Celtics Surge Past Magic, Advance to Second Round

Summary:

• Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 58 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 120-89 to win the series 4-1.
• The Celtics outscored the Magic 36-13 in a game-changing third quarter after struggling in the first half.
• Paolo Banchero continued to shine despite the loss, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

The Boston Celtics punched their ticket to the NBA Playoffs – Conference semifinals in emphatic fashion Tuesday night, dismantling the Orlando Magic 120-89 in Game 5.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the charge, combining for 58 points on a hyper-efficient 19-of-34 from the field.

Boston had a shaky start, trailing 49-47 at halftime and struggling from beyond the arc. In fact, they didn’t hit a single three-pointer in the first half, a rarity for a team that led the league in attempts during the regular season.

However, the second half was a different story. Tatum opened the third quarter with Boston’s first make from deep, and that was all the spark they needed.

Brown followed with an and-one drive to give the Celtics the lead, and from there, they never looked back. Boston exploded for a 36-13 third quarter, burying five threes and smothering Orlando on the defensive end.

Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley before the game,

It is our identity. We’re going to sit down and guard. We’re going to be physical.

For two quarters, that identity held. But in the third, the Magic fell apart, missing all 11 of their three-point attempts, turning the ball over five times, and recording just one assist.

Boston’s defensive pressure forced mistakes, and their stars made Orlando pay. Tatum and Brown played the entire third quarter, combining for 22 points on just nine shots.

The Celtics’ commitment to attacking the paint early also paid off, as they outscored the Magic 32-16 down low in the first half to stay close despite their cold shooting.

On the other side, Paolo Banchero continued to show why he’s the centerpiece of Orlando’s future.

Though his 19-point, 9-rebound, 6-assist stat line wasn’t his best of the series, the 22-year-old forward consistently made an impact.

“He’s impressed me since the moment he got here” said Mosley. With better spacing and shooting around him, Banchero looks poised to help lead Orlando to bigger things, maybe even home-court advantage, in the near future.

Boston now gets a short breather while waiting on the outcome of the Knicks vs. Pistons series. Game 6 of that matchup tips off Thursday night with all the odds available at selected US sportsbooks.