BSJ Game Report: Magic 108, Celtics 104 - C's fall apart in third quarter of physical battle

Everything you need to know about the Celtics loss to the Magic, with BSJ insight and analysis

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics bolted out of the gates, playing aggressively on both ends behind Jaylen Brown (15 pts) to go up 11 after 12 minutes. Things slowed down with Brown out to start the second but they picked up on his return and the lead grew to 15 at the half. The Magic opened the third quarter on a 26-11 run to tie things back up and then started the fourth on a 7-0 run to take the lead. The lead grew to 10 and things got chippy, but Orlando got huge performances from two-way player Trevelin Queen (17 points) and rookie Tristan da Silva (18 points and the dagger 3-pointer) to upset the Celtics. 

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Slugfest: This was some old school Eastern Conference basketball. Orlando is a big, tough team and no matter who is in or out, they will play how they play. The Celtics matched it early but Orlando kept feeding off it while the Celtics struggled with it as the game went on. It kind of felt like an old Hulk Hogan wrestling match where all of a sudden the Magic hulked up, Boston’s punches had no impact, and they dropped the big leg to finish off the Celtics. 

- Second half fade: After the first half, Boston was winning the points off turnovers battle 14-7 even though the Celtics only had one less turnover. That flipped in the third quarter, with Boston turning it over seven times for 14 points and Boston only getting eight points off six Magic turnovers. The Celtics had just four assists in the second half, choosing to dribble a lot more than usual. 

- Poor shooting: Boston shot 37% in the second half and just 5-17 from 3 after halftime while Orlando was 58.3% overall and 10-18 from 3. Overall, Boston was 8-32 from 3, putting up season-lows in both makes and attempts. 

TURNING POINT 

Orlando’s 7-0 run to start the fourth wasn’t where the game was lost, necessarily, but it’s where the Magic truly took control of the game. Joe Mazzulla’s quick timeout changed his approach to challenges and the end of the game, and overall Boston was just on their heels, reacting to what the Magic were doing rather than being the aggressors. 

THINGS I LIKED

- The first half: I loved the first quarter. I thought they played at a beautiful pace, Brown was focused and aggressive, and the Celtics were attacking with purpose. Sure, things slowed down a little in the second quarter, but they finished strong. I thought their heads were in the right place and it was going to be an easy march to a win. Maybe they did, too. 

Brown was 8-13 from the field with five rebounds, four assists, and a steal. He was a +17. Overall, he finished with 35 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals, so he had a great overall night, but he had some critical turnovers that took away from his performance. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- The third quarter: Every Celtics turnover hurt them. They dribbled around way too much, they gave up easy buckets off their mistakes, and it gave Orlando life. 

“They forced more live ball turnovers and they were able to get out in transition,” Joe Mazzulla said. “Once you get it close, that team thrives on that.” 

The third quarter was a disaster for Boston. They lost their whole 15-point lead in one quarter. It felt like they were satisfied with themselves at halftime and didn’t feel the need to put a shorthanded team away.

- The turnovers: I just have to highlight this separately. Brown, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday all had five turnovers apiece. Almost all of them were costly.

- 3-point shooting: Brown was 1-7, Al Horford was 1-5, Kristaps Porzingis was 0-4, and Payton Pritchard was 1-5. Most of these were good looks. The Celtics have dropped to 16th in the NBA in 3-point percentage at 36.3%. They're shooting 32.9% over their last five games. This is one of the downsides to going so heavy on 3-pointers. Sometimes the touch goes away and they need to find other ways to win. They could have done that in this game if they weren’t so sloppy with the ball. 

- Nothing from the bench: Pritchard hit a few shots but he was a -12 in a rare stinker. Luke Kornet couldn't catch anything thrown his way. Sam Hauser didn’t even get a shot attempt. Meanwhile, Orlando’s bench scored 41 points. That's a bench AFTER guys were elevated into starting roles with half the team out due to injury. 

HIGHLIGHTS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- I’m okay with Al Horford’s 3-pointer at the end of regulation

Let’s break this down. Boston is down one with about :40 left, they have the ball and one timeout. Here’s the situation they faced once they got over half court: 

It’s a scramble, and Horford breaks free for the corner 3. He get it with :35 left. So why shoot it instead of driving it and going for two to try to take the lead? 

Because they only had one timeout left, they only had one chance to advance the ball in case of an Orlando make after Boston’s shot attempt. That means they needed to find a good shot and then hope to get a stop. If they couldn't get the stop, they needed time to get another decent shot. 

Yes, that's a two-for-one, but no, it’s not about “blaming the nerds” as one comment said in the live thread. It’s about giving yourself chances just in case. It’s situational basketball. If Boston had two timeouts, then they could have approached it differently. But with one, getting a good look and then hoping to get a stop so they could set up for a second crack at it was their best choice. 

We’ve seen Al make that shot before. It’s not a bad look in that situation. The Celtics defense didn’t do its job after that, but if they’d gotten the stop, Mazzulla could have stopped the clock, advanced it, and gotten another crack at it. Tristan da Silva’s shot went through with :10 on the clock. Getting a stop with :10 would have allowed them to push the ball up the floor, see if they could gain an advantage, and then call a timeout for a set play if nothing materialized. 

If Al had made the shot, Boston would be up two, and then even if Orlando managed to hit a 3, Boston would have had time to try to answer. 

If they had worked the ball around, even if it led to a 2, Boston would not have had the same chances to score. 

If Porzingis had sprung free down low, then he would have gotten the ball. If another player was more open, then he might have gotten the ball. But Horford was the one who got the ball in that spot and it’s a shot he’s knocked down plenty in the past. It was also the right play given the situation. 

Next up: The Celtics take on the Sixers on Christmas at 5 p.m.