By JOSH ROBBINS The Athletic
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BOSTON — The Orlando Magic did some important things well Sunday against the Boston Celtics. But generating offense from anyone other than Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner was not one of those positives.

For the Magic to stretch this Eastern Conference first-round series beyond four games, or even hope to threaten the Celtics’ championship defense, someone on the roster — or, preferably, more than one person — must give Banchero and Wagner some scoring help.

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Orlando lost to Boston 103-86 at TD Garden in Game 1, but in some ways, Orlando was fortunate the outcome wasn’t more lopsided. Together, Banchero and Wagner accounted for 59 points while their teammates combined to score 27 points on 10-of-30 shooting.

“I’ve really got to go back and watch the game to see what went wrong,” Banchero said. “But it’s Game 1. There’s nerves. (A) lit crowd. Really loud. So, not a total surprise that we struggled a little bit on offense, honestly.”

True. Not a surprise. The Magic finished their regular season 27th in the NBA in offensive rating and last in 3-point shooting percentage. They also endured more than enough long scoring droughts to know that they would suffer through difficult stretches against the Celtics. Boston, after all, has an elite defense with four switchable perimeter defenders in its starting lineup and a good shot-blocker down low.

Still, even in a playoff environment in which Boston amped up its defensive intensity, receiving 27 total points from everyone other than Banchero and Wagner must have been difficult for the Magic to stomach.

“They’ve got a lot on their shoulders as the offensive scorers on the team,” said big man Jonathan Isaac, who scored seven points, Orlando’s third-highest total Sunday. “We’ve got to do a better job as role players.”

Coach Jamahl Mosley said his team needs to “play faster,” which, as he would acknowledge, is easier said than done against the Celtics.

When the Magic are at their best, they generate turnovers or stops with their defense, push the ball upcourt and create shot opportunities before their opponent sets its defense. Not having injured Jalen Suggs, their most disruptive perimeter defender, reduces their volume of transition scoring opportunities. Against Boston on Sunday, Orlando managed only four fast-break points on three shot attempts.

“We did a great job in the first half pushing the pace and crashing that glass,” reserve guard Cole Anthony said. “The second half, we kind of got away from it as a team. So, I think if we can maintain that pace for 48 (minutes), we’ll have a chance.”

The second quarter, in which Orlando scored 31 points, supported Anthony’s point. The Magic limited the Celtics 35 percent shooting and caused four turnovers over those 12 minutes and used those stops to their advantage, going 12-of-19 from the field.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made his only buckets of the game in that quarter, sinking a pair of 3-pointers. There was nothing easy about the first basket. Caldwell-Pope drained a 3-pointer from the right wing over Derrick White’s outstretched right arm. Caldwell-Pope’s other trey was a bit of a fluke; Jaylen Brown deflected a pass by Banchero, and Orlando’s Cory Joseph collected the basketball in the paint. Joseph hurled the ball to the right corner, and Caldwell-Pope sank the open shot.

Banchero finished with 36 points on 14-of-27 shooting and four assists. Wagner was less efficient, scoring 23 points on 10-of-24 shooting and adding four assists.

Neither of Orlando’s stars was perfect. Banchero had five turnovers, while Wagner had four turnovers of his own.

The Magic’s half-court offense is predicated on getting the ball to Banchero or Wagner and having someone set a screen to give Banchero or Wagner a matchup against a smaller or less mobile defender. It’s then the responsibility of Banchero or Wagner to make the right play, to either attack for themselves or pass to an open teammate.