What the Magic Said After Beating Celtics to Secure No. 7 Seed, Division Title

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley and guard Cole Anthony reacted to clinching the No. 7 seed and a second consecutive Southeast division title after their 96-76 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday evening.

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley reacts during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at Kia Center. / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. – With a 96-76 win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday evening, the Orlando Magic have officially won the Southeast division and clinched the No. 7 seed in the East Play-In Tournament.

Recap: Magic beat Celtics to win Southeast division, clinch No. 7 seed in East

After the game, Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley and guard Cole Anthony spoke to reporters to discuss the result and the significance of their accomplishment.

Here's what they had to say.

Jamahl Mosley

On how the team stepped up in a high stakes game with the seventh seed on the line...

“Extremely proud of this group. Being able to – like you just said, what’s at stake, but more than anything, just being able to endure through all the things. The injuries, the bump back, guys in, guys out and still come away getting the division and giving yourself a chance at a secured seventh [seed] for the opportunity to get into the playoffs. And so, I’m proud of our group for that, for being as tough as they are, resilient as they are to continue to push through no matter the circumstances.”

On knowing the team will be playing at home next week...

“It’s great to be at home. I think, you know in different ways we can say it, but we wanted to take care of home [court]. We did it the right way, these last two games were very important for us, so I think it’s great for our group to be able to do that in front of our home fans. I think that’s very big time.”

On the resiliency of this group despite a challenging season...

“I think it says a lot about this group. The group of young men on the court as well as the coaches and everybody involved, that they stayed the course no matter what was happening. Not getting discouraged, being focused on what we said we were going to accomplish, and I think this is one step. So, you can enjoy this moment, and you know, celebrate it, smell the roses for this second and then we’ve got to move on for the next game.”

On what he thinks the team needs to clean up heading into the postseason...

“I mean, I think we came out in that third [quarter] and shared it, moved it, defensively got after it. I think we’re going to continue to hit home on those things and when you hit the playoffs and the Play-In [Tournament] to the playoffs, it’s about the possession game and how can you value the basketball. How can you make each possession the biggest thing in the game no matter what. One possession at a time, taking care of the basketball, trusting each other, knowing the game plan, all those small details matter in these big games.”

On the spark provided by Cole Anthony and the second unit...

“I thought he was great off the bench. I thought he provided the extra amount of energy that was needed coming off a back-to-back. Being able to provide that spark, not just his scoring, but just his pace, his energy, his – I mean he wore himself out as you guys saw on that baseline. But that’s what we need from him and I think that’s what he provided that group. The ball was moving, we played with a faster pace, we got up and down the floor. I was very proud of what that second unit was able to come in and do.”

Cole Anthony

On winning the Southeast Division and securing the seventh seed...

“I think that was a great team win. Everyone contributed. It wasn’t particularly a close game. Obviously, they didn’t play the majority of their guys but, you know, this is the league and every time you step on the court [and] handle business, that’s a plus. Big shout out to the team. That’s a good win and we have to keep building off of this.”

On what winning a second consecutive division title means to the team...

“It’s pretty cool. We’re definitely hyped about it as you can tell. That’s an accomplishment. It doesn’t happen every year so big shoutout to us.”

On the adversity that the team has faced this season and the team’s resilience...

“It’s definitely, as you say – it's been an up-and-down season. You know, we’ve had guys in, we’ve had guys out, I mean, I just missed a bunch of games. It hasn’t been our greatest season, but I think at the end of the day, we’re in the position right now where we have an opportunity to make the playoffs. Anything can happen in the playoffs. I think for us; we just have to focus on the task at hand. We’ve got two more games [in] this regular season. We’ve got to finish out the season strong and, you know, we want to hit the ground running when we get to that Play-In [Tournament] obviously, and then in the next round of the playoffs.”

On whether finishing the season with 41 wins means anything to the team...

“I think for us; it’s definitely nice to get to .500 but I think for us, we want to obviously finish out the regular season strong. We want to win these next two games and we’re going take those games seriously, focus on the task at hand. But for us; we want to, as I said, get ready for the playoffs, that Play-In, and we want to play our best basketball at that point.”

On what he wants to see from the team in these next two games...

“I think we’ve been, as of [late], playing some pretty good basketball. I think we just have to continue trusting each other, continue making the right play, continuing to just let the basketball, a lot of times, determine what the best shot is. I think tonight, especially in that second half, when we started turning it up a little bit, we really let the ball determine the shot. It wasn’t sticking a lot. We were getting into the paint, spraying, making the extra pass, so that was nice. I think for us, if we can continue to do that and keep building off of that, keep trusting each other, obviously defend at a high level, I think we’ll have a chance to have a lot of success.”