“NBA Playoffs: Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis hang on late to lift Celtics past Magic in Game 4”
The Boston Celtics did not make it straightforward, however they’re now only a single sport away from closing out their opening-round playoff sequence.
The Celtics held on late to seize a 107-98 win over the Orlando Magic in Sport 4 of their sequence on Sunday evening on the Kia Heart. That gave Boston a 3-1 sequence lead and can ship it again dwelling with the chance to shut out the sequence at TD Backyard on Tuesday evening and hold its quest to defend final season’s championship alive.
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The Magic stored issues shut for a lot of the evening. They tried a number of occasions to mount a comeback, and almost did so late within the fourth quarter, too. The Magic tied issues up late within the closing interval after an enormous Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 3-pointer after which a tip-in from Wendell Carter Jr. It marked the primary tie within the sport since late within the second quarter.
However that was as shut because the Magic obtained. The Celtics rattled off a fast 10-1 run, and solely gave up the only free throw after an Al Horford technical foul, to select up the nine-point win. Kristaps Porziņģis kicked that run off with an enormous and-one dunk after which Jayson Tatum drilled a fadeaway jumper over Paolo Banchero.
From there, Boston hit a number of free throws and stored the Magic’s offense largely stagnant within the closing couple of minutes to seize the win. Banchero led Orlando with 31 factors and 7 rebounds within the loss. Franz Wagner completed with 24 factors and 7 assists, and Cory Joseph added 12 factors and 6 assists.
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Tatum completed with 37 factors and 14 rebounds regardless of capturing simply 3-of-10 from behind the arc. He now has 32 profession playoff video games with at the very least 30 factors, which is the second-most in staff historical past, and he went an ideal 14-of-14 from the stripe. Jaylen Brown added 21 factors and 11 rebounds, and Derrick White completed with 18 factors, seven rebounds and 7 assists. Boston went simply 9-of-31 from the 3-point line as a staff, nevertheless it solely missed two free throws as a bunch.
The Celtics had been with out Jrue Vacation as soon as once more on Sunday. Vacation, who additionally missed Sport 3, is coping with a proper hamstring harm. It is unclear how lengthy he’ll be sidelined.
Is Kristaps Porziņģis OK?
Porziņģis’ well being could also be one thing to observe for the Celtics within the close to future.
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Porzingis didn’t take the ground with the Celtics to begin the second half, and was as a substitute driving the stationary bike within the tunnel simply off of the courtroom. He was noticed with a wrap on his proper calf on the bench, too.
Porziņģis ended up returning to the sport. He completed with 19 factors and 5 rebounds, and was in foul bother all evening, however he seemed to be superb. The Celtics appeared to have an enormous spark when he got here again off the bench within the fourth quarter, too. The harm, although, is simply the most recent he’s confronted thus far this sequence. He was on the fallacious finish of a flagrant foul in Sport 2 when he took an elbow to the brow, which left him bloodied and bandaged.
The Celtics are undoubtedly higher when Porziņģis is each wholesome and out of foul bother. In the event that they’re going to shut the sequence out on Tuesday evening, it’ll be a lot simpler with Porziņģis totally accessible.
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