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Aaron Gordon had 17 points to lead the Magic,
who lost their fourth straight by double digits. Nikola Vucevic,
Dwayne Bacon and Cole Anthony each scored 15, and Khem Birch
added 12 to go with 12 rebounds.
Orlando shot 40.4 percent (38 of 94) for the game and hit just 7
of 28 attempts from 3-point range (25 percent).
The Celtics took the court for the first time since last Friday
after having three games postponed as a result of COVID-19
protocol. Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams III have reportedly
tested positive for the virus and were out; the team had 12
players available after a week of testing and contact tracing.
Despite the layoff, Boston showed little rust in grabbing the
game's first double-digit lead, 28-18, eight minutes in. The
Magic went ahead 35-34 early in the second, but the Celtics
answered with a 10-1 spurt to regain control. The hosts
stretched their lead as high as 14 on their way to a 60-48
advantage at the break.
Orlando battled back within six, 74-68, with 5:26 to go in the
third, but Boston again responded, ripping off an 11-0 run over
a nearly five-minute stretch, ending the quarter up 88-72.
The Celtics' lead surpassed 20 during a 13-0 spurt to begin the
fourth quarter and maxed out at 29 while cruising to victory.
The Magic entered having three days off after their Wednesday
contest at Boston was among the postponements. Orlando was
without a handful of players due to injury, including No. 3
scorer Evan Fournier (14.8 points per game), who missed his
seventh straight game with back spasms.
--Field Level Media
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