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The Boston Celtics have been through a frustrating first-round series against the Orlando Magic; they have been complaining about how physical the Magic have been all series long and it looked like these frustrations of theirs were persisting during the first half of Game 5. But the Celtics, like the reigning champion they are, managed to break through with an incredible second half, turning the tables on the Magic with a 73-40 second half romp to take a 120-89 win and seal the series in their favor.
To start the game, the Celtics were very lethargic and found themselves down by as many as nine points. But they began to pick up steam to end the first half, trimming the Magic's lead to just two by the halftime interval, 49-47. And then they came out with a purpose after halftime and couldn't seem to miss; they went 23-38 from the field, including 13-18 from beyond the arc, to dispose of the Magic in style.
In so doing, the Celtics managed to set the record for the biggest margin of victory in the playoffs for a team that trailed at halftime (31), according to Dick Lipe of NBC Sports. They beat the record the 2018 Golden State Warriors set when they beat the Houston Rockets by 29 points despite trailing by 10 points after 24 minutes of action.
What makes the Celtics such a scary team to face is that they can explode offensively at any given moment; they have been brazen when it comes to embracing the three-point shot, leading the league in both makes and takes per ballgame, and they found their stroke as a collective on Tuesday night.
With the Magic's biggest weakness being their ability to score the basketball, it was wraps once the Celtics found their rhythm on the offensive end. Jayson Tatum led the way with an incredible 35-point, 10-rebound, eight-assist night.
Celtics await the winner of the Knicks-Pistons series
The Celtics now get a bit of rest before they head into the second round of the playoffs. They are still waiting for the winner of the New York Knicks-Detroit Pistons bloodbath, with that series headed for a sixth game after the Pistons staved off elimination on the road with a gutsy performance.
Regardless of whatever team comes out of that series, the Celtics should be favored to advance to the Conference Finals. They swept the season series against the Knicks and went 3-1 against the Pistons, and the Celtics have such an advantage in the playoff composure department that it'll be difficult for anyone to pick against them.
