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  3.  <title>CelticsBlog -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>A Boston Celtics Blog: 17 Banners and Counting</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48431/celtic-small-1.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2025-04-30T16:45:55-04:00</updated>
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  10.    <published>2025-04-30T16:45:55-04:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2025-04-30T16:45:55-04:00</updated>
  12.    <title>Boston Celtics Daily Links  4/30/25</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="Boston Celtics v Orlando Magic - Game Four" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/P-4sxnXFw9jWPv2djmd3TAZDVSA=/0x0:5167x3445/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74058337/2212439142.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Franz Wagner vs Celtics 4/27/25 | Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place.  &lt;/p&gt; &lt;h4 id="Q9M8VW"&gt;Herald  &lt;a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/04/29/battle-in-boston/"&gt;BATTLE IN BOSTON &lt;/a&gt;
  21. &lt;/h4&gt;
  22. &lt;h4 id="qx4qlq"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/04/29/celtics-knock-out-magic-in-game-5-blowout-advance-to-east-semifinals/"&gt;Celtics knock out Magic in Game 5 blowout, advance to East semifinals&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  23. &lt;h4 id="MopLdw"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/04/30/three-takeaways-from-celtics-gritty-first-round-win-over-magic/"&gt;Three takeaways from Celtics’ gritty first-round win over Magic&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  24. &lt;h4 id="F4psYi"&gt;Globe   &lt;a href="https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2025/04/29/celtics-come-alive-in-second-half-close-out-magic-120-89-for-4-1-playoff-series-win/"&gt;Celtics close out Magic 120-89 for 4-1 playoff series win&lt;/a&gt;
  25. &lt;/h4&gt;
  26. &lt;h4 id="aBLAYr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2025/04/29/jayson-tatum-scores-35-as-celtics-surge-past-magic-and-into-second-round-takeaways/"&gt;Tatum, Celtics surge past Magic and into 2nd round: Takeaways&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  27. &lt;h4 id="XCoNoy"&gt;
  28. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2025/04/30/here-are-five-things-to-watch-in-the-remainder-of-the-knicks-pistons-series/"&gt;Here are 5 things to watch in the rest of Knicks-Pistons series&lt;/a&gt;
  29. &lt;/h4&gt;
  30. &lt;h4 id="ZQitAc"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/30/sports/celtics-magic-punishing-beneficial-series/"&gt;NBA playoffs: Magic’s physicality will benefit Celtics in long run&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  31. &lt;h4 id="qzTMiK"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/30/sports/celtics-magic-game-5/"&gt;Magic’s physical play poses no issue for Celtics in Game 5 as they advance to second round&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  32. &lt;h4 id="z7pb92"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/30/sports/celtics-playoffs-knicks-pistons/"&gt;Five things to watch in the remainder of the Knicks-Pistons series&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  33. &lt;h4 id="mLr0db"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/30/sports/celtics-playoff-schedule-knicks-pistons-eastern-conference-semifinal/"&gt;Celtics playoff schedule for Eastern Conference semifinal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  34. &lt;p id="dYWYbe"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  35. &lt;h4 id="bedsLk"&gt;
  36. &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com"&gt;Celtics&lt;/a&gt; Green  &lt;a href="https://celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2025/04/comments-from-other-side-magic-game-5.html"&gt;Comments from the Other Side - Magic Game 5 4/29/25 &lt;/a&gt;
  37. &lt;/h4&gt;
  38. &lt;h4 id="4TcDMb"&gt;CelticsBlog   &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/29/24420605/boston-celtics-win-120-89-over-orlando-magic-in-game-5-end-series-4-1-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown"&gt;Celtics win 120-89 over Magic in Game 5, end series 4-1&lt;/a&gt;
  39. &lt;/h4&gt;
