Cole Anthony Reveals Secret Motivation Behind Victories Against Boston Celtics

Eddie House's commentary struck a nerve with Cole Anthony.

Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics hold the top record in the Eastern Conference, though the Orlando Magic, currently the second seed, have proven to be a challenging opponent. They are on a four-game winning streak against the Celtics, including a 113-96 victory the day after Thanksgiving.

On a recent episode of The Lowe Post, Cole Anthony revealed that Celtics analyst Eddie House has fueled Orlando’s winning efforts.

“Eddie House,” said Anthony. "He was talking about us early last season, when we played them twice in Boston, and he called us a trash team, pretty much. And we all, to this day, we take that personal. We all watched the clips as a team. We are always going to remember what he said about us, so it is personal every single time we play Boston.”

House was a member of the Celtics for three seasons, which included an NBA championship victory in 2008. He currently works for NBC Sports Boston.

The Magic guard reiterated that his team’s motivation to defeat Boston is personal.

"Boston is a great team, but it will continue to be personal. It's still (personal). I can't say what I really want to say, but yes."

For the NBA In-Season Tournament, both teams accumulated a 3-1 record in East Group C. Boston, however, qualified for the Knockout Round due to a higher point differential. The next Celtics-Magic match-up is scheduled for Dec. 15.

The full interview can be watched here. 

Further Reading

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Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Earned Ugly Win vs. 76ers

Celtics Share Their Perspective of NBA's Flawed but Successful In-Season Tournament

Celtics' Focus on Winning Habits Keys Blowout vs. Bulls, Helping Them Advance in In-Season Tournament

An Empowered Jaylen Brown Strives to Balance Scoring with Playmaking: 'I've Grown A Lot'

Celtics' Loss to Magic Highlights Their Most Concerning Traits

Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis Discuss Their Quickly Cultivated Chemistry: 'An Automatic Connection'

Joe Mazzulla Believes Celtics' Second Unit is 'Starting to Develop an Identity'

Kristaps Porzingis Gives Glimpse of How He'll Boost Celtics Late-Game Offense

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present