ORLANDO, Fla. – Basketball fans from all over Central Florida packed Wall Street Plaza in downtown Orlando, cheering their teams on as the NBA Playoffs kick off this weekend, including the Orlando Magic.
Terrell Hightower, a Magic fan, expressed his enthusiasm, telling News 6 “Jaylen Brown smiling or frown, up and down, Magic in five.”
The No. 7 seed Magic are taking on the defending champions, the Boston Celtics in the best of seven series.
Another Magic fan, Blake Waltz, shared his thoughts on the keys to winning.
“Anthony and Anthony—Anthony Black and Cole Anthony—those are the keys of the game. That’s it,” Waltz said.
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Local Celtics fan Nela Garver added, “We’re hoping for a sweep. I have tickets to game four here in Orlando.”
Operating Partners of the Wall Street Entertainment Complex, Michael Wites and Bosco Lasik, said these watch parties have a great impact on their business and the community.
“If it’s basketball or soccer or football, nothing brings the community together like sports,” Lasik said. “It’s such an exciting time. We have playoffs. I think our venue is such a great fit. We have seven restaurants and bars. You can get different food, different drink specials, and obviously a lot of excitement, a lot of fun.”
Several Magic fans said that win or lose, watching the playoffs downtown is becoming a tradition.
“We did game seven last year, and it was crazy. And ever since then, I mean, we just been waiting to come back,” Chase Maxwell, a Magic fan, recalled.
Despite the fan turnout, the Magic fell in Game 1 to the Celtics 103-86 in Boston.