  40. &lt;h4 id="SWJC7H"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420742/boston-celtics-orlando-magic-game-5-nba-playoffs-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-payton-pritchard"&gt;Celtics finish strong in series-clinching win over Magic &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  41. &lt;h4 id="jZWJc7"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420921/jayson-tatum-took-the-celtics-over-the-top-in-closeout-game-5-boston-celtics-orlando-magic"&gt;Jayson Tatum acts as closer in Game 5 win over Orlando &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  42. &lt;h4 id="KyWmcW"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420797/payton-pritchard-boston-celtics-orlando-magic-jrue-holiday-nba-playoffs-defense-jamahl-mosley"&gt;The Celtics survived Jrue Holiday’s absence — and Payton Pritchard was a big reason why &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  43. &lt;h4 id="ujU2oc"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420777/boston-celtics-orlando-magic-playoffs-game-5-ten-takeaways-jayson-tatum-joe-mazzulla"&gt;10 takeaways from a dominant second half by the Celtics to blowout the Magic in Game 5 &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  44. &lt;p id="Bgf0nC"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  45. &lt;h4 id="1y92Nq"&gt;CLNS Media   &lt;a href="https://www.clnsmedia.com/celtics-get-paolo-banchero-in-foul-trouble-to-blow-out-magic-in-game-5/"&gt;Celtics Get Paolo Banchero In Foul Trouble to Blow Out Magic in Game 5 &lt;/a&gt;
  46. &lt;/h4&gt;
  47. &lt;h4 id="R7vOFG"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.clnsmedia.com/why-jamahl-mosley-saw-some-jrue-holiday-in-payton-pritchard/"&gt;Why Jamahl Mosley Saw Some Jrue Holiday in Payton Pritchard &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  48. &lt;h4 id="u3G0Fc"&gt;Celtics .com   &lt;a href="https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/gamerecap-keys-20250429-orlbos"&gt;Keys to the Game: Celtics 120, Magic 89 &lt;/a&gt;
  49. &lt;/h4&gt;
  50. &lt;h4 id="ym8MLl"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar-post-20250430-celtics-fight-through-orlandos-3-point-challenge-for-4-1-series-win"&gt;Celtics Fight Through Orlando’s 3-Point Challenge for 4-1 Series Win &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  51. &lt;p id="bi8c7v"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  52. &lt;h4 id="S3xJi3"&gt;NBC Sports Boston   &lt;a href="https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/jayson-tatum-game-5-magic-nba-history/706456/"&gt;Jayson Tatum makes more NBA history in Celtics-Magic Game 5 &lt;/a&gt;
  53. &lt;/h4&gt;
  54. &lt;h4 id="mqFp3k"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/nba-playoff-history-record-magic-game-5/706591/"&gt;Celtics become first NBA team to achieve this incredible playoff feat &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  55. &lt;h4 id="rpIxYQ"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/jayson-tatum-magic-game-5-playoffs/706622/"&gt;Jayson Tatum reveals why Celtics’ tough test vs. Magic was ‘exactly what we needed’ &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  56. &lt;h4 id="QEemuV"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/cs-overcoming-3-point-woes-is-great-sign-for-title-chances/706467/"&gt;Celtics overcoming 3-point woes vs. Magic is great sign for NBA title chances &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  57. &lt;h4 id="7iGA4b"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/live-updates-magic-highlights-score-game-5/706326/"&gt;Celtics-Magic recap: C’s clinch series with Game 5 rout at TD Garden &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  58. &lt;h4 id="vlX5xS"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/playoff-schedule-dates-times-second-round-knicks-pistons/706298/"&gt;Celtics playoff schedule with dates for second-round series vs. Knicks or Pistons &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  59. &lt;p id="sYR2n8"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  60. &lt;h4 id="M2P1dI"&gt;NESN  &lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fnesn.com%2F2025%2F04%2Fwhy-celtics-city-docuseries-rubbed-boston-legend-wrong-way%2F&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.celticsblog.com%2F2025%2F4%2F30%2F24421208%2Fboston-celtics-daily-links-4-30-25" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;Why ‘Celtics City’ Docuseries Rubbed Boston Legend Wrong Way&lt;/a&gt;
  61. &lt;/h4&gt;
  62. &lt;h4 id="kjeRCa"&gt;&lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fnesn.com%2F2025%2F04%2Fceltics-rumors-new-owner-actively-recruiting-additional-investors%2F&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.celticsblog.com%2F2025%2F4%2F30%2F24421208%2Fboston-celtics-daily-links-4-30-25" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;Celtics Rumors: New Owner ‘Actively’ Recruiting Additional Investors&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  63. &lt;h4 id="5ExTe7"&gt;&lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fnesn.com%2F2025%2F04%2Ffour-studs-two-duds-as-celtics-punch-second-round-ticket-over-magic%2F&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.celticsblog.com%2F2025%2F4%2F30%2F24421208%2Fboston-celtics-daily-links-4-30-25" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;Four Studs, Two Duds As Celtics Punch Second-Round Ticket&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  64. &lt;h4 