Question marks: can the Celtics close out the series?

Boston has the 3-1 advantage, but these three factors could be the difference between an extended series, and advancing to the next round.

Boston won a pivotal Game 4 on the road, putting themselves in position to finish things off at the Garden. While they have a stranglehold on the series, Orlando isn’t going to tap out.

In terms of physicality, discipline and defensive connectivity, the Magic have been a worthy test. They’ve limited 3PT attempts by staying home, and forced the Celtics to win a different way.

Boston leads the NBA in both post-ups and isolation possessions during the playoffs. Both playtypes have risen considerably compared to the regular season, indicating Orlando’s stout defense and the Celtics’ ability to adjust.

It’s clear the Magic aren’t going to back down, so Boston will have to land the knockout punch. Here are a few question marks that will determine whether they’ll achieve that.

Can Kristaps Porzingis build on the previous performance?

Porzingis hasn’t had the type of impact in this series that we’ve come to expect from the talented big man. He’s shooting 35% from the field, and just 14% from deep. Game 2 was his highest scoring night so far, but Game 4 was the type of performance he can build off of.

Mazzulla and his staff simplified what they were asking of Porzingis, and it worked quite well.

Attacking early in the clock with an empty PnR allows Porzingis to roll into open space before Caldwell-Pope can rotate in time. Getting out of screens quicker and diving deeper toward the rim puts a lot of pressure on the Magic defense.

Rim-running and hovering around the dunker spot is more of a traditional big man role than he typically plays, but it helped Porzingis get into enough of a rhythm to knock down his first two 3’s of the series.

Porzingis has struggled at times with the size and aggression of Orlando’s defense in one-on-one scenarios. Swapping out a few of the free throw line jumpers for paint touches feels like the easiest way to boost his efficiency and overall effectiveness.

If he carries the same approach over to Game 5, it’ll be difficult for the Magic generate enough offense to hang around.

Will any of the Magic role players get going?

Up until this point, there haven’t been any memorable role player games for Orlando. Outside of Banchero and Wagner, no other player is averaging over 10 PPG. They have contributors that can be counted on in different ways, but nobody that’s been able to manufacture momentum as a shotmaker.

Prior to the series, Cole Anthony stood out as someone that could provide a scoring punch. Instead, he’s been rendered ineffective, and stapled to the bench. His defense isn’t something that can be hidden, and Jamahl Mosley quickly understood they’d have to look elsewhere.

Anthony Black has had some moments in Anthony’s place, but the lack of an outside shot makes him less threatening. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cory Joseph and Gary Harris are they adults in the room, but they haven’t been able to put the ball in the hoop either.

Banchero and Wagner get enough shots up to keep the games interesting, but to have any real hope at extending the series they’d need some unexpected production from any member of the supporting cast.

Does Payton Pritchard bounce back at home?

Pritchard’s series has been like night and day, depending on which city the Celtics are playing in. In the two games in Boston, he’s scored 16.5 PPG while knocking down 58.3% of his 3’s. In Orlando, he’s averaging 1.5 PPG and didn’t hit a single 3.

The Celtics could’ve used more of a boost from the Sixth Man of the Year during their visit to Florida, but the Magic allowed him very few clean looks. Pritchard leaves Orlando with just four total shot attempts, and came up empty in the scoring column during Game 4.

Despite the struggles, he managed to keep himself on the floor with good ball pressure and point of attack defense. The two Magic stars spent a lot of time trying to isolate Pritchard, but he held up about as well us you could hope.

Back at home with a chance to advance to the next round, it’s the perfect time for a big night from Pritchard. He’s made countless plays that send the Garden crowd into a frensy, and that energy could be enough to slam the door shut.

He’s clearly been a priority in the Magic’s scouting report, but Boston has to find ways to get him involved. His scoring ability is far too valuable.