While the final scoreline may read like a routine blowout, the road to advancing was anything but easy.
Boston should be thankful to have handled business in five games, as the physically punishing series took a clear toll on their stars and tested the composure of the league’s top seed.
Boston Advances After Grueling Series with Physical Orlando Team
From the start of the series, Orlando made it clear they wouldn’t go down quietly. The Magic leaned heavily into their defensive identity, playing with a bruising edge that blurred the line between physicality and recklessness.
The Celtics suffered three notable injuries in three games: Jayson Tatum’s wrist, Kristaps Porziņģis’ forehead gash, and Jaylen Brown’s dislocated finger, each caused by Orlando fouls. Though the Celtics never lost control of the series, they were often drawn out of their rhythm and forced to play a more reactive game than usual.
Game 3 highlighted Boston’s frustration. Brown, after being pulled down by Cole Anthony on a fast break and watching the Magic rack up three flagrant fouls in as many games, voiced his concerns postgame.
“If you want to fight it out, we can do that,”
he said, highlighting just how intense the matchup had become.
Even Porziņģis acknowledged that borderline fouls were the norm, not the exception. The officiating never quite reeled it in, leading to moments where the Celtics’ poise was tested as much as their bodies.
Boston responded to that adversity with resilience. Head coach Joe Mazzulla stressed discipline:
“Don’t respond, just play.”
This mantra seemingly helped Boston weather Game 3’s emotional storm and reassert control in the final two matchups.
In Game 5, with a chance to end the series, the Celtics came out flat, missing all six of their first-half three-point attempts and trailing at the break. But after Paolo Banchero picked up his fifth foul early in the third, Boston pounced, going on a 36-13 run to bury the Magic for good.
Tatum and Brown led the way as they have all season. Tatum tallied 35 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds while going a perfect 11-for-11 from the line. Brown added 23 points and six boards. Their shot-making finally returned after a cold start to the series, and the Celtics’ league-best offense re-emerged with a vengeance, shooting 56.6% from the field and 13-of-24 from three.
Now, Boston awaits the winner of the New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons with a chance to regroup. Jrue Holiday’s absence loomed over the series, but his return and the team’s ability to rest will be pivotal moving forward. The Celtics survived the Magic’s blows, both literal and figurative, and escaped with their health mostly intact.
Against a young, rugged opponent built for postseason battles, Boston got the test it needed. The reward? Rest, home court, and a deeper understanding of the physical challenges still to come.
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