Dwight Howard Predicts Massive 1st Round Upset

Orlando Magic legend Dwight Howard has given his picks for this year’s NBA Playoffs. The NBA Playoffs tipped off this past Saturday after the conclusion of the play-in tournament. What did the future Hall of Famer have to say?

Dwight Howard Gives His Insight on the Boston-Orlando Series

The Magic obtained the 7th seed after a dominating performance against the Atlanta Hawks and will face the Boston Celtics in the first round. The Celtics enter Game 1 13.5-point favorites and currently sit at -5000 odds to win the series outright. Despite the odds favoring Boston, newly inducted Hall of Famer Dwight Howard isn’t shying away from an Orlando Magic upset.

“I got Orlando beating the Celtics,” Howard said. “And I’m going to tell you this—when Orlando beats the Celtics… who’s gonna stop Paolo [Banchero]? Who gonna stop a healthy Paolo in a seven-game series? All it takes is for them to get a little bit of confidence. If they beat Boston one game, I’m telling y’all.”

Howard holds some bias as he played with the Magic for 8 very successful years, including three DPOY awards, 6 All-Star selections, and an NBA Finals appearance. It was Orlando’s first since 1995.

Final Thoughts

The Magic finished the regular season with a 41-41 record. All-in-all, not a bad season for a team that saw their stars miss a significant amount of time. Franz Wagner missed 20 straight games with a torn right oblique, and Paolo Banchero missed 34 straight games with a torn right oblique.

Needless to say, this is not your typical 7th-seeded team as they see themselves as the 5th seed last year who fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 7 games. It’s a bold prediction, but crazier things have happened in the NBA Playoffs. Maybe Howard is onto something.