Magic Offense Comes to Life, But Defense Snoozes in Loss vs. Celtics
ORLANDO, Fl. - The Orlando Magic is still in pursuit of its first win of the season after a 126-120 loss to the Boston Celtics at home Saturday night.
The game marked No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero's first game in front of the home crowd, and the former Duke Blue Devil gave the fans a show.
"It's exciting seeing the stands packed like that to watch us play," Banchero said. "It gives us a lot of energy. This being the first home game, we wanted to come out and play hard for the fans and give them a good showing. I think we did that, we just came short."
The game was tight throughout with each team trading jabs, particularly from the three-point line. The teams combined to make 34 of 81 from distance.
Ultimately, the Celtics pulled away with a 12-4 run in 3:30 to seal the victory for Boston. Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 40, while Derrick White added 27.
This was the second half of a back-to-back for both Boston and Orlando, which may have led each team to rely more on its offense than its defense. It led to a team-high 29 points from Terrence Ross and 23 points from Banchero.
"Every time you score it feels good," Ross said. "Anytime anyone scores, it gives you confidence. When you see the ball go through the hoop, it feels good. You gotta just build off of that."
The Magic may be 0-3 to start the year, but each game so far has been winnable and the team is playing well enough to stay in games. However, there isn't enough stamina to keep the pace in the fourth quarter and that is simply part of the growth and maturation process for young teams in the NBA.
The Magic rest Sunday, but the team is back on the road Monday to face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on NBA TV.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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