The Boston Celtics took a 1-0 lead in their first-round series with a 103-86 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday, fueled by a dominant second half at TD Garden.
Derrick White led all scorers with 30 points, including seven three-pointers, while Payton Pritchard added 19 off the bench to help Boston pull away.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla credited Jrue Holiday’s third-quarter defense as the turning point.
“Just his ball pressure,” Mazzulla said. “His individual defense—he took on the challenge of his matchup, and I thought he did a great job on both ends of the floor. His defense led to our offense.”
The Celtics outscored the Magic 30-18 in the third quarter, converting six turnovers into fast-break opportunities that shifted the game’s momentum.
“They had eight offensive rebounds in the first half, five in the second,” Mazzulla noted. “In the first half, I thought they got a lot of tip-outs…they were beating us to 50/50 balls. I thought Jrue did a great job setting the tone for us from a defensive standpoint in the second half.”
Jayson Tatum posted 17 points and 14 rebounds despite briefly exiting after a hard fall on a dunk attempt in the fourth quarter. He returned to finish the game, and Mazzulla confirmed the All-Star forward was “all right” postgame.
“He probably didn’t play the efficient offensive game he would have liked,” Mazzulla said, “but that never got in the way of his defense, his physicality, and his rebounding. That’s the most important thing.”
Boston shot 45.1% from the field and hit 16 of 37 from deep, continuing their strong perimeter production.
Jaylen Brown scored 16 points in 31 minutes in his return from knee soreness. “He was great,” Mazzulla said. “He’s right where he wants to be and where we need him to be.”
The Celtics also leaned on their depth, with Pritchard providing a critical spark. “Pace. Ball pressure. I thought he was just as good defensively as offensively,” Mazzulla said. “He got two tip-out rebounds in the second half that were huge.”
Derrick White’s offensive burst helped offset quieter nights from Boston’s stars. “Everyone’s a weapon,” Mazzulla explained. “Jaylen and Jayson lead in many ways, and one of those is empowering everyone around them.”
Holiday not only made his mark on defense but also played a central role offensively, scoring or assisting on seven of Boston’s ten third-quarter field goals.
“When he’s aggressive for us, we’re a different team,” Mazzulla said. “He put the team on his back from a passion and emotion standpoint.”
Orlando was led by Paolo Banchero’s 36 points and 11 rebounds, but the Magic were held to 37 second-half points and committed 15 turnovers overall.
“We have to be better,” Mazzulla added. “Better shift opportunities, better rebounding, better boxing out. It’s one game—we’ve got a whole litany of possessions we have to improve on.”
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Boston.