id="0zTDpn"&gt;&lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fnesn.com%2F2025%2F04%2Fjayson-tatum-reflects-on-big-change-after-celtics-advance-in-playoffs%2F&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.celticsblog.com%2F2025%2F4%2F30%2F24421208%2Fboston-celtics-daily-links-4-30-25" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;Jayson Tatum Reflects On Big Change After Celtics Advance In Playoffs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  65. &lt;h4 id="y6GPtT"&gt;&lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fnesn.com%2F2025%2F04%2Fmagic-coach-thought-this-moment-swung-the-series-vs-celtics%2F&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.celticsblog.com%2F2025%2F4%2F30%2F24421208%2Fboston-celtics-daily-links-4-30-25" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;Magic Coach Thought This Moment ‘Swung The Series’ Vs. Celtics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  66. &lt;h4 id="Zcw1mu"&gt;&lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fnesn.com%2F2025%2F04%2Fceltics-should-want-to-play-this-team-in-round-2-of-nba-playoffs%2F&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.celticsblog.com%2F2025%2F4%2F30%2F24421208%2Fboston-celtics-daily-links-4-30-25" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;Celtics Should Want To Play This Team In Round 2 Of NBA Playoffs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  67. &lt;p id="pKFRLw"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  68. &lt;h4 id="ba7bTB"&gt;CBS Boston  &lt;a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/jayson-tatum-boston-celtics-magic-nba-playoffs/"&gt;Jayson Tatum had one epic playoff series for the Celtics against the Magic &lt;/a&gt;
  69. &lt;/h4&gt;
  70. &lt;h4 id="l3AhSZ"&gt;Mass Live  &lt;a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/04/4-takeaways-as-boston-celtics-crush-magic-in-game-5-to-win-series-4-1.html"&gt;4 takeaways as Boston Celtics crush Magic in Game 5 to win series 4-1&lt;/a&gt;
  71. &lt;/h4&gt;
  72. &lt;h4 id="4SZVes"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/04/magic-coach-rips-refs-after-call-that-swung-series-goes-celtics-way.html"&gt;Magic coach rips refs after call that ‘swung series’ goes Celtics’ way&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  73. &lt;h4 id="PSBoTe"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/04/so-far-celtics-killer-instinct-is-better-than-it-was-in-2024-title-run.html"&gt;So far, Celtics’ killer instinct is better than it was in 2024 title run&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  74. &lt;h4 id="8rteHc"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/05/boston-celtics-expertly-navigate-magics-physicality-in-1st-round-win.html"&gt;Boston Celtics expertly navigate Magic’s physicality in 1st round win &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  75. &lt;h4 id="mT2Z5Q"&gt;
  76. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/04/boston-celtics-end-up-winners-of-damian-lillard-trade-after-bucks-loss.html"&gt;Boston Celtics end up winners of Damian Lillard trade after Bucks loss&lt;/a&gt;
  77. &lt;/h4&gt;
  78. &lt;h4 id="oTYh35"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/04/boston-celtics-star-passes-critical-tests-in-series-win-over-magic.html"&gt;Boston Celtics star passes critical tests in series win over Magic &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  79. &lt;h4 id="MNlycL"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/04/boston-celtics-unlock-dream-scenario-after-magic-game-5-rout.html"&gt;Boston Celtics unlock dream scenario after Magic Game 5 rout &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  80. &lt;h4 id="s6YWXl"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/04/jayson-tatum-makes-candid-admission-after-boston-celtics-series-win-vs-magic.html"&gt;Jayson Tatum makes candid admission after Boston Celtics series win vs. Magic &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  81. &lt;p id="dSEYlc"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  82. &lt;h4 id="hhuhcm"&gt;Celtics Wire   &lt;a href="https://celticswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2025/04/30/is-celtics-head-coach-joe-mazzulla-a-bit-of-a-psycho-on-the-sidelines/83278276007/"&gt;Is Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla a bit of a psycho on the sidelines?&lt;/a&gt;
  83. &lt;/h4&gt;
  84. &lt;h4 id="SS3vWE"&gt;&lt;a href="https://celticswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2025/04/30/celtics-history-russell-jones-heinsohn-draft-doc-hire-tatums-60/83243235007/"&gt;Celtics history: Russell, Jones, Heinsohn draft; Doc hire; Tatum’s 60&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  85. &lt;h4 id="y9qklc"&gt;&lt;a href="https://celticswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2025/04/30/celtics-jersey-history-no-17-john-havlicek-1962-78/83238689007/"&gt;Celtics jersey history No. 17 - John Havlicek (1962-78)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  86. &lt;h4 id="2dClJ0"&gt;&lt;a href="https://celticswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2025/04/30/jaylen-brown-says-celtics-attacked-magic-with-banchero-in-foul-trouble/83368497007/"&gt;Jaylen