Close but no cigar. Championship DNA wins out.
Jayson Tatum put on a show in a hostile environment and collected game highs of 37 points and 14 rebounds to lead the visiting Boston Celtics to a 107-98 victory over the young and talented Orlando Magic on Sunday in Game 4 of their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
The second-seeded Celtics went to the line and made 30 of their 32 free-throw attempts in the win, which gave Boston a 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven series.
The Magic tied the game at 91 on a Wendell Carter Jr. putback with just over four minutes remaining, but the reigning NBA champions seized control from that moment by scoring 10 of the next 11 points.
Four of Boston’s five starters scored at least 18 points. Jaylen Brown had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, despite playing with a dislocated finger, Kristaps Porzingis tossed in 19 points and Derrick White finished with 18.
“This was a big win on the road in a tough, physical environment against a team that’s been eager to take us out,” Brown said. “It’s not over. We’ve got to close it out because we don’t want to come back here.”
The 7-foot-3 Porzingis, who played only 22 minutes due to foul trouble and a back injury, helped Boston overcome shooting 9 for 31 from 3-point range with dominant post play in the first half.
“I think he set the tone for us in the half-court game,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I thought he got us off to a great start offensively with his screening and his ability to get to the rim.”
Embed from Getty ImagesPaolo Banchero led seventh-seeded Orlando by scoring 31 points. This was his seventh consecutive playoff game scoring at least 25 points. Franz Wagner added 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists, and Carter finished with nine points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
“Their experience showed,” said Banchero, who shot 12 for 32 from the field, but scored 30-plus points for the sixth time in his 11 postseason games. “They weren’t rattled at all. They were making big plays on both ends. They were really sharp over the last four minutes.”
Cory Joseph (12) and Anthony Black (10) were the other Magic players who scored in double figures.
Boston’s Jrue Holiday missed his second straight game in the series with a hamstring strain. The Celtics bench were held in check and limited to six points, all from Sam Hauser with two threes.
The Celtics were 9 of 31 on 3-point attempts (29 percent). Orlando was 8 of 30 from behind the 3-point arc (26.7 percent).
Boston led 32-29 after twelve minutes of action and stretched their lead to nine, 42-33, with 7:46 left in the first half. Orlando took the lead by two, 48-46, on a Banchero layup with 3:17 remaining in the first half. The Celtics finished the quarter on a 7-0 run and had a 53-48 halftime lead.
Orlando edged Boston 27-26 in the third quarter, which left Boston with a 79-75 advantage going into the critical final frame. Brown scored 11 of his 21 points in the third.
The Celtics can move on with a ‘Gentlemen’s Sweep’ if they are victorious in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Boston.
