Tristan da Silva's late dagger three was the perfect ending. The Orlando Magic had just beaten the Boston Celtics at their own game.
Tristan da Silva scored 18 points and made a critical 3-pointer with 9.9 seconds left, and the Orlando Magic rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit for a 108-104 victory over the Boston Celtics, who were missing Jayson Tatum because of an illness.
The defending NBA champion Boston Celtics suffered their seventh loss of the 2024-2025 season on Monday, when they fell to the Magic in Orlando by a 108-104 final score. Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was dropped from the Celtics lineup unexpectedly minutes before the tipoff,
Joe Mazzulla quickly shut down any notion that was the case.
Host Orlando ramped up its defense in the third quarter, the Celtics couldn’t even get off consistent 3-pointers, and then Boston's late rally fell short.
The Celtics have won three of their last four and six of nine in December, and have matchups against the Magic, 76ers, and Pacers on the schedule in the next seven days.
The Celtics were able to build a 15-point lead at halftime largely thanks to their defense but that advantage evaporated in the third quarter. Orlando got red-hot with their shot in the frame, knocking down 60 percent of their attempts and all seven of their free throws as they erased Boston’s lead entirely.
the Orlando Magic have their eyes set on achieving another amazing feat before the holiday break. The shorthanded Magic (18-12) are looking to stack another memorable win under their Christmas tree when they take on the defending champion Boston Celtics ...
Orlando, on the other hand, started two-way contract player Trevelin Queen, who had never started an NBA regular-season game before, and 23-year-old rookie Tristan da Silva, along with Suggs, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Goga Bitadze.
The Philadelphia 76ers got their best win of the season, defeating the Boston Celtics 118-114 on Christmas Day. Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid were both excellent, scoring a combined 60 points.
And throw in a couple of victories over the young but inconsistent Charlotte Hornets and a blowout against the Washington Wizards — a team the Knicks will face two more times before the New Year — to paint a clearer picture: the Knicks have benefited from a favorable schedule.