The Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 107-98 in the series’ fourth game of the NBA playoffs. The storyline heading into the matchup was Jrue Holiday missing his second straight contest after suffering a right hamstring strain in the series’ third clash.
As a top 20 defender in the regular season, according to the NBA, the two-way player allowed a little more than eight second chance and a little over nine fast-break points per game. Looking at Friday’s meeting, the Celtics allowed 16 second chance and 18 points in fast transitions, per the NBA. This shows the value Holiday brings to the team defensively.
“His ability to guard different possessions, his ability to pressure the basketball, his ability to take tendencies from individuals and just make winning plays, whether it’s our offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding, screening, another ball handler to have out there versus pressure, and then in transition he can create advantages for others with his screening and his pace,” head coach Joe Mazzulla told Boston.com when asked about Holiday.
The team not only struggled with defending, but also botched 19 plays and accumulated a combined total of 20 personal fouls. However, the script flipped on Sunday as the Magic racked up 14 second chance and 13 fastbreak points. To add on, the Celtics committed 17 fouls but only turned the rock over 10 times.
Turning to the team’s statistics, Jayson Tatum dropped 37 points, notching his thirty-second 30-plus game in the playoffs, the second most in franchise history, sitting behind Larry Bird with 43 matches. The 27-year-old drained seven of 15 shots from the field but once again struggled from deep, making just three of 10 attempts. Additionally, with 14 rebounds and three assists, the star forward earned a double-double. Regardless of performing well, something to note was that after landing on his wrist once more, the camera showed Tatum in pain.
Aside from the leader, Jaylen Brown also secured a double-double, contributing 21 points, grabbing 11 boards and dishing out one assist. The 28-year-old knocked down six of 13 tries from within the arc but missed all three shots from downtown. In addition, with four giveaways and three fouls, Brown improved at making fewer errors, whereas on Friday, he had six mistakes and five penalties. Regardless of potentially still dealing with a knee injury, Brown has dominated the court to start the postseason.
Moving on to the third highest scorer, Kristaps Porzingis recorded 19 points for the C’s, cashing in two of four three-pointers and five of 10 shots within the paint. However, problems arose for the big man after committing three fouls in less than 20 seconds with a little over six minutes remaining in the second quarter. To add on, the unicorn acquired another two after halftime, forcing Mazzulla to bench him with nearly nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Despite almost fouling out, Porzingis returned after Wendell Carter Jr. buried a layup for the Magic, tying the contest 91-91 with 4:16 left. Heading into the fifth showdown, controlling infringements is a must, as the 7-foot-2 center was the third-highest scorer for the franchise, averaging 19 and a half points in the regular season, per ESPN.
Along with Porzingis, Derrick White notched 18 points, hitting two of six attempts from long range and shooting perfectly from within the arc. Defensively, the two-way player grabbed seven rebounds, dished out seven assists and blocked a ball.
Some honorable mentions, who clutched up at the right moments, were Sam Hauser and Al Horford. Despite the two only scoring six points apiece, neither had a poor match. In the first quarter, not much went in the Celtics’ favor until Hauser checked in and caught fire immediately. With 5:24 left in the first frame, the forward nailed two threes, his first points in the playoffs. This gave the team momentum, allowing them to capture the lead by the end of the quarter.
Horford showcased a dominating performance defensively, swatting away five potential baskets, the second player in NBA history to do so at age 38-plus, according to Celtics Stats. Moreover, the center snagged six rebounds and assisted two teammates. The former Florida Gator tried doing it all, but struggled at shooting, missing all three deep attempts and converting two of four field goals.
“There should be a separate stat sheet for guys like him [Horford] because of the type of stuff he does,” Mazzulla told NBC Sports Boston when asked about Horford’s performance.
Diving into the negatives, the major one was facing challenges from the three-point line, as the Celtics combined drained nine of 31 tries. Fixing this problem is crucial, as the only thing keeping the Magic from making the series 2-2 was botching six of 20 free throws, while the Celtics nearly went perfect, missing two of 32 tries.
Fans can watch the series’ fifth matchup on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. on NBA TV or NBC Sports Boston.