Celtics Eliminate Magic as Fatal Flaws Let Orlando Down One Final Time in Game 5 Loss

The Orlando Magic's season-ending 120-89 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 Tuesday night carried many of the same characteristics that burned the Magic all year. In a way, it was fitting that's how Orlando's topsy turvy season came to a close.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) defends against Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) in the second quarter during game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

BOSTON – For one final time in the 2024-25 season, the Orlando Magic fell victim to their season-long fatal flaws Tuesday night in TD Garden.

There was a third-quarter collapse, abysmal shooting and excessive fouling. Fittingly, it all came with a year-ending loss.

The No. 2-seed Boston Celtics' 120-89 victory secured a four-games-to-one victory over the seventh-seeded Magic. As a result, Orlando's season officially concludes in the first round of a second consecutive season.

Not dissimilar to the earlier contests in the first-round, best-of-seven series, the Magic and Celtics were nearly dead even on the scoreboard after 24 minutes.

To that point in the game, Boston had looked unrecognizable. The Celtics had zero three-point makes on only six attempts, and Orlando was dominating the margins it had harped on needing to control throughout the entirety of the series. And still, the undermanned Magic held just a two-point lead heading into the intermission.

Then, like it has far too many times in the third quarter this year, the collapse came.

It started with three rapid fouls on Paolo Banchero in less than 100 seconds. Suddenly, Banchero, who'd struggled to find his offense the say way he had throughout the majority of the series, was resigned to the Magic bench with five fouls and over 21 minutes still to play.

"I've never in my career – NBA or before – picked up three fouls that quickly," Banchero said.

The game was knotted at 53-all with 9:46 left in the 3Q as the third-year pro took a seat. Boston, finally finding its three-point attack in the process, ended the quarter on a 30-9 run. The Celtics' final third-quarter advantage was 36-13.

"It definitely swung the series," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. "It definitely swung the game."

"They opened the game up," Banchero said. "That's what happens. If I'm able to be in the game, that doesn't happen. We were playing well, but it wasn't in the cards for us.

"It's hard for the team to withstand me going out for that long. You saw that in the third quarter. That's just a tough spot for our team to be in."

Orlando couldn't hit the shots to capitalize on the numerous Celtic mistakes. Between the second and third quarters, the Magic missed 19 straight three-pointers, and for the game, Orlando made just eight of its 38 attempts from distance. Some of those makes came with the contest already long decided.

Remember, the Magic were the least accurate distance-shooting team in nearly a decade throughout the regular season.

"It's frustrating, for sure," Franz Wagner said. "It's very obvious, looking at the stat sheet, it's definitely something everyone on the team has to work on."

Wagner's 25 points on 10-22 shooting led the Magic on the scoreboard. Banchero's 19 followed, but he was less efficient, making just 6-of-15 shot attempts. He added nine rebounds and six assists in the loss, finishing with five fouls. Wendell Carter Jr. added 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Magic shot 37.5 percent from the field in the loss.

Boston outscored Orlando 73-40 in the second half as they regained their title-defending form. Doing so, the Celtics became the first team in NBA playoff history to win by 30 or more points after trailing at halftime.

After the 0-6 start, the Celtics shot 13-24 from three and 56.6 percent from the field.

Free throw attempts favored Boston only slightly. The Celtics made 21 of their 24 attempts, while the Magic converted on just 15 of 22 looks at the foul stripe.

Boston scored 20 points off of 12 Orlando turnovers, while the Magic turned the Celtics' 11 giveaways into just 12 points. The Celtics had 30 assists to the Magic's 19.

Jayson Tatum poured in 35 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists to lead Boston. Jaylen Brown added 23 points, six rebounds and three assists. Together, they were a combined 19-34 from the field.

The Celtics' quest to repeat as NBA champions will continue in the second round. Boston will host either No. 3 New York or No. 6 Detroit.

As for Orlando, the offseason arrives abruptly. And while the Magic can viably point to injuries as part of the cause, Tuesday's result versus the Celtics – maybe the NBA's best barometer for organizational success – also made their multiple shortcomings crystal clear.

This wasn't the season the Magic envisioned, but the results can't be changed now.

Orlando now embarks upon one of the most important summers in the franchise's existence, centered on how to best surround two stars that just spent the last five games going toe to toe with the defending champions.

While there's not fault in falling to one of the league's best, there would be in not better positioning for a similar battle next year.

The time for action is now.

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