BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 30 points and the Boston Celtics ran past the Orlando Magic 121-94 on Friday night.
With freshman star Cooper Flagg and his Duke teammates looking on from the stands, Tatum, a former Blue Devils standout, went 12 of 21 from the floor to help Boston break out of a recent shooting slump. No. 3 Duke plays at Boston College on Saturday.
Boston shot a season-best 61% in the first half and took a 12-point lead into halftime. The Celtics shot 53% on the night, including 46% from 3-point range, and led by 27 in the second half. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Jaylen Brown added 20.
Cole Anthony led Orlando with 23 points, and Paolo Banchero scored 21.
Takeaways
Magic: Banchero was inadvertently hit in the face by Porzingis on a block attempt. Banchero briefly stayed down and was attended to by trainers, but was able to remain in the game.
Celtics: Started fast and dictated the flow on offense throughout, something they struggled to do consistently while losing seven of their previous 14 games.
Key moment
Orlando scored the first five points of the third quarter to get within 66-59. Boston responded with an 8-0 run and outscored the Magic 30-22 in the period to take control.
Key stat
The Celtics entered shooting an NBA-worst 28% from the 3-point line in their previous five games. They found their range against the Magic, going 9 of 15 from beyond the arc in the first half and 17 of 37 for the game.
Up next
The Magic host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. The Celtics host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
In a much-needed offensive explosion, Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics to a dominant 121-94 victory over the Orlando Magic. Tatum poured in 30 points, including five three-pointers, as the Celtics finally broke out of their shooting slump.
The Celtics had been struggling on the offensive end in recent games, but Tatum’s performance, along with strong contributions from Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, propelled them to a season-high point total. Brown added 20 points, while Smart chipped in with 15 points and six assists.
The Celtics also stepped up defensively, holding the Magic to just 94 points on 39% shooting. They forced 17 turnovers and turned them into 24 points on the other end.
This win was a much-needed confidence boost for the Celtics, who had dropped three of their last four games. With Tatum leading the way, they showed that they are capable of putting up big numbers and getting back on track.
Next up, the Celtics will look to build on this win as they take on the Atlanta Hawks in their next game. If Tatum can continue his scoring outburst and the rest of the team can follow suit, the Celtics will be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.
Tags:
- Jayson Tatum
- Celtics
- Shooting slump
- Win
- Magic
- NBA
- Basketball
- Game recap
- Player performance
- Boston Celtics
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