The Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals after defeating the Orlando Magic 120-89 in Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs Tuesday night. The Magic kept things close at halftime, 49-47, until the star forward Paolo Banchero was benched for committing four fouls within two minutes in the third quarter, allowing the Celtics to go on a 30-9 run. This put the defending champs up 83-62, giving the Magic a 21-point deficit by the end of the third frame.
“It definitely swung the game […] that was the game changer right there, your best player picks up his fifth foul in the third quarter,” head coach Jamahl Mosley told NBC Sports Boston when asked about Banchero’s fifth foul.
With Jrue Holiday sitting out for the second-straight night after suffering a right hamstring strain, the Celtics struggled to capture the lead in the first half. After Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard checked in with a little more than six minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Magic went on a 9-2 run. Nonetheless, the franchise finished strong, closing their opponent’s lead to four points, 27-23.
Looking at player stats, Jayson Tatum notched another double-double, topping the team with 35 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. The former Duke Blue Devil improved from the three-point line, knocking down four of five attempts all within the second half. Additionally, the leader buried six of 11 shots from field goal range and made all 11 free throws.
Alongside Tatum, Jaylon Brown helped the franchise secure the series by dropping 23 points. Despite coming into the clash questionable with a right knee posterior impingement, the 28-year-old drained two of four tries from beyond the arc, nailing seven of 14 two-pointers and going three for five from the foul line. To add on, the guard secured six boards and dished out three assists. Currently, when it comes to the first round, Brown owns an impressive 8-0 record, according to Celtics Stats.
“Orlando did a good job of trying to make us play a different style of ball, and I think we adjusted to that well,” Brown told Taylor Snow, an NBA writer, when asked about the Magic’s performance.
Moving on, with 20 minutes of play, Hauser contributed 10 points coming off the bench and dominated from every angle. Shooting 100 percent, the 27-year-old nailed two apiece from within the perimeter and downtown. The forward caught fire in the third quarter, accumulating five points with a little more than two minutes left. Similar to Hauser, Pritchard totaled 10 points, converting two of four tries from the three-point line and two of four shots from within the paint.
Turning the page, Al Horford replaced Holiday in the starting five lineup, and once again did not disappoint. The big man finished the night with nine points, sinking three of four field goals and drilling one from long range. To add on, the 38-year-old snagged six defensive rebounds, assisted four teammates, stole a ball and blocked the rock once.
Regardless of the dominating victory, not every Celtics player performed well. Kristaps Porzingis earned nine points, cashing in three of five two-pointers and making three of four foul shots, but missed all three attempts from deep. The dynamic center has not been playing like himself, averaging a little more than 35 percent from within the arc and nearly 12 percent from long range, with 12 points throughout the series, per Rotowire. Seeing the unicorn shooting better in the semifinals should come as no surprise, as he accumulated 19 and a half points per contest in the regular season.
In addition, Derrick White, who put up 15-plus points in the first four meetings, only recorded five points, scoring two of three attempts from field goal range, but struggled from downtown, missing all three tries. Nevertheless, the two-way player had five assists and snagged six boards. However, problems arose for White and Porzingis after getting into early trouble with three fouls apiece.
With the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons’ series still underway, the Celtics wait to see who their next opponents will be. The time and schedule for the series is to be determined.