Sports
Iran footballers granted asylum in Australia vow to continue chasing sporting dream
Iranian footballers granted asylum in Australia pursue dreams
The Guardian Sport1 min read
Sports
Is Magic Coach On Hot Seat After 'Catastrophic' Loss To Celtics?
TL;DR
The Orlando Magic suffered a shocking loss to the Boston Celtics despite having a healthy roster, leading to speculation about head coach Jamahl Mosley's job security. The Celtics, resting their starters, outscored the Magic 42-20 in the third quarter, turning the game around dramatically.
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley
Is Magic Coach On Hot Seat After 'Catastrophic' Loss To Celtics? originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Sunday's regular-season finale should have been a fairly easy win for the Orlando Magic. Not only were they fully healthy, but the Boston Celtics were also resting their starters in a meaningless game for them and rolling out the cheapest active roster in any NBA game this season.
The first half went according to plan for the road team, with the Magic taking a nine-point lead into halftime at TD Garden. They fell apart during the third quarter, however, getting outscored 42-20 by the Celtics' backups.
Orlando rallied in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. Despite being heavy underdogs, Boston shocked the Magic in a 113-108 upset, dropping them from the seventh seed to the eighth seed and costing them home-court advantage in their play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
On "The Bill Simmons Podcast," Simmons called out Orlando for its embarrassing loss, specifically head coach Jamahl Mosley.
"This is a borderline catastrophic Orlando loss. They actually went backwards in the standings, now have to play a play-in game as the road team. Inexplicable," Simmons said. "It was a horrific coaching job."
Zach Lowe believes the Magic should still be able to beat the 76ers regardless, who will be without Joel Embiid, but thinks Mosley is in trouble if Orlando doesn't make the playoffs.
"It cost them, and it's certainly embarrassing," Lowe said. "If their season ends, then Jamahl Mosley's seat, has been hot all year, it then erupts in flames, I think."
Despite dealing with injuries, the Magic significantly underperformed this year, starting slow and enduring a crushing six-game losing streak late in the season. If they miss the playoffs with their talent in this weak Eastern Conference, it will be embarrassing for Orlando and may cost Mosley his job.
Time will tell if the Magic can bounce back in Philadelphia on Wednesday. If they don't, their season will be on the brink, and so might Mosley's job.
More NBA: Shorthanded Celtics Stun Magic, Throw Eastern Conference Playoffs Into Disarray
Q&A
What led to the Orlando Magic's loss against the Boston Celtics?
The Magic lost after being outscored 42-20 in the third quarter by the Celtics' backups, despite leading at halftime.
Is Jamahl Mosley in danger of losing his job as head coach of the Magic?
Yes, following the catastrophic loss to the Celtics, there are growing concerns about Jamahl Mosley's job security.
How did the Celtics manage to win despite resting their starters?
The Celtics, using a cheaper active roster, capitalized on the Magic's poor performance in the second half to secure the win.
