Magic Suffer in Game 5

Boston, MA— After lackluster play all series long, the Celtics handed the Magic the final dagger in their season, giving Orlando a lopsided 120-89 loss in Game 5.

The Magic wasn’t able to keep up with the Celtics’ firepower this series, and despite a great win at home in Game 3, this rollercoaster of a season is now over for Orlando, and they will evaluate their future moving forward after Round 1 exits in back-to-back years.

Magic Start Off Hot

The game seemed like it would be competitive in the first half after the Magic were up by two heading into the locker room. The Magic and Celtics traded blows in the first quarter, where Orlando was killing Boston from everywhere on the court, as they shot 40% from deep and were able to get in the paint anytime they wanted.

The second quarter was where the gameplan started to falter a little for Orlando. The Magic went 0-8 from three point range in the second, but their physicality down low gave them extra points from the free-throw line to keep the game close.

The Celtics were ice cold from three-point land in the first half, as they ended up going 0-6 in the entire half and allowed for a 49-47 Magic lead at the half and gave Orlando hope to extend the series.

Second Half Slaughter

Things went downhill extremely fast in the second half as Paolo Banchero picked up three quick fouls to start the third quarter, forcing him to sit with five fouls for about 10 minutes to ensure he doesn’t foul out of the game early. The Magic were within one point of the Celtics before Paolo sat, and that was when Boston turned up the intensity.

The Celtics could not miss all quarter long as they hit a staggering 64.7% of their field goals during the third, as opposed to Orlando’s 27.3%. Boston finally hit their threes, going 5-8, and Orlando continued their cold streak from the second and could not hit a shot. Despite their poor shooting, Mosley decided to keep the Magic firing from deep as they went 0-11.

The fourth quarter was somehow just as bad, with Boston scoring 37 points, adding more fuel to the already huge fire that was lit at halftime. The Celtics continued adding to their lead, and it led to a near 40 lead during the quarter, while the Magic made some good plays here and there, but ultimately were too far behind to make a dent in the game anymore.

Individual Performances

As has been a theme in these playoffs, the Magic bench didn’t show up too much, with Anthony Black leading all bench scorers with eight points on 30% shooting. The starters didn’t play much better, outside of Franz Wagner’s 25-point outing.

Paolo Banchero, who sat most of the third quarter in foul trouble, ended with just 19 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. had a double-double. Corey Joseph missed all his shots, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had just eight points, which highlighted the same old issues from all season long with their lack of scoring.

On the Celtics’ side, there was a great all-around team performance, led by Jayson Tatum’s 35-point near triple-double. Jaylen Brown had 23 points, and almost every Celtic who played on the night put the ball in the hoop. The shooting discrepancy between the teams was astronomical, with Boston hitting 56.6% of their shots as opposed to Orlando’s 37.5%.