Celtics survive Magic
Boston beat Orlando 112–108 in a close game that included a notable block by Dalano Banton and late defensive stands. The game’s finishing sequence featured key stops that preserved the Celtics’ narrow lead. Box-score oddities and clutch plays shaped the ending as both teams closed the regular season. (x.com) (x.com)
Boston closed the regular season with a 113-108 win over Orlando on Sunday, surviving a late tie game with stops and one last three-pointer. (espn.com) The Celtics were missing Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but Baylor Scheierman scored a career-high 30 points and Luka Garza added 27 points and 12 rebounds at TD Garden on April 12. (espn.com) (landofbasketball.com) Orlando erased Boston’s lead and tied the game at 108-108 with 36.4 seconds left after trailing since the third quarter. Garza answered with a three-pointer with 31.6 seconds remaining, the shot that put Boston back in front for good. (foxsports.com) (espn.com) The finish mattered beyond one April game. Orlando’s loss dropped the Magic to the Eastern Conference No. 8 seed, and the team is now headed to Philadelphia for a play-in game against the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, April 15. (nba.com) (espn.com) Boston finished 56-26 and will wait for its first-round opponent, while Orlando finished 45-37 after letting a seeding opportunity slip on the final day. (espn.com) (realgm.com) The box score was strange even before the ending. Dalano Banton scored only two points on 0-for-3 shooting, but he had seven assists, four blocks and six turnovers in 36 minutes for Boston. (landofbasketball.com) Scheierman and Ron Harper Jr. carried much of the offense from the perimeter. Scheierman hit 6 of 14 three-point attempts, and Harper scored 27 points on 5-of-12 shooting from deep. (landofbasketball.com) Orlando got 23 points and 11 assists from Paolo Banchero, who also recorded 10 rebounds for a triple-double, and 23 points from Jalen Suggs, who made seven threes. The Magic still shot 12 for 43 from long range and committed 19 turnovers. (foxsports.com) (landofbasketball.com) The swing came in the third quarter, when Boston scored 42 points after managing only 52 in the first half. Fox Sports’ play-by-play logged a 19-4 Celtics run over 4:17 that turned the game. (foxsports.com) Boston’s backups ended the season by protecting a five-point margin in the final half-minute. Orlando now gets no reset: the next game is already a win-and-in night in Philadelphia. (espn.com) (nba.com)