Brown says Celtics attacked Magic with Banchero in foul trouble&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  87. &lt;h4 id="MrXQCX"&gt;&lt;a href="https://celticswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2025/04/30/jayson-tatum-had-a-mvp-level-performance-for-the-celtics-vs-the-magic/83369164007/"&gt;Jayson Tatum had a MVP-level performance for the Celtics vs. the Magic&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  88. &lt;h4 id="TGI8Ky"&gt;&lt;a href="https://celticswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2025/04/30/the-celtics-have-punched-their-ticket-to-the-25-nba-east-semifinals/83369754007/"&gt;The Celtics have punched their ticket to the ‘25 NBA East Semifinals&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  89. &lt;p id="4OMMTk"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  90. &lt;h4 id="dh6IGj"&gt;Boston Sports Journal   &lt;a href="https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2025/04/30/bsj-game-report-celtics-120-magic-89---banchero-foul-trouble-triggers-cs-barrage-series-win"&gt;BSJ Game Report: Celtics 120, Magic 89 - Banchero foul trouble triggers C’s barrage, series win&lt;/a&gt;
  91. &lt;/h4&gt;
  92. &lt;h4 id="NGcAiw"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2025/04/30/karalis-the-celtics-were-tested-by-orlando-and-they-passed-in-a-way-few-people-expected"&gt;Karalis: The Celtics were tested by Orlando, and they passed in a way few people expected&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  93. &lt;h4 id="Ehzqgt"&gt;The Athletic &lt;a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6322832/2025/04/30/celtics-magic-jayson-tatum-problem/"&gt;Magic never solved Celtics’ Jayson Tatum in series loss: ‘They couldn’t do anything with him’ &lt;/a&gt;
  94. &lt;/h4&gt;
  95. &lt;h4 id="yLRCEh"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6322818/2025/04/30/celtics-magic-game-5-jayson-tatum/"&gt;Celtics swarm Magic after Paolo Banchero’s foul trouble, breathe sigh of relief &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  96. &lt;p id="A7mwc0"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  97. &lt;h4 id="TAIM1j"&gt;Hardwood Houdini   &lt;a href="https://hardwoodhoudini.com/boston-celtics-joe-mazzulla-playoff-message-quietly-revealed-really-drives-nba-playoffs-orlando-magic"&gt;Joe Mazzulla’s playoff message quietly revealed what really drives the Celtics&lt;/a&gt;
  98. &lt;/h4&gt;
  99. &lt;h4 id="O8dOve"&gt;&lt;a href="https://hardwoodhoudini.com/boston-celtics-jayson-tatum-silenced-critics-game-5-clinic-orlando-magic-joe-mazzulla"&gt;Jayson Tatum just silenced his critics with a Game 5 clinic for the ages&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  100. &lt;h4 id="srrV3q"&gt;&lt;a href="https://hardwoodhoudini.com/celtics-championship-aspirations-aided-magic-team-brought-boston-best-"&gt;Celtics’ championship aspirations aided by Magic team that brought out Boston’s best&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  101. &lt;h4 id="QV5cj0"&gt;&lt;a href="https://hardwoodhoudini.com/boston-celtics-jaylen-brown-game-5-orlando-magic-limped-torched-carved-name-lore-knee-injury-joe-mazzulla-jayson-tatum"&gt;Jaylen Brown limped in, torched the Magic, and carved his name into Celtics lore&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  102. &lt;h4 id="CgR9KS"&gt;Celtics Chronicle &lt;a href="https://celticschronicle.com/3-lessons-from-celtics-first-round-win-over-orlando/?ref=the-celtics-chronicle-newsletter"&gt;3 Lessons from Celtics’ First-Round Win Over Orlando&lt;/a&gt;
  103. &lt;/h4&gt;
  104. &lt;p id="6XCMt0"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  105. &lt;h4 id="cruK4z"&gt;CLNS Media/YouTube   &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtvKJrsWMO8"&gt;Joe Mazzulla Praises Stars Tatum &amp;amp; Brown as Celtics Advance Past Magic | Postgame Interview &lt;/a&gt;
  106. &lt;/h4&gt;
  107. &lt;h4 id="fn05FB"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byAqH6hpK58"&gt;EXCLUSIVE: Payton Pritchard Reacts to Magic Coach Comparing Him to Holiday | Full Interview &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  108. &lt;h4 id="LANhOF"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf5gSD85PMU"&gt;Al Horford on Celtics Game 5 Win over Magic | Postgame Interview&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  109. &lt;h4 id="NgrWE7"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0h5jtOYvEk"&gt;Jaylen Brown Thinks Celtics LEARNED A LOT From Magic Series | Postgame Interview &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  110. &lt;h4 id="RZuWpV"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kam6ofxkxTI"&gt;Jayson Tatum Praises Paolo Banchero Performance in Round 1 | Postgame Interview &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  111. &lt;h4 id="xu088b"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN6ADKnrXvs"&gt;Why Celtics have a TON to be encouraged about after Magic series | You Got Boston w/ Noa Dalzell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  112. &lt;p id="0Stzlf"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  113. &lt;h4 id="lBBUSH"&gt;Athlon Sports   &lt;a href="https://athlonsports.com/college/florida-gators/florida-gators-why-celtics-coach-thinks-al-horford-is-their-difference-maker"&gt;Why Celtics Coach Thinks Al Horford Is Their Difference-Maker &lt;/a&gt;
