Boston returned home to TD Garden Tuesday night for game 5 after going 1-1 in Orlando. Boston who has been physically challenged all series by the Magic, weathered a strong Orlando first-half performance to storm back in the second and secure a dominant 120-89 win in front of a rowdy home crowd headlined by Jayson Tatum’s big 35 point night.
Boston has been rolling with a shortened rotation of just 8 players the last few games, with Jrue Holiday ruled out once again, fans expected to see plenty of Luke, Payton and Sam Hauser as Al Horford stayed in the starting lineup.
Jaylen Brown opened up the scoring on the night with a fourteen-foot jumper that was quickly followed up by a long two-pointer from Al Horford. Boston was up 4-0 early before Paolo Banchero got the Magic on the scoreboard. Wagner then drove into the key to dunk for his first score to keep things tied 4-4.
Kristaps Porzingis was effective to start Game 5, hitting on a turnaround jumper, then flashing into the key for a layup. The Magic were active on the glass to start the game, keeping the ball alive and creating plenty of second-chance looks. Joe Mazzulla called his team’s first timeout at the 6 and a half minute mark with scores knotted at eight all.
Tatum remained scoreless until the 8 minute mark, as it was the Magic who looked the more comfortable team on the road taking an early 9-point early lead as KCP hit on consecutive triples to silence the Boston crowd.
Tatum was assisting at a rapid pace to start the game as he drove and dished for his fifth of the night on a Luke Kornet layup. Banchero then rattled in his first three-pointer of the night, as the Magic pushed it out to a 24-15 lead.
Tatum got to the elbow and hit his third basket of the game, a turnaround elbow jumper, to stop the Magic run. Gary Harris hit his first shot of the night with the clock expiring in the first quarter, Magic up by four, 27-23.
The start of the second quarter was not great for Boston, as it was the Magic outhustling the Celtics to stretch the lead back to nine. Boston eventually got the scoreboard with a Kristaps three-point play off a Derrick White inbounds pass.
The Magic’s Franz Wagner was scoring at will throughout the first half, attacking Boston’s rim relentlessly; the German wing had 13 points in the first 13 minutes of the game. Boston picked up the pace around the midway point of the second as Jaylen Brown and Derrick White attacked the basket to get the score back to three, 38-35.
Boston started the game scoreless from three as the Orlando D was spread well beyond the C’s three-point arc. Al Horford looked to break the drought for Boston, but his corner shot was ruled a two-pointer by the referees as Big Al had a foot on the line. A loud two-handed Jaylen Brown dunk in transition saw the Boston crowd rise in unison.
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Boston managed to get the scores level at one point, but the young Magic team continued to work harder on both ends than the home team. Jayson Tatum dunked it home to end the first half for Boston, 49-47. The Celtics would go scoreless from beyond the arc in the 1st half for the first time since October 2021.
Paolo Banchero picked up his fourth foul of the game early in the third quarter and was visably upset. JT eventually scored the first three-pointer of the night for Boston as he converted over an outstretched Paolo Banchero. That bucket was immediately followed by a solid Jaylen Brown drive in which Banchero was whistled for his fifth foul of the night and a seat on the Orlando bench with 9 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter.
Jaylen Brown’s fourteenth point of the night came on finger roll layup as the home team went on a 8-0 run to retake the lead. Both teams continue to engage in a physical play in the third, highlighting the intensity of this physical series. The pace really slowed down in the third as both teams setteld into a physical and slow pace of play. Jaylen Brown fed Kristaps in the low block who was fouled and converted both free throws for his ninth point of the night.
Boston take Game 5 fueled by a dominant second half performance,Payton Pritchard scored on driving layup as time expired on a broken Boston play with four minutes to go in the quarter. Jayson Tatum hit on his second three-pointer and hit a pair of free-throws as Boston stretched the lead to ten points, 70-60.
Sam Hauser became the first Celtic to hit a three outside of Tatum for Boston, Al Horford got in on the act also, as the Celtics opened up a 14 point lead with a minute to go in the third.
The flood gates well and truly opened for the team in green as Jayson Tatum hit his third three of the night as Banchero and Wagner looked on from the Orlando bench.
With a huge 19-point advantage, 83-62, going into the final quarter, the Celtics totally changed the course of the game in the third quarter. The Magic were only able to score 13 points in the third quarter while the Celtics scored 36 points.
Pritchard hit a pair of three-pointers to open up the fourth quarter as the Celtics fans went giddy at TD Garden. Boston’s lead stayed steady at around 20 plus points all through the fourth as the Orlando players and staff started to think about their holiday plans, staring at first round exit.
The Orlando Magic eventually waved the white flag, as they cleared the benches with 3 and a half minutes to go in the game. The final score would be 120-89, Jayson Tatum led all Celtics with 35 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds, Jaylen Brown had 23 points and Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser had 10 points each.
Boston advance to the second round of the 2025 playoffs and now await the eventual winner of the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons series.
