Celtics take 3-1 series lead with 107-98 win over Magic
Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston in the Game 4 victory.
Apr 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after beating the Orlando Magic in game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Celtics left Boston with a two-win lead over the Magic, and they will return to Boston with a two-win lead over the Magic, as the Celtics responded to their Game 3 loss with a 107-98 win in Game 4.
With the win, the Celtics took a 3-1 series lead in this first-round series.
On the way to victory, Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics, providing 37 points on 10-for-25 shooting, and a 14-for-14 line at the free throw line.
Behind Tatum, the Celtics had strong support from the rest of their lineup's big dogs, with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porziņģis on the board for a combined 58 points in the victory.
The Magic, meanwhile, got huge impacts from their stars, with Paolo Banchero tallying 31 points while Franz Wagner finished with 24.
Riding the momentum of their Game 3 victory, the Magic began the game hot and quickly jumped out to an 18-10 lead in the opening six minutes of the first quarter. But the Celtics picked up the pace late in the quarter, beginning with a Porzingis alley-oop slam, and ended up going on a 22-11 run to finish the first with a 32-29 lead. The Celtics' largest contribution in the opening quarter came from Tatum, who led the way with 10 points, picking up from where he left off in his 36-point night from Game 3.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth affair, and the Magic were able to match Boston, even took the lead towards the end of the quarter. But, again, in what was a theme of the evening, the Celtics were able to cling to a five-point edge through 24 minutes behind Tatum and Porzingis.
Beyond Tatum and the starters, Sam Hauser came in for the C's midway through the first quarter and provided two crucial threes off the bench.
Going into the fourth quarter the Celtics still possessed a thin 79-75 lead, but with the Magic essentially battling for their season, the fourth quarter became a straight-up battle. Both teams got their points and runs, with the score deficit not exceeding 10 points for either side, and the Magic even brought the game back even at 91-91 with just 4:18 left in the game.
However, the Celtics were able to pull away and secure their third win of the series behind a 16-7 scoring finish to the evening, headlined by Tatum and the Celtics matching Orlando's physicality.
The three-point shot continued to be an issue for the C's, who were 9-for-31 from deep (29 percent), but the Magic also struggled slightly (8-for-30, 26.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the Game 4 showdown.
The Celtics and Magic will play Game 5 at TD Garden on Tuesday, April 29, at 8:30 P.M. Be sure to tune into 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
