BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The short-handed Boston Celtics overcame a slow start en route to dominating the visiting Orlando Magic 128-111 on Friday. Jayson Tatum had 30 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead six double-figure scorers for Boston, which has won four straight and is 13-0 at home this season.
Payton Pritchard added 21 on a season-high six 3-pointers, while Derrick White stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals.
Jaylen Brown had 18 points, and Oshae Brissett and Sam Hauser 11 each to help the Celtics, who played without centers Kristaps Porzingis (calf), Al Horford (rest) and Luke Kornet (thigh) as well as guard Dalano Banton (non-COVID illness).
Orlando also had six players in double figures, including Jalen Suggs with 19 after suffering a wrist injury in the first half. Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner had 17 apiece.
Goga Bitadze posted a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double. Paolo Banchero added 14 points, and Anthony Black 13.
Orlando posted an opening 7-0 run and led 11-4 after Banchero’s driving finish at the 7:46 mark, but Brown’s 10 first-quarter points helped the hosts take back momentum.
Pritchard hit back-to-back 3-pointers off the bench, bringing Boston back within a basket with 4:32 left. Pritchard drained another after Tatum broke a tie in the final minute for a 30-24 advantage after one period.
After Tatum’s 3-point play got Boston off to a strong second-quarter start, Anthony sank a pair of threes and had eight points as Orlando responded with a 10-2 run.
Brissett had two of the Celtics’ next three baskets to help kick off a 13-3 spurt, extending their lead to double-digits. White fed Tatum for his second of three first-half dunks with 3:30 left before halftime.
The Celtics’ lead grew as high as 21 in the third, thanks to a 7-for-12 3-point shooting effort. Brown opened Boston’s scoring in the quarter with a turnaround shot, about two and a half minutes before White began the barrage from distance.
Pritchard also hit consecutive treys in the quarter, which Tatum finished with a driving 3-point play to get Boston over 100 points.
Moritz Wagner’s layup helped Orlando start the fourth on a 5-0 run, but Tatum and White responded with threes made 23 seconds apart. A Brissett dunk forced a Magic timeout with 7:52 left, matching Boston’s largest lead at 25.
Neemias Queta’s personal 5-0 run helped the Celtics late, responding to five straight Magic points.
–Field Level Media