The Orlando Magic stunned the Boston Celtics, defeating them 108-104 in a 15-point comeback. The Magic have suffered many injuries this season, but that did not hold them back. They got key contributions from Tristan de Silva, Jalen Suggs, and Trevelin Queen. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Moritz Wagner have missed extended time, and Gary Harris was also out. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum was ruled out at the last minute with an illness. The Magic improved to 19-12 with the win, while the Boston Celtics dropped to 22-7.
The Boston Celtics Hot Start
In Tatum’s absence, the Boston Celtics offense was evenly distributed. Of their first ten points, each starter had two. The Celtics jumped out to a 10-2 lead, but the Magic responded. Orlando, even with their injuries, is one of the strongest defensive teams in the NBA, and they were physical from the start. They did not make things easy for Boston and cut their lead to as low as three. A 10-2 Celtics run led by Jaylen Brown gave them a cushion toward the end of the quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 32-21. Brown had 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 7 points, including a last-second three-pointer.
The Orlando Magic attempted to trim the Celtics lead in the second quarter. Their physical defense prevented Boston from getting everything they wanted on offense. The Celtics struggled with three-pointers, but the Magic did as well. So, it ended up being a low-scoring quarter, with both sides creating havoc on defense. Orlando’s aggressive defense led to them picking up fouls quickly and Boston built their lead off free throws. Toward the end of the half, Brown scored a bucket in the post and Jrue Holiday stole the inbound pass for another layup. At halftime, the Boston Celtics were up 58-43.
Brown was the star of the first half with 19 points. Derrick White and Holiday each had 10 points. Like their victory against the Bulls, the Celtics were finding success in the paint and rebounding. The Orlando Magic’s biggest issue was their shooting. In the first half, they shot 16-of-48, 33.3% as a team. Both teams struggled shooting from three, but the Celtics were getting to the paint and the Magic were not. Goga Bitadze led Orlando with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Suggs and Tristan de Silva each had 7 points.
The Orlando Magic Comeback
In the third quarter, the Magic opened on a 7-0 run. They were forcing turnovers and finally getting shots to fall. The Celtics fought back with a three-pointer from White, but it was clear that the Magic would not lie down. Orlando began to rack up steals on lazy passes or poor dribbling, leading to transition buckets. They went on a 9-1 run that was ended by a dunk from Brown, but the Magic were relentless. It felt like every Celtics possession ended in a steal or block. Boston would stop a Magic run, only for another one to start. The Magic tied the game at 69 and took the lead 73-71.
In the third quarter, the Magic outscored the Boston Celtics 36-21. They scored 43 points in the entire first half and 36 in the third quarter. After a half of cold shooting, they were hitting threes and creating havoc on defense. At the end of the third quarter, the score was tied 79-79.
A Close Fourth Quarter
Orlando took the lead again in the fourth quarter, opening on another 7-0 run. The Celtics could not get a three-pointer to fall, and the Magic were making everything as if a switch flipped at halftime. From here, the game got physical, with both teams getting in foul trouble. Brown stepped up on offense for the Celtics, but the Magic maintained their lead. Loose balls bounced Orlando’s way, and with four and a half minutes remaining, the Magic led 100-93.
Soon, the Orlando lead was pushed to double digits. The game was stopped due to a scuffle that led to the ejection of Goga Bitadze. Bitadze got into it with Kristaps Porzingis after both teams had been physical all game.
The ejection did not change much. The Boston Celtics tried to come back, but the Magic’s offense was firing, and their defense was feisty. They made it a three-point game off of a Holiday three, then a bucket from Brown made it 105-104 with less than a minute to go. But a corner three from de Silva put Orlando back up by four with nine seconds left. The Orlando Magic defeated the Boston Celtics 108-104.
Final Thoughts
The Orlando Magic improved to 19-12 with the win. Tristan de Silva led the team with 18 points, followed by Trevelin Queen with 17 and Suggs with 16. Despite a poor first half, they ended up shooting better than the Celtics, coming back from 15 down. The Boston Celtics dropped to 22-7 with the loss, losing two out of their last three. It is their worst stretch of the season and missing Jayson Tatum did not help. The team had 13 assists in the entire game. They could not move the ball and lost despite 35 points from Jaylen Brown. Their next game is on Christmas Day against the Philadelphia 76ers.
