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Magic-Celtics Preview

Jan 28, 2016 - 5:35 PM While the Boston Celtics are in the midst of an impressive scoring run, a continued aggressive approach defensively has fueled their current winning streak.

The Celtics can record a season-high fifth straight victory Friday night by continuing their home dominance over the Orlando Magic, who hope to halt their January misery by avoiding an eighth consecutive defeat.

Paced by the backcourt of Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, Boston's 104.4 scoring average is the club's highest since 1991-92 (106.6). Averaging 112.4 points in the last 10 games, the Celtics (26-21) are in position to score at least 100 in 11 straight for the first time since 1995-96.

However, the premium remains on defense where Boston has forced a league-leading 17.1 turnovers per contest and at least 20 in the last four. It hasn't accomplished that feat in five straight since February 1998.

"Really our main focus is defense," veteran forward Amir Johnson said after Wednesday's 111-103 win over Denver. "Once we get stops on defense we're able to get out and get finishes and points. Defense these last four games has been huge for us. Just lock down and stop our opponents."

Boston has 13.8 steals per game in the last four while averaging 24.8 points off turnovers. Those opponents were all held below 43 percent shooting and averaged 96.8 points after the Celtics yielded 113.3 per game in the previous four.

''We have a lot of room to improve, but when we turn it up and we're in the right position, we can be a good defensive team,'' coach Brad Stevens said. ''If we don't guard, we won't win. That's a part of us playing well."

The Celtics didn't guard very well Nov. 29 in a 110-91 road loss to Orlando (20-24), which shot 48.4 percent and held a 54-34 rebounding advantage. The Magic, however, have averaged 88.7 points and shot 40.4 percent while losing nine in a row at Boston.

Orlando was a game ahead of Boston for fifth place in the Eastern Conference at the end of 2015, but the Celtics have since climbed to fifth while the Magic have fallen out of the playoff picture by going 1-11 in the new year.

The Magic made 13 of 24 3-point attempts Tuesday at Milwaukee but shot 35.7 percent inside the arc and blew a 16-point lead in a 107-100 defeat. Their season-worst losing streak reached seven after failing to hold a double-digit advantage for the third time in four games.

"It's almost like a repetitive thing, almost like a bad dream,'' guard Victor Oladipo told the Magic's official website. "It's tough, but (at) the end of the day our confidence can't waver because once that happens, it's over.

"(If the team loses confidence) we might as well pack up and go home. We've just got to remain confident in ourselves and one another."

Oladipo had 18 points after finishing with five the previous night at Memphis on 1-of-10 shooting. He's averaged 10 points and shot 26.2 percent in his last three at Boston.

Nikola Vucevic has posted six straight double-doubles but is shooting 40.0 percent in that span after previously being at 52.4 percent.