Celtics begin road trip with 92-79 win over Orlando Magic
Following Monday’s collapse against the Bulls, Marcus Smart’s postgame comments, and a players-only meeting on Tuesday, the Celtics simply needed a win. They’d come away with a big one, defeating the Orlando Magic 92-79 Tuesday night at the Amway Center.
This game ran counter to the pattern the Celtics had seemingly been following this season. It was a close first half, with Orlando leading the entire second quarter. Yet the C’s pulled away late, securing the win.
With the win, the Celtics improved to 3-5 on the season. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak.
After trailing early in the first quarter, the Celtics went on an 11-4 run to tie the game halfway through the frame. The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the quarter, and despite 11 points in the first 12 minutes from Jaylen Brown, the Magic took a 28-26 lead into the second quarter.
An 8-0 Magic run early in the second quarter had them up by as many as eight points. Once again, the Celtics closed the period strong and although they didn’t regain the lead, Ime Udoka’s squad went into halftime down just two, 46-44.
In the third quarter, it was the Celtics starting hot. An 11-0 run out of the gate led to a Magic timeout, and the C’s ended up scoring 16 straight before Orlando got its first points of the half. Going back to before halftime, it was a 21-0 run. The Celtics ended up outscoring the Magic 31-10 in the third quarter, and took a 75-56 lead into the fourth.
With that comfortable lead, the C’s were able to play what looked like a tune-up quarter, shaking of some of the early-season rust that has bothered them to this point. An 8-0 run mid-way through the quarter was as much of a threat as the Magic could muster. Udoka put the reserves in the game with about two and a half minutes to play.
Brown finished with a game-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Al Horford nearly picked up a triple-double, compiling 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. Jayson Tatum (14 points) and Robert Williams (12 points) also scored in double figures.
Wendell Carter Jr. and Cole Anthony were the Magic’s leading scorers, finishing with just 13 points each. The 79 points scored by the Magic are the fewest against the Celtics this year. It was the second time the Celtics held an opponent to under 100 points this season, with the Rockets scoring 97 last week.
The Celtics stay in Florida for their next game, facing the Miami Heat in the second half of a back-to-back tomorrow. That one tips off at 7:30 p.m., with pregame coverage starting at 7 on 105.7 WROR and the Celtics Radio Network.
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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.
