Field Level Media
Jan 12, 2019
The Orlando Magic held on for a 105-103 win over the visiting Boston Celtics on Saturday, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Aaron Gordon had 11 points in the fourth quarter and led all scorers with 28 points, along with 12 rebounds. Terrence Ross added 25 points off the bench, and Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Magic were coming off a disappointing road trip in which they went 1-5.
Kyrie Irving had 25 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Marcus Morris added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics. Boston has lost back-to-back games, including to Miami on Thursday to end a four-game winning streak.
The Celtics had a chance to tie the score with 2.9 seconds left, but Jayson Tatum's baseline jumper missed off the back of the rim. Irving made four free throws in the final minute to cut Orlando's lead to one with 10.2 seconds to play. Then Vucevic left the door open for the Celtics when he missed his second free throw at the other end.
Boston led the entire third quarter, but the Magic turned a seven-point deficit into a seven-point lead in the first six minutes of the fourth. Gordon gave Orlando its first lead since the beginning of the second quarter with a couple of free throws after his one-handed slam dunk tied the score.
Both teams went on lengthy runs in the first half, but the Celtics controlled the game en route to a 51-41 halftime lead.
Gordon scored 11 points as part of a 17-1 Magic run during the end of the first and start of the second quarters. Orlando led 27-19, but Boston regained the lead with a 23-5 run midway through the second quarter.
The Celtics held Orlando to just 32.6 percent shooting from the field in the first half.
Orlando hosts Houston on Sunday in the second game of a back-to-back home set. Boston plays at Brooklyn on Monday.
--Field Level Media