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The Boston Celtics finished off the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night, steamrolling the No. 7 seed 120-89 to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The box score tells a story of the reigning NBA champions dominating the competition and cruising along in their quest to repeat, but Game 5 did not start out that way.
Actually, one can say the C's looked unrecognizable during the first 24 minutes of action. Boston was 0-of-6 from behind the 3-point line in the first half. The team had not endured such shooting misfortune across an entire half since Game 1 of its 2012 opening-round postseason series versus the Atlanta Hawks, per sportscaster Sean Grande.
This frigid start is even more jarring since the 3-point shot is such a huge part of the Celtics' identity. They are not one-dimensional by any means, but head coach Joe Mazzulla stresses heavy volume from long range. The Magic's physical brand of defense limited opportunities, though, and denied the ones that Boston did get. Consequently, Orlando went into the break with a 49-47 lead.
Momentum shifted dramatically when play resumed, however. The Celtics rectified their first-half imprecision by reminding their opponent and everyone watching that they have the ability to flip the switch very quickly.
Celtics catch fire and finish off the Magic
Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 35 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 shooting from downtown. He also tallied 10 assists and eight rebounds, closing out Orlando with his best showing of the series. Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard each made two treys in TD Garden.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, Boston had a sizzling 54.2 shooting percentage from 3-point range (13-of-24). Conversely, the Magic scored only 40 points in the second half and shot 37.5 percent from the floor.
Having a short memory, or perhaps no memory at all, can pay dividends in the playoffs. While the Celtics occasionally receive criticism for relying too much on the deep ball, they obviously know how to execute their game plan. Smooth ball movement, an abundance of floor spacers and stalwart defense all allow them to get quality looks.
If that continues, and the defense stays steady, Boston has a great chance at winning its second straight title. The C's will face either the New York Knicks or Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semis. With a Game 6 coming, they will have plenty of time to perfect their 3-point offense.
