The Boston Celtics picked up a 128-111 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday night, exorcising the demons that haunted them in previous matchups. Orlando had gotten the best of Boston earlier in the season, picking up a 17-point victory over the guys in green in the In-Season Tournament. But on Friday night, Boston completely turned the tide.
On a night when Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Dalan o Banton were all out, Lamar Stevens got the start, and the bench stepped up in a big way. All night long, the Celtics found little ways to get the best of their newfound rivals.
It was a seemingly well-rounded performance, though the box score may not explain that, and while the Magic had some solid performances of their own, they couldn’t handle Boston’s bench stepping up in the manner it did on Friday night.
Payton Pritchard exploded for 21 points off the pine, adding three rebounds and five assists as well, while Sam Hauser dropped 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Meanwhile, Oshae Brissett added 11 points off the bench, and Stevens chipped in with eight of his own.
Neemias Queta also saw extended minutes, and while he ended up fouling out of the game late in the fourth, he finished with four points, three rebounds, and three blocks.
The Celtics’ starters made sure to make their presence known, too, however, with Jayson Tatum pouring in perhaps his quietest 30 points of the season. Tatum consistently shredded a Magic defense that was left in the dust by elite Boston ball movement.
Derrick White also continued to do Derrick White things, churning in a seamless 19 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and four steals while shooting 7-of-15 from the field and 3-of-7 from distance. Jaylen Brown’s 18 points also stood out, highlighted by a poster dunk over Magic rookie Anthony Black.
Boston recorded 31 assists on their 48 made field goals, tied for their second-most of the season, utilizing their talent to completely outwork Orlando.
Meanwhile, Paolo Banchero had a couple of tough buckets, but he largely found some issues puncturing the Celtics’ defensive front. He still managed to put up 14 points, but he shot just 5-of-17 from the floor.
The same can be said about his co-star Franz Wagner, who had just 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 6-of-14 shooting.
Mo Wagner, who absolutely torched the Celtics the last time these two teams met, was quiet on Friday night, finishing the game with just two points. He was a -9 on the night.
Jalen Suggs was one of the best players on the floor for Orlando, finishing with 19 points and four rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor and 5-of-9 shooting from deep, but he had a scary fall in the first half. He landed hard on his wrist, but luckily, the X-rays were negative.
Orlando will stay in Boston over the weekend as the two teams will face off again on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time.
It seems as though a rivalry is brewing between these two squads, and Sunday’s contest could be the time it reaches its boiling point.
