Tristan da Silva tallied 18 points and sunk a pivotal 3-pointer with 9.9 seconds remaining, propelling the Orlando Magic to a 108-104 comeback triumph over the Boston Celtics on Monday night. The Celtics, without Jayson Tatum due to illness, saw Jaylen Brown lead their charge with 35 points.
Boston commanded a 58-43 advantage at halftime, but the Magic mounted a strong third-quarter performance to draw level by the end of the period, ultimately forging ahead by 10 in the final quarter. Despite a late surge by the Celtics that saw Brown reduce the deficit to 105-104 with under a minute left, Al Horford failed to convert a potential go-ahead triple, setting the stage for da Silva to seal the victory with his clutch 3-pointer.
In his inaugural NBA start, Trevelin Queen contributed 17 points, while Jalen Suggs added 16 for the Magic. The Celtics were buoyed by 17-point outings from Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White.
Magic center Goga Bitadze was ejected at the 3:36 mark in the fourth quarter for intervening in an altercation between Suggs and Porzingis, resulting in technical fouls for both players.
Celtics: The reigning NBA champions faltered in the second half during their final away game of 2024.
Magic: Orlando, missing key players Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Mo Wagner, overcame an early deficit for the second consecutive game to secure the win.
Key Moment:
Late in the third quarter, Cole Anthony lost possession on a drive but swiftly regained the ball in the corner, maneuvering past the towering duo of Porzingis and Luke Kornet for a reverse layup that handed the Magic their first lead of the game at 73-72.
Key Stat:
Despite their usual proficiency from beyond the arc, shooting nearly 19 three-pointers per game on 51 attempts, the Celtics struggled from deep, converting just 8 of 32 shots from distance.
Up Next:
Celtics: Host Philadelphia on Christmas Day.
Magic: Welcome Miami to Orlando on Thursday night.
