This Orlando team has resources. For the second time in two days, the Magics won on the Boston floor this Sunday evening (95-92), in a much less prolific match than the day before (117-109). Carried by its Italian rookie Paolo Banchero (31 points), the Florida franchise has a sixth success in a row.
In a first half where the Magics and the Celtics generally lacked skill (37.5% for Orlando, 27.9% for Boston), it was the Orlando players who raced in the lead, with a Paolo Banchero as a guide (22 points at the break), and who returned to the locker room with the advantage (50-41).
Then in six minutes after returning from the locker room, things changed and the relative success of the Magics stalled a little, allowing the Celtics to return to a tie five minutes from the end of the third quarter (59-59). On the same dynamic and in the wake of a Jaylen Brown (24 points, 14 rebounds) who gradually heated the TD Garden, Boston even took control at the end of the third quarter (68-71).
Boston wasted its last minutes
Back in front in the last quarter, the Orlando players trembled until the epilogue of this meeting. Epilogue which came from the last possession wasted by Boston ten seconds from the end, allowing Jamahl Mosley’s men to maintain their three-point lead. The Magics continue with a second victory in two games on the floor of Boston (the sixth consecutive in the NBA) and with a record of 11 wins and 20 losses, are approaching the Wizards (11-19) and the Bulls (11-17) in front of them.
In the heights of the Eastern Conference standings, Boston – who played without Jason Tatum – with four defeats in the last five games, sees Milwaukee regain leadership and its gap with Cleveland melts in second position.
