Wagner and Banchero Lead Magic to Narrow Win Over Celtics
Franz Wagner scored 32 points and Paolo Banchero added 29 as the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 95-93 on Friday night to cut Boston’s lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Jayson Tatum returned to Boston’s starting line-up after missing Game 2 with a bruised wrist and led the Celtics with 36 points and nine rebounds.
The defending NBA champions had been strong away from home this season, winning 33 games and losing only eight, but they are now 0-3 in Orlando in the 2024-25 campaign. The Magic will host Game 4 on Sunday.
The Celtics, who set several NBA records for three-point shooting during the regular season, struggled badly from long range in Game 3. They made just 9 of 27 three-pointers and went 17 minutes in the second half without scoring from behind the arc.
The match was a rough and scrappy contest, with 43 fouls, a flagrant foul and 35 turnovers — including 21 committed by Boston against Orlando’s tough defence.
“I feel like it suits our team, our playing style,” said Wagner, who also had eight assists and seven rebounds. “We’ve played like that all year, and I feel like whoever plays more aggressively is going to win in this series.”
A flagrant foul was given against Orlando’s Cole Anthony after a collision that caused Boston’s Jaylen Brown to dislocate his left index finger.
“Maybe a fight will break out in Game 4,” said Brown, who finished with 19 points and five fouls. “If you want to fight, we can do that and see who goes to the second round.”
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, who had seven points and four fouls, said Boston needed to adapt: “Some fouls they call and some they don’t. We have to accept it. It’s very different from the regular season.”
Boston fought back after scoring only 11 points in the third quarter. Derrick White’s layup tied the game at 91-91 with just over two minutes left. Wagner then scored back-to-back baskets to give Orlando a 95-91 lead.
White responded with another basket, but Wagner missed a three-pointer, giving Boston one last chance. However, with only 0.3 seconds left, White’s pass towards the basket was knocked away as time ran out.
The Celtics were also missing Jrue Holiday, who sat out with a hamstring injury.
Tatum, who had been listed as doubtful earlier on Friday, started brightly, scoring 21 points in the first half to help Boston to a 10-point lead at the break.
He stretched the lead to 11 early in the second half with a three-pointer, but Boston then missed 17 of their next 19 shots. They did not score another three-pointer until Al Horford made one with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter.
Wagner and Banchero combined for nine points during a 14-0 run that helped the Magic take the lead, and they finished the third quarter ahead 86-74.
