Boston is back in the Eastern Conference semi finals.
Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and added 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Boston Celtics pulled away in the second half to defeat the Orlando Magic 120-89 on Tuesday night, closing out their first-round playoff series 4-1.
Jayson Tatum in Games 3-5 after missing Game 2 with wrist injury:
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 30, 2025
36 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST
37 PTS, 14 REB, 3 AST
35 PTS, 8 REB, 10 AST
35+ in 3 straight playoff games for the first time in his career.
Celtics close out Magic in 5.pic.twitter.com/2wcvXXR45P
The defending NBA champions advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they’ll face either the Knicks or Pistons. New York leads that series 3-2.
Boston outscored Orlando 31-9 after Paolo Banchero picked up his fifth foul midway through the third quarter, turning a four-point game into a blowout. Banchero had 19 points before heading to the bench and never returning in the third.
“It definitely swung the series. It definitely swung the game,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Your best player picks up his fifth foul in the third quarter. It’s tough to come back from that moment.”
Franz Wagner led Orlando with 25 points. Wendell Carter Jr. added 12 points and 10 rebounds, but the Magic couldn’t recover once their offense stalled without Banchero. Orlando has not won a playoff series since 2010.
Boston, known for its 3-point shooting, didn’t make a single three in the first half for the first time since 2021. But the Celtics shifted their approach, outscoring Orlando in the paint and at the foul line. Tatum went 10-for-16 from the field and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line, including four made 3-pointers in the second half.
Jaylen Brown added 23 points as Boston closed the game with control and composure. The Celtics led by as many as 33 in the fourth quarter.
“You just have to find different ways,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “That’s what this series called for.”
