Magic’s Success vs. Celtics: Cole Anthony Credits Eddie House for Game-Changing Performance

Why Cole Anthony credits Eddie House for Magic’s success vs. Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics, a dominant NBA team this season, have struggled to overcome the Orlando Magic. Despite a win rate of over 65 percent since October 2022, the Celtics are surprisingly 1-4 against the Magic, suffering four consecutive losses by an average of 10.8 points to the former Eastern Conference bottom-dwellers. The question is, why does Orlando consistently perform well against Boston?

According to Magic guard Cole Anthony, former Celtics guard and NBC Sports Boston analyst Eddie House provided inspiration for Orlando. “Eddie House. Eddie House. Eddie House,” Anthony told ESPN’s Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post podcast when asked about the Magic’s success against Boston. Anthony’s comments on the podcast revealed that House’s critique of the Magic as a “trash team” deeply affected the Orlando players and it fuels their determination in every matchup against Boston.

Anthony’s statement seems to reference House’s comments after the Magic beat the Celtics in back-to-back games last December. The Orlando players mocked House by sharing GIFs of Magic guard Rafer Alston slapping House in the head in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. House went off on the franchise on NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics Postgame Live.

Additionally, House also called the Magic “garbage” after their previous matchup, which at the time, wasn’t entirely inaccurate. However, the story is different this season with the Magic holding a 14-6 record, second-best in the East, following the leading 15-4 Celtics.

The Celtics will face the Magic on Dec. 15, where they can anticipate a highly motivated Orlando team, and House will have the chance to offer his response to the Magic’s performance.