  114. &lt;/h4&gt;
  115. &lt;h4 id="vvKlLX"&gt;&lt;a href="https://athlonsports.com/college/florida-gators/florida-gators-al-horford-celtics-veteran-amazed-at-one-jayson-tatum-development"&gt;Celtics Veteran Amazed At This One Jayson Tatum Development&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  116. &lt;h4 id="ApWanI"&gt;&lt;a href="https://athlonsports.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-two-word-post-after-eliminating-magic-from-nba-playoffs"&gt;Celtics’ Two-Word Post After Eliminating Magic From NBA Playoffs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  117. &lt;h4 id="OrVnTk"&gt;&lt;a href="https://athlonsports.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-make-jayson-tatum-announcement-after-series-win-over-magic"&gt;Celtics Make Jayson Tatum Announcement After Series Win Over Magic &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  118. &lt;h4 id="nGoDHt"&gt;&lt;a href="https://athlonsports.com/college/florida-gators/florida-gators-al-horford-unveils-celtics-nba-playoffs-identity-after-beating-magic"&gt;Al Horford Unveils Celtics’ NBA Playoffs Identity After Beating Magic &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  119. &lt;h4 id="y0CVPN"&gt;
  120. &lt;br&gt;Hoopology   &lt;a href="https://flanneryhoopology.substack.com/p/experience-triumphs-over-youth?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;amp;publication_id=4658220&amp;amp;post_id=162532991&amp;amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;amp;isFreemail=true&amp;amp;r=2g72w&amp;amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;amp;utm_medium=email"&gt;Experience Triumphs Over Youth - by Paul Flannery&lt;/a&gt;
  121. &lt;/h4&gt;
  122. &lt;h4 id="GRPieL"&gt;Duke Basketball Report   &lt;a href="https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/2025/4/30/24420029/jayson-tatum-paolo-banchero-boston-celtics-orlando-magic-4-1"&gt;YouTube Gold: Jayson Tatum Rallies Boston Past Orlando To Win Series, 4-1 &lt;/a&gt;
  123. &lt;/h4&gt;
  124. &lt;h4 id="RQzrzv"&gt;NBA .com  &lt;a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/jayson-tatum-fallen-in-love-process-winning-empowering-teammates"&gt;Jayson Tatum has ‘fallen in love’ with the process of winning for Celtics &lt;/a&gt;
  125. &lt;/h4&gt;
  126. &lt;h4 id="SbZZoA"&gt;The Sports Hub &lt;a href="https://985thesportshub.com/2025/04/29/celtics-bury-magic-in-second-half-to-clinch-first-round-playoff-series/"&gt;Celtics bury Magic in second half to clinch first-round playoff series &lt;/a&gt;
  127. &lt;/h4&gt;
  128. &lt;h4 id="bqy5k9"&gt;Fansided &lt;a href="https://fansided.com/magic-gave-other-teams-the-blueprint-to-beat-boston-despite-five-game-loss?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&amp;amp;utm_source=FanSided+Daily&amp;amp;utm_medium=email&amp;amp;sc=04d87d2cc005a85f11bb84225bbe964032a27475096e6fa8deac04dad6f701c5"&gt;Magic gave other teams the blueprint to beat Boston despite five-game loss&lt;/a&gt;
  129. &lt;/h4&gt;
  130. &lt;p id="PyN9Rf"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  131. &lt;h4 id="bzl0oi"&gt;Bleacher Report   &lt;a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25189829-every-nba-teams-toughest-2025-free-agency-decision"&gt;Every NBA Team’s Toughest 2025 Free-Agency Decision&lt;/a&gt;
  132. &lt;/h4&gt;
  133. &lt;h4 id="wU0bEa"&gt;&lt;a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25191716-celtics-jayson-tatum-says-magic-series-nba-playoffs-was-exactly-what-we-needed"&gt;Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Says Magic Series in NBA Playoffs Was ‘Exactly What We Needed’&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  134. &lt;h4 id="clPgeb"&gt;SI .com   &lt;a href="https://www.si.com/fannation/backinthedaynba/jayson-tatum-surpassed-charles-barkley-other-nba-all-time-greats-tuesday-01jt3e0f70aq"&gt;Jayson Tatum Surpassed Charles Barkley, Other NBA All-Time Greats Tuesday&lt;/a&gt;
  135. &lt;/h4&gt;
  136. &lt;h4 id="eeJbK9"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/news/breaking-down-potential-celtics-knicks-matchup"&gt;Breaking Down Potential Celtics, Knicks Matchup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  137. &lt;h4 id="WTtsw8"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/news/kristaps-porzingis-reveals-how-celtics-found-cracks-in-magic-gameplan"&gt;Kristaps Porzingis Reveals How Celtics Found Cracks in Magic Gameplan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  138. &lt;p id="a07DeI"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  139.  
