The Boston Celtics didn’t just play bad during the first half of Game 5 of its first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night, they played historically bad.
The defending NBA champions failed to connect on a three-pointer in a half for the first time since 2021, and headed into the break trailing by two points against a Magic squad with its own share of offensive woes. Luckily for Celtics fans, however, the home team found its form over the final two quarters, connecting on 13-of-17 shots from deep down the stretch on its way to a series-clinching 120-89 victory.
Jaylen Brown scored 23 points in Boston’s series-clinching Game 5 victory Tuesday night.
“Orlando did a good job of trying to make us play a different style of ball, and I think we adjusted to that well,” Jaylen Brown said of his team’s turnaround from the first half to the second. “They wanted to take away our 3-point shooting. … I think it was a great challenge for us, and I think it’s a great step for us moving forward.”
Six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum, who led the way Tuesday with an impressive 35-point, 10-assist, eight rebound performance, agreed. A physical series from the start, Tatum was forced to miss his first-ever playoff game in Game 2 after suffering a bone bruise in his right wrist on a hard foul by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the series opener.
Tempers flared several times as the series progressed, prompting Brown to say “if you want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round” following his team’s Game 3 loss. Tatum, meanwhile, responded on the court with three-straight games of 35 points or better after returning from his injury, and became the first player in NBA history to make 10 or more free throws without a miss in three-consecutive playoff games.
‘Exactly What We Needed’
The Celtics will play either the New York Knicks or Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
“Yeah, it was probably exactly what we needed,” said Tatum, who led the Celtics with 35 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds. “A good test [for the] first round. A couple guys really banged up and dealing with some things. But [just] showing that mental toughness of getting up and getting ready for each game and doing whatever it takes, whatever the game calls for and figuring out a way to win. That’s all that matters this time of the year. As a group, we’ve been through it all, and we showed it and proved it this series.”
Brown added 23 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Celtics, while Sam Hauser (10 points) and Payton Pritchard (10 points, three rebounds) played well off the bench. Starters Kristaps Porzingis (nine points, six rebounds, four assists), Al Horford (nine points) and Derrick White (five points, five assists) also played well on both ends of the floor.
End Of My Celtics Rant
The Celtics will now have at least some time to recover from the physicality of the series while they await their opponent for the Eastern Conference Semifinals. And with point guard Jrue Holiday nursing a hamstring injury suffered in Game 2, Boston will take all the extra rest it can get.
“I thought that was the theme of the series, was the trenches and the physicality there,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Every series, every game presents lessons. You have to take those lessons if you’re fortunate to move on, so there’s a lot that we can learn from this series, and we’ve got to be ready for whoever we play against.”
Game 6 of the first-round series between the Kicks and Pistons is slated for Thursday night, with New York leading the series, 3-2. The Celtics were 3-0 against the Knicks during the regular season and 3-1 against the Pistons.
