(Field Level Media) Tristan da Silva scored a team-high 18 points and the Orlando Magic overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to beat the visiting Boston Celtics 108-104 yesterday.
The Celtics were within one point until da Silva capped the scoring by making a 3-pointer with 9.9 seconds to play. The Magic received 17 points from Trevelin Queen and 16 from Jalen Suggs in the victory.
Jaylen Brown had 35 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who were 8-for-33 from 3-point range. Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White each finished with 17 points. Orlando’s Goga Bitadze was ejected with 3:36 remaining for grabbing Porzingis by the throat following words between Porzingis and Suggs. Bitadze had eight points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
Jayson Tatum was scratched from the starting lineup minutes before tipoff due to an illness and did not play in the game. Tatum, Boston’s leading scorer, was coming off a 43-point performance in a 123-98 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. It’s the third game Tatum has missed this season, and the Celtics fell to 2-1 without him.
Boston had its first double-digit lead after a Brown dunk made it 24-14 with 2:34 left in the opening quarter. The Celtics had a 32-21 advantage after 12 minutes and led 58-43 at halftime.
Orlando was 16-for-47 from the field (34 percent) in the first two quarters, and the 15-point halftime margin was Boston’s largest lead of the first half.
The Magic took their first lead, 73-71, when Cole Anthony made a layup with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter. Orlando outscored Boston 36-21 in the period, and the contest was tied at 79 entering the fourth.
The Magic had a seven-point lead following a Jonathan Isaac 3-pointer with 10:09 remaining, and they led 95-87 after a Queen 3-pointer with 7:28 to play. Orlando extended its lead to 103-93 on a da Silva 3-pointer with 4:01 left.
The victory improved Orlando’s home record to 12-2.