  140. </content>
  141.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24421208/boston-celtics-daily-links-4-30-25"/>
  142.    <id>https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24421208/boston-celtics-daily-links-4-30-25</id>
  143.    <author>
  144.      <name>Shirley Coshatt</name>
  145.    </author>
  146.  </entry>
  147.  <entry>
  148.    <published>2025-04-30T15:34:12-04:00</published>
  149.    <updated>2025-04-30T15:34:12-04:00</updated>
  150.    <title>Celtics’ second-round playoff schedule against Knicks/Pistons announced</title>
  151.    <content type="html">  
  152.  
  153.    &lt;figure&gt;
  154.      &lt;img alt="Boston Celtics v Orlando Magic - Game Four" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GZgUOzBaJdY-knMeO1jjamB_qO4=/0x1:7500x5001/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74058165/2212438783.0.jpg" /&gt;
  155.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  156.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  157.  
  158.  &lt;p&gt;The Celtics have five days of rest and will begin the second round of the playoffs on Monday. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="pe3xMa"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BOSTON&lt;/strong&gt; — The &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com"&gt;Celtics&lt;/a&gt; will begin their second-round playoff series against either the &lt;a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com"&gt;New York Knicks&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com"&gt;Detroit Pistons&lt;/a&gt; on Monday, May 5th. &lt;/p&gt;
  159. &lt;h3 id="ZwKu3k"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Celtics’ full second-round schedule has been released &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  160. &lt;p id="jxsnZd"&gt;Game 1: Monday, May 5th (in Boston)&lt;/p&gt;
  161. &lt;p id="CTWgv7"&gt;Game 2: Wednesday, May 7th (in Boston)&lt;/p&gt;
  162. &lt;p id="hLMSmM"&gt;Game 3: Saturday, May 10th (in New York/Detroit)&lt;/p&gt;
  163. &lt;p id="epsAmu"&gt;Game 4: Monday, May 12th (in New York/Detroit)&lt;/p&gt;
  164. &lt;p id="QKdEZe"&gt;*Game 5: Wednesday, May 14th (in Boston)&lt;/p&gt;
  165. &lt;p id="CDTZ2I"&gt;*Game 6: Friday, May 16th (in New York/Detroit)&lt;/p&gt;
  166. &lt;p id="VJVkXS"&gt;*Game 7: Monday, May 19th (in Boston)&lt;/p&gt;
  167. &lt;h3 id="wvfyS2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Celtics could face either the Detroit Pistons or the New York Knicks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  168. &lt;p id="lrU4zw"&gt;The Knicks currently hold a 3-2 series lead over the Pistons, but dropped a potential closeout Game 5 on Tuesday night. &lt;/p&gt;
  169. &lt;p id="7ZVFPw"&gt;The series goes back to Detroit, where the two teams will face off in another potential closeout Game 6. If Detroit wins, the two teams would square off for a deciding Game 7 on Saturday. &lt;/p&gt;
  170. &lt;h3 id="cN8g7r"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday will take advantage of the upcoming rest&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  171. &lt;p id="I4gRCx"&gt;The Celtics could certainly benefit from five days of rest. Jaylen Brown has been listed as questionable in each of the last three games as he continues dealing with a right knee impingement that’s visibly limiting, while Jrue Holiday has missed the last three games with a right hamstring strain. Joe Mazzulla hasn’t shared much information about Holiday’s injury, but has termed him as day-to-day. &lt;/p&gt;
  172. &lt;p id="i4E2nx"&gt;Jayson Tatum, meanwhile, missed Game 2 with a right wrist bone bruise that he later described as “serious” but returned to dominate in Games 3, 4, and 5 with his wrist taped up. &lt;/p&gt;
  173. &lt;p id="Q9Crgd"&gt;Since they took care of business in Game 5, they’ll get additional time off while their next-round opponents continue to battle. &lt;/p&gt;
  174. &lt;p id="XONfxq"&gt;After they closed out their first-round series against the Orlando Magic, Jaylen Brown sat at the podium and relished the fact that the Celtics have some time off until the next round. &lt;/p&gt;
  175. &lt;p id="YeSHEO"&gt; “Oh, that’s, great,” Brown said at the podium postgame of the Celtics looming rest, before asking reporters for more clarification. &lt;/p&gt;
  176. &lt;p id="nRUa9Y"&gt;“I’m not sure when the earliest is that we’ll play next week — anybody know?”&lt;/p&gt;
  177. &lt;p id="GdekNF"&gt;After he was met with crickets from the media, he smiled and said: “Whatever it is, I’m gonna take advantage of that and be ready to go for whoever’s next.”&lt;/p&gt;
  178. &lt;p id="eFrIum"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  179. &lt;p id="Gb1p7S"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  180.  
