ORLANDO, Fla. — Jayson Tatum posted 37 points and 14 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Boston Celtics secured a 107-98 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, taking a 3-1 lead in their NBA playoff series. Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points, including a key dunk off his own missed layup that gave Boston a decisive lead with 3:58 remaining. Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 31 points.
Game 5 of the best-of-seven first-round series is set for Tuesday night in Boston.
“This was a crucial win on the road in a tough, physical atmosphere against a team determined to knock us out,” said Brown. “It’s not over yet. We need to finish it because we don’t want to come back here.”
Derrick White contributed 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists for the Celtics, while Al Horford registered five blocks. For Orlando, Franz Wagner scored 24 points and dished out seven assists, and Corey Joseph added 12 points, the highest by a Magic guard in the series.
The 7-foot-3 Porzingis, who played just 22 minutes due to foul trouble, helped Boston overcome a tough 9-for-31 shooting performance from beyond the arc with strong inside play in the first half.
“I think he set the tone for us in the half-court game,” said Boston Coach Joe Mazzulla. “He got us off to a great start offensively with his screens and ability to get to the rim.”
The Magic struggled, shooting 8-for-29 from three-point range.
A dunk by Porzingis sparked an 18-3 run midway through the first half, and a three-pointer from him later gave the Celtics a nine-point lead, their largest of the game, with 7:45 left in the second quarter.
The Magic never led again after that, although Wendell Carter Jr.’s dunk tied the game at 91 with 4:18 remaining. The Celtics then took control, securing their first win in Orlando since October 2022. Tatum hit a 10-foot jumper, followed by three consecutive free throws and a layup, quickly pushing Boston’s lead back to seven points.
“Their experience showed,” said Banchero, who scored over 30 points for the sixth time in 11 postseason games despite shooting 12-for-32. “They weren’t rattled at all. They made big plays on both ends and were really sharp in the final four minutes.”
Boston guard Jrue Holiday missed his second straight game due to a strained right hamstring.
