Field Level Media
Oct 22, 2018
Jonathan Isaac scored a career-high 18 points, including a critical jumper with 53.7 seconds remaining Monday night, and the Orlando Magic led wire to wire in stunning the host Boston Celtics 93-90.
Nikola Vucevic had a game-high 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Magic, who were coming off a 116-115 loss at Philadelphia on Saturday night.
The win was Orlando's second straight at Boston, having surprised the Celtics last season as well, 103-95 on Jan. 21.
Isaac, who had totaled just 16 points in three games this season, had two dunks, a tip-in and a 3-pointer for nine points when the Magic opened the game on a 26-14 run in the first 8:43. Vucevic added eight points to the burst.
Boston rallied within three in the second quarter, two in the third and 75-74 on a Daniel Theis layup with 9:37 remaining in the game. But the Magic regrouped to lead by as many as seven, and 91-86 after Isaac's 19-footer in the final minute.
Late hoops by Al Horford and Kyrie Irving gave the Celtics two shots at a tie in the final seconds, but Irving missed a 24-footer with 5.5 seconds left, and after a Horford rebound, Gordon Hayward couldn't connect from 27 feet with 1.6 seconds remaining, allowing the Magic to hold on.
Isaac's point total surpassed the previous career best of 15 he logged last April at Atlanta. He also found time for a career-high 12 rebounds, four more than his previous best.
Evan Fournier (14 points, 10 assists) and D.J. Augustin (10 points, 10 assists) also recorded double-doubles for the Magic, while Aaron Gordon made it five starters in double figures by scoring 13 points.
Fournier provided Orlando's final points, sinking two free throws with 7.8 seconds remaining.
Irving shot 10-for-19 and finished with a team-high 22 points for the Celtics, who have alternated wins and losses in their first four games.
Horford had 15 points and Hayward 11 for Boston, while Jayson Tatum led the team with 10 rebounds.
Neither team shot well, the Magic hitting 40.9 percent of its shots while the Celtics were held to 40.7 percent.
--Field Level Media