  181. </content>
  182.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24421173/celtics-second-round-playoff-schedule-against-knicks-pistons-announced"/>
  183.    <id>https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24421173/celtics-second-round-playoff-schedule-against-knicks-pistons-announced</id>
  184.    <author>
  185.      <name>Noa Dalzell</name>
  186.    </author>
  187.  </entry>
  188.  <entry>
  189.    <published>2025-04-30T11:56:47-04:00</published>
  190.    <updated>2025-04-30T11:56:47-04:00</updated>
  191.    <title>Jayson Tatum acts as closer in Game 5 win over Orlando</title>
  192.    <content type="html">  
  193.  
  194.    &lt;figure&gt;
  195.      &lt;img alt="2025 NBA Playoffs - Orlando Magic v Boston Celtics - Game Five" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yB90WfeCm4roGJrdEGJqEZ3cQNM=/0x0:4212x2808/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74057685/2212104975.0.jpg" /&gt;
  196.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  197.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  198.  
  199.  &lt;p&gt;When the Celtics needed him most, Tatum answered the call and ended the Magic’s season.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="9Vy0Rj"&gt;Jayson Tatum has had countless incredible playoff moments over the course of his career with the &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com"&gt;Celtics&lt;/a&gt; but the final three games he played against the Magic might be up there with some of his best. &lt;/p&gt;
  200. &lt;p id="r37OvJ"&gt;After a low scoring game in Game 1 and missing Game 2 due to a wrist injury, Tatum bounced back in Games 3-5. He averaged 36 PPG, 10.3 REB, and 5.7 AST on 48% shooting from the field, 44% shooting from three, and 100% from the free throw line. Tatum joins Larry Bird as the only other Celtics player in history to score 35+ points in three straight playoff games. &lt;/p&gt;
  201. &lt;div id="vITuID"&gt;
  202. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  203. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Celtics players with 35+ points in 3 straight playoff games:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Larry Bird&lt;br&gt;Jayson Tatum &lt;a href="https://t.co/nBnfhQKRpZ"&gt;pic.twitter.com/nBnfhQKRpZ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/iinangelo/status/1917416680789069896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  204. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  205. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  206.  
  207. &lt;/div&gt;
  208. &lt;p id="M3R0JJ"&gt;Tatum’s ability to carry the offense in times where everyone else on the team couldn’t hit a shot was absolutely huge for Boston in this series. To the Magic’s credit, they did a great job forcing the Celtics to go away from Mazzulla Ball and force them to play a heavy isolation game. However, that doesn’t really work when you have one of the best isolation players in the game. &lt;/p&gt;
  209. &lt;p id="KwnK0e"&gt;He finished the series with arguably his best game in Game 5 with 35 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds on 10/16 shooting, 4/5 from three, and 11/11 from the free throw line. &lt;/p&gt;
  210. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  211.        &lt;img alt="Magic’s physical play poses no issue for Celtics in Game 5 as they advance to second round" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5Dfd7fxULd4SUeTbYX-MZPEZGVo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25976630/2212138466.jpg"&gt;
  212.      &lt;cite&gt;Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images&lt;/cite&gt;
  213.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  214. &lt;p id="AtCQtJ"&gt;Tatum was the main source of the Celtics scoring in the first quarter as Boston fell behind by 9 points early he was able to keep them in the game. A dunk off a nice pass by Luke Kornet and a midrange jumper over Paolo Banchero started to get the Celtics offense back in gear after a rough start. &lt;/p&gt;
  215. &lt;div id="zhwwO5"&gt;
  216. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F126%2Fc604be65-647c-89f6-f949-f31b85fb7fa5_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  217. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  218. &lt;/div&gt;
  219. &lt;div id="e1cTEN"&gt;
  220. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F130%2Ffe9ec18c-779f-806c-f4c7-1fa34b551922_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  221. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  222. &lt;/div&gt;
  223. &lt;p id="4ibGl8"&gt;After sitting the start of the second quarter, Tatum came back in and continued to be aggressive going downhill towards the basket. The Magic were so concerned about running the Celtics off of the three-point line that it gave Tatum a free runway to basket whenever he wanted. He put the exclamation point on the first half for the Celtics with a two handed poster dunk on Wendell Carter Jr. as time expired after a nasty euro step had Banchero jumping out of the way.&lt;/p&gt;
