Stage Game 1: Nets vs. Celtics, Nov. 10
The Celtics begin the Group Stage of the 2023 Play-In Tournament at home against the Nets. This is arguably Boston’s biggest test in Group C, but I don’t think Joe Mazzulla’s squad will have a ton of trouble getting the win.
The Celtics will have played seven games ahead of this contest, giving them a good amount of time to work off the early-season rust. They also won’t be allowed to coast to begin the campaign with the likes of the Heat and 76ers among their first seven opponents, which should ensure they take things seriously from the jump.
Boston also gets to face Brooklyn on Nov. 4, giving the team a chance to scout the Nets before their Group Stage showdown. The Celtics already had their way with Brooklyn last season, winning the series 3-1, including three straight victories to begin the 2022-23 campaign.
The Nets have a nice core headlined by Mikal Bridges, but they’re simply outmatched in this one. Boston ranked No. 2 in offensive rating and No. 3 in defensive rating, making this squad a nightmare on both ends of the court. Though they could lag a bit to begin the year with the departures of Marcus Smart and Grant Williams, they also have the chance to be even better on offense with the addition of Kristaps Porzingis.
I’m backing Tatum and company to win this one.
Prediction: Nets 102, Celtics 110
Group Stage Game 2: Celtics at Raptors, Nov. 17
Boston plays its second Group Stage game on the road against the Raptors. Toronto’s coming off a down season that saw the team be upset by the Bulls in the Play-In Tournament, which only further added to the disappointment.
The Raptors saw their lineup shaken up in a big way this offseason with point guard Fred VanVleet heading to the Rockets in free agency. This takes away one of the team’s most dependable sources of scoring after FVV averaged at least 19 PPG in each of the past three seasons, making this unit clearly worse with Dennis Schroder slated to replace him.
Toronto had one other notable offseason addition in No. 13 pick Gradey Dick, though there’s no telling how he’ll look at this point, which will be less than a month into his rookie season.
Assuming Dick doesn’t explode out of the gates and Schroder remains middling at best, the Raptors are basically running things back. We saw the Celtics run the table and sweep the season series against them last year, so I don’t have any worries about a potential loss here.
Prediction: Celtics 120, Raptors 101
Group Stage Game 3: Celtics at Magic, Nov. 24
One week later brings the Celtics their third Group Stage matchup against Orlando, and I actually think this is Boston’s biggest threat to a perfect record in Group C.
The Magic showed no nerves facing this juggernaut of a roster last season, as they somehow won the season series over the Celtics 3-1. Orlando won in high- and low-scoring contests, with its roster full of young and intriguing pieces going toe-to-toe with the then-reigning East champions.
Jamahl Moseley’s squad projects to be even better in 2023-24 with Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero expected to make a sophomore leap following a great first season. The Magic made a nice veteran signing in free agency as well by adding the sharpshooting Joe Ingles, whose marksman abilities and playoff experience should help bolster this rotation. There’s also sixth overall pick Anthony Black, who could be a headache to guard in the backcourt at 6-foot-7.
The time of tip-off may throw Boston off as well in this one. This game starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on Black Friday, directly following Thanksgiving on Nov. 23. The fact the Celtics will need to travel on the holiday makes the timing here even worse, and it leads to the perfect recipe for an old fashioned trap game.
Prediction: Celtics 98, Magic 108
Group Stage Game 4: Bulls vs Celtics, Nov. 28
The Celtics will look to close their Group C play with a win as they face the Bulls at TD Garden. The post-Turkey Day schedule for Boston isn’t too difficult, playing on alternate days leading up to this contest, so thankfully travel shouldn’t be a factor here.
On the other side, Chicago could enter this contest very sluggish. This will be the final matchup of a four-game road trip for the Bulls, which starts in Oklahoma City and then goes north of the border to Toronto before heading to the East Coast. That’s a ton of miles to cover in a week, and there are no cupcake opponents here to provide any kind of break.
The Celtics will gladly take any kind of advantage they can get over Chicago after splitting the season series a year ago. Boston also notched both of its victories at home against the Bulls, setting the stage for Mazzulla’s squad to end Group Play with a 3-1 record.
Prediction: Bulls 94, Celtics 117
It’s no wonder Boston is the favorite to win Group C on DraftKings Sportsbook at -105 odds. The Raptors are second at +450, followed by the Nets (+550), Magic (+650) and Bulls (+650).
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.