BSJ Game Report: Magic 123, Celtics 110 - Brown drops 32, but C's fall apart late

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

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics started quickly, but that turned around in a hurry as the Magic made shot, grabbed rebounds, and turned Boston over. Their 16-point first-quarter lead was cut down to four until a mid-quarter Magic run. It settled at eight at halftime, and four at the end of three, thanks to another big Jaylen Brown outburst. Anfernee Simons willed Boston to a lead, but a bad turnover ignited a Magic run that put the game away. 

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Bottom fell out: This was a hard-fought game the whole way, and it looked like the Celtics might be coming back to steal a win. But everything fell apart over the last six minutes. It’s a shame to see such a dramatic momentum shift, but some of these demoralizing kinds of plays can simply be killers if the other team starts rolling.

- Shooting outlier: The Magic came in averaging about 10 3-point makes per game. They made 17 in this one, a season-high. Not only are the Celtics not going to win if they're -12 in the 3-point battle, they're not going to win if their game plan is to allow certain shots that suddenly fall. 

- Brown great again: Another 30-point game for him (32 on 15-28 fg, 1-6 3pt, 1-2 ft). Most of his damage was done getting to the rim. He didn’t draw fouls like he has been, but his third quarter was key to Boston having a chance. He also added nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals. 

TURNING POINT 

The Celtics had a 96-95 lead, but Josh Minott committed a terrible turnover right under the basket trying to get the ball back to Jaylen Brown. The Magic immediately went on a 14-2 run to go up 11 and hold Boston off the rest of the way. 

THINGS I LIKED

- Jaylen Brown: He didn't have the 3-pointer working, but he was a killer in the mid-range and getting to the rim. He probably could have gotten to the line a little bit more, but Orlando games are tough going. I didn’t like some of his fouls and turnovers (he had four), but overall a nice night for him. 

It’s the fourth time a Celtic has put up six 30-point games in his first 10 games of a season (Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Jayson Tatum twice). He also threw down his first dunk of the season. 

- Josh Minott: The turnover was brutal, but I liked his energy, especially early on. He had 12 points and eight rebounds, which, in the long run, might be a perfect stat line for him. 

- Jordan Walsh & Hugo Gonzalez: Another nice night energy-wise early on. I think the second quarter was a big stretch for both of these guys. Their impact wasn’t as big in the second half, but they were able to keep the game within reach early. 

- Anfernee Simons’ 4th quarter: He didn’t play much early, but he didn’t let that hold him back with 11 in the fourth. I think Joe Mazzulla should have kept him in the whole fourth the way he was shooting. Mazzulla did go back to Simons after the Magic went on their run, but I think this could have been a hot-hand situation worth exploring. 

- Payton Pritchard: He had 27 points and, finally, a great shooting night from deep. He might be the first out of the slump (Derrick White was 1-6 from 3) which is a nice thing to see. But in typical Pritchard fashion this season, he made a living in the paint. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- Late-game execution: The final six minutes were a mess. The Celtics turned it over four times, shot 5-14 overall, and allowed the Magic to go 8-11 from the field (4-6 from 3) and get to the line eight times. The Magic had three steals and scored 28 points over that stretch. 

- Too many fouls: We’re going to have to accept some level of fouling, but at the same time, the Celtics put the Magic in the bonus too early in the fourth and it burned them later in the game. It’s impossible to play a physical team like Orlando when you’ve put them in the bonus for most of a quarter. There's no way to match their physicality without putting them on the line. 

- Shooting … again: There's just no way to lose the 3-point battle by even four makes and beat the Magic. White, Brown, and Sam Hauser shot 3-17 from deep. That's not going to cut it. 

HIGHLIGHTS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL REGRET LATER

- Orlando is going to be tough to beat this season

The Celtics' game plan was to live with certain guys shooting, and those guys roasted Boston. The Celtics actually did a good job mitigating the second-chance points (Orlando won it 19-16) and fastbreak points (Orlando 11-10), but the fouls were out of hand (Orlando 24-31, Boston 11-16), and the shooting wasn’t close to good enough to win. 

I think it says a lot that Orlando was able to put up 39 and 38 point quarters. Their offense is bad, but the Celtics have to live with something in games this season. If Orlando is hitting shots, then there's no way the Celtics can make up for it anywhere else unless they're hitting more shots. 

What sucks for Boston is this was probably the outlier 3-point shooting game, and Sunday will be a return to normal, second-chance points/offensive rebounding barrage. Orlando is too big and strong for the Celtics to handle without giving up another aspect of the game. That's going to make them very difficult to beat. 

I can’t wait to see what the C’s have in store for them on Sunday. 

Next Up: The Celtics remain in Orlando for a game Sunday evening.