The Orlando Magic defeated the Boston Celtics 95-93 Friday night, trimming Boston's lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. The win came in a physical contest marked by fouls and injuries on both sides. Game 4 is Sunday in Orlando.
Seventh-seeded Orlando bounced back after losing the first two games in Boston. They held the second-seeded Celtics to just 11 points in the third quarter Friday after trailing by 10 at halftime.
Scoring for Orlando was concentrated, as coverage detailed. Franz Wagner led the Magic with 32 points, adding eight assists and seven rebounds. Paolo Banchero contributed 29 points. Banchero commented on Wagner's performance, calling it "really gutsy."
The Celtics played without Jrue Holiday, who has a strained right hamstring. Jayson Tatum, who missed Game 2 with a bruised wrist sustained from a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope flagrant foul in Game 1, led Boston with 36 points Friday, scoring 21 in the first half.
The physical play resulted in additional injuries and flagrant fouls. Cole Anthony received Orlando's third flagrant foul of the series for pulling Jaylen Brown's arm. Brown said he dislocated an index finger on the play. Earlier in the series, Goga Bitadze received a flagrant foul for an elbow that cut Kristaps Porziņģis.
Brown addressed the physicality after Game 3, expressing frustration with the officiating. Kristaps Porziņģis described Orlando's tactics as "borderline fouling" and urged his team to play through contact.
Tatum said his wrist injury remains a matter of pain tolerance.
Wendell Carter Jr. highlighted the importance of the Game 3 win for Orlando but stressed the need to focus on the next game. "The Game 3 victory can propel us into whatever the future holds for us," Carter Jr. said. "At the same time, you don't want to dwell on this win too long. It's still a series."
