When the Celtics shoot somewhere in the neighborhood of 44 percent from the floor and 27 percent from 3-point range, as they did Sunday against the Magic, that is often an indicator that perhaps it simply isn’t their night.
In this particular game, though, those numbers didn’t tell the whole story. Boston made crucial hustle plays, extra passes and played excellent defense, leaning on intangibles and collective grit to outlast Orlando, 108-97, and move to 5-1 on the season.
Jayson Tatum led the way
with 32 points (15 of 17 from the free-throw line) and seven assists. Paul George added 17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
The Magic (2-4) jumped out to a 13-4 edge, as the Celtics looked a step slow in the opening minutes and Orlando burned Boston from the outside.
Hugo González and Tatum responded with conviction, with González contributing an and-one and a crafty lefty finish in traffic and Tatum doing damage all over. González finished with 7 points in first start of the season.
A Luka Garza and-one in the final minute gave the Celtics the lead, and they took that 24-23 edge into the second quarter despite shooting just 9 percent from 3-point range in the first. Orlando shot 50 percent from 3 but had eight turnovers, and Boston’s ability to turn defense into offense paid dividends.
Tatum took a hit to the head, started bleeding and briefly went to the locker room before returning.
The Celtics’ shooting woes continued into the second, as they started the game 1 for 15 from distance despite getting decent looks. But, they continued to make timely plays, as Payton Pritchard found Baylor Scheierman in the corner, Garza connected with Tatum for two more and Jordan Walsh sprayed it to Derrick White for a triple. Neemias Queta added a thunderous dunk, Pritchard kept Orlando off balance and Tatum was terrific defensively.
Boston shot 23 percent from 3 in the half, yet won the turnover battle, 9-3, and built a 55-50 halftime advantage behind 17 points from Tatum.
George helped Boston push the lead to double digits early in the third, stymying Orlando on one end feeding Queta (who got the start with Mitchell Robinson resting) for a lob on the other. George continues to mesh well stylistically with the Celtics and look like he has been in Boston all along.
White buried a 3 to extend the margin to 69-54, and a diving hustle play and silky side-step 3 from Sam Hauser kept the energy high late in the quarter.
The Magic, playing without Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs, answered with a 12-0 run behind shotmaking from Tristan da Silva (23 points). They tied it at 72 on an Anthony Black (23 points as well) corner 3, then Tatum hit two five free throws late to give Boston a 77-74 edge through three.
A Pritchard and-one, that Brian Scalabrine referred to as “Michael Jordan vibes,” and Garza 3 gave Boston an 85-79 advantage with 9:48 remaining. George extended it to 90-83 with a corner triple of his own two-plus minutes later.
Scheierman splashed another 3 to push it back to double digits. Orlando answered with an 8-0 flurry, then Tatum calmly canned back-to-back jumpers to create a bit of breathing room. A timely Queta swat and George dagger 3 helped seal it.
The Celtics (29 assists Sunday) have racked up 25-plus assists in all six of their games so far, which is the longest streak to start a season in franchise history.
This was Boston’s first of 12 road games in November. Next up is a matchup at Houston on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
