Orlando Magic Secure Seventh Spot with Triumph Over Celtics

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Franz Wagner dazzled with 23 points, while Cole Anthony added a notable 18 points off the bench, propelling the Orlando Magic to a 96-76 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday evening. This win secured the Magic seventh place in the Eastern Conference, earning them the lead position in the play-in tournament.

Baylor Scheierman and Payton Pritchard each scored 15 points to top the score sheet for a Celtics team that benched its top six players. The Celtics struggled from behind the arc, making just 7 out of 40 three-point attempts.

Boston stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford were all sidelined during the game.

Paolo Banchero contributed significantly with 15 points and six assists for the Magic. Notably, this game marked Wagner’s 12th consecutive performance scoring 20 or more points.

Takeaways

For the Celtics: Locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, the team played just 24 hours after an overtime thriller against New York. Scoring only 76 points, the Celtics recorded their season-low, failing to surpass the 92-point game against Oklahoma City on January 5.

For the Magic: With their eighth win in ten games, the Magic secured a home-court advantage in the initial play-in tournament round, awaiting an undisclosed opponent. A victory in that clash would solidify them as the seventh seed in the playoffs, setting up a first-round showdown with the Celtics. Unfortunately, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope did not return to the game’s second half due to a sore left knee.

Key Moment

A blistering 20-4 run in the third quarter, led by Wagner, Gary Harris, and Caleb Houstan hitting from beyond the arc, combined with six points from Banchero, transformed a modest eight-point lead into a commanding 24-point advantage for Orlando.

Key Stat

Boston concluded the season with an impressive 33-8 road record, but it’s notable that two of those defeats happened in Orlando. Tatum missed both encounters.

Up Next

Celtics: They will host Charlotte on Friday night.

Magic: The team will go head-to-head with Indiana on Friday night.