It might be time to start taking the Orlando Magic seriously in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics learned that the hard way on Black Friday.
The Magic overcame an early deficit to take down the Celtics, 113-96, in an NBA In-Season Tournament game at Amway Center. The 17-point margin marked Boston’s biggest loss of the 2023-24 season.
Orlando showed no signs of a tryptophan-induced Thanksgiving hangover, playing with plenty of energy from start to finish after the matinee tipoff.
The Celtics, owners of the NBA’s best record, fell to 12-4. The Magic improved to 11-5, the second-best record in the East.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Celtics missed an opportunity with Friday’s loss, as a victory would’ve punched Boston’s ticket to the quarterfinals of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament as the winner of Group C.
Instead, the Magic sit atop Group C with a 3-1 record in tournament play. The Celtics are 2-1, with wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors, and have one tournament game remaining against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday at TD Garden.
The Celtics still can win Group C or earn a wild-card spot via point differential. But they’re now fighting an uphill battle thanks to Friday afternoon’s loss.
It’s not the end of the world for a team with NBA championship aspirations. Still, winning the In-Season Tournament would be nice, right?
Anyway, the bigger development centers around health. The Celtics, who were outscored 94-66 after the first quarter Friday, started the game without Jrue Holiday (right ankle sprain) and finished without Kristaps Porzingis (left calf tightness). Derrick White also suffered a left forearm contusion during the contest but returned to action.
If there’s one knock on the Celtics, it’s their depth beyond the stars. Once you get past the top six — Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Holiday, Porzingis and White — the bench rotation becomes a bit murky. So, the Celtics need to hope the injuries to Holiday and Porzingis don’t linger.
The complexion of Friday’s game really changed with a 17-0 Orlando run in the third quarter.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Mo Wagner was a beast off the bench for Orlando, scoring 27 points in 24 minutes.
— Paolo Banchero, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, totaled 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists on 10 of 16 shooting, including 2-for-6 from beyond the arc.
— Tatum led the Celtics with 26 points. He went 7-for-16 from the field (0-for-3 from 3-point range) and 12-for-13 from the free-throw line.
WAGER WATCH
The Magic entered the game as 5.5-point underdogs at FanDuel Sportsbook. They were +172 on the moneyline, meaning a $100 wager on Orlando would’ve netted you $172 ($72 profit).
UP NEXT
The Celtics return home for an extended stretch. They don’t have a road regular-season game until beginning a West Coast swing Dec. 19.
Boston will host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. After that, it’s back-to-back games against the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers next Tuesday and Friday, respectively, at TD Garden prior to the NBA In-Season Tournament knockout rounds.
