The Boston Celtics continued their dominant home-winning streak with a 128-111 victory over the Orlando Magic during the NBA’s Friday slate, even without their top three big men. Jayson Tatum led the way with 30 points, while Payton Pritchard contributed 21 points off the bench, going 6 for 7 from three-point range.
The Celtics, who were on their third game in four days and coming off a back-to-back, were missing Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet for various reasons. Porzingis, who went 6 for 7 from 3-point range, and Kornet were out with muscle tightness, while Horford rested after playing the previous outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“We had to change our game a little bit,” Pritchard said. “When you have guys like KP and Al, and we get in half-court sets, we need them for sure. But not having them, we had to .. use our speed to our advantage.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic Updates
This win marked the Celtics’ 13th consecutive home victory, the second-longest streak to start a season in the team’s history, trailing only behind the 17-game streak by Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and Tommy Heinsohn in the 1957-58 season. The Celtics have maintained an undefeated home record in the regular season since March 5 of the previous season, despite some playoff losses at home.
Jaylen Brown, who scored 18 points, emphasized the team’s focused mentality and the importance of not overlooking any aspect of their preparation. Derrick White added 19 points with eight assists and four steals, Sam Hauser also contributed four steals, and Neemias Queta, the only available 7-footer for Boston, blocked three shots. Lamar Stevens, standing at 6-foot-6, started at center.
“We’ve dropped some games that we should have, or we didn’t want to, over the years at home,” Brown said. “The mentality is: You can’t skip any steps. Every shootaround, every practice, every warmup, any time you’re walking to the bus, you’ve got to be aware of what the job is, what the ultimate goal is, and what our mission is. … I think that’s why we’ve been able to have such a good run at home.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic Updates
Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 19 points, and Goga Bitadze added 15 points with 11 rebounds. The Magic, who had previously won four consecutive games against the Celtics, including a victory in the In-Season Tournament, struggled to keep up with Boston’s pace.
The Celtics initially struggled from the three-point line but regained their rhythm thanks to Pritchard’s shooting. They ended the first quarter on an 18-7 run for a 30-24 lead. Orlando briefly narrowed the gap in the second quarter before Boston extended their lead, eventually leading by as many as 25 points in the third quarter.
The two teams are set to face each other again on Sunday in Boston.