  224. &lt;div id="dafK3B"&gt;
  225. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F320%2F03aeb48c-fc4f-f5c5-0184-a78eceae1860_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  226. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  227. &lt;/div&gt;
  228. &lt;p id="o8difj"&gt;The last time the Celtics didn’t hit a three in the first half of a game was on October 30th, 2021 against the &lt;a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com"&gt;Washington Wizards&lt;/a&gt;. It seems fitting then that Tatum began the second half with the first three pointer of the night for the Celtics with 10:22 left in the third quarter. &lt;/p&gt;
  229. &lt;p id="jMP5cc"&gt;Tatum had a 1-on-1 matchup with Banchero and shot right over the top of him for the three. He then went down again and hit another three, this time getting Goga Bitadze on an island and once again shooting it over the outstretched hand of the defender. &lt;/p&gt;
  230. &lt;div id="Wn0WtI"&gt;
  231. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F344%2F987e54e0-9f38-3d88-15b5-76ea1692c037_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  232. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  233. &lt;/div&gt;
  234. &lt;div id="KR3BMU"&gt;
  235. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F422%2Fd65053f8-4bad-78bd-307d-a1ae0e991e63_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  236. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  237. &lt;/div&gt;
  238. &lt;p id="oTOXyH"&gt;The Tatum Tornado continued in the third quarter with his third pull up three of the quarter as the Celtics were in the midst of a 30-9 run with Paolo Banchero sitting on the bench with foul trouble. Tatum walked down and crossed up Anthony Black as he swished the three again and had the TD Garden crowd in a frenzy. &lt;/p&gt;
  239. &lt;div id="rzfOVs"&gt;
  240. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F459%2F7bc1a9f7-520f-6e05-1f53-8dbf0f756453_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  241. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  242. &lt;/div&gt;
  243. &lt;p id="bItgw2"&gt;His final bucket of the game was a poetic way to end his night and the series as a whole as he hit his fourth three pointer of the second half. This time he was 1 on 1 with Carter, as he rose up and made the three as Carter landed in his air space for a foul. And-1, Tatum made his 11th free throw of the night, and the stay ready checked in to finish off the Magic. &lt;/p&gt;
  244. &lt;div id="nfCZ73"&gt;
  245. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F555%2Fdc56e8ea-502e-f013-2793-24fbddc28b37_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  246. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  247. &lt;/div&gt;
  248. &lt;p id="PX8qwB"&gt;People have given Jayson Tatum criticism in the past for his inconsistency at times with his scoring in the playoffs. They think its a mark against him that his “super team” around him can bail him out of an off night shooting. Well, his “super team” was not all the way there for him in this series. &lt;/p&gt;
  249. &lt;p id="f6lTeB"&gt;Jaylen Brown had an excellent series but was still limited by his right knee injury, Jrue Holiday missed the final three games of the series with a hamstring injury, and Payton Pritchard, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White didn’t have the best series when it came to scoring. &lt;/p&gt;
  250. &lt;p id="EQg0Ya"&gt;This just highlights even more that Jayson Tatum is the engine that keeps the Celtics machine running and when Boston needs him most, you can always count on Tatum show up in the big game and perform. &lt;/p&gt;
  251. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  252.        &lt;img alt="Magic’s physical play poses no issue for Celtics in Game 5 as they advance to second round" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6mc0Aig83EgBXaHjGVWrRoAPLm8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25976625/2212138758.jpg"&gt;
  253.      &lt;cite&gt;Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images&lt;/cite&gt;
  254.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  255. &lt;p id="XEYeAk"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  256. &lt;p id="7dNIqf"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  257. &lt;p id="dhG9sR"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  258.  
  259. </content>
  260.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420921/jayson-tatum-took-the-celtics-over-the-top-in-closeout-game-5-boston-celtics-orlando-magic"/>
  261.    <id>https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420921/jayson-tatum-took-the-celtics-over-the-top-in-closeout-game-5-boston-celtics-orlando-magic</id>
  262.    <author>
  263.      <name>Ian Inangelo</name>
  264.    </author>
  265.  </entry>
  266.  <entry>
  267.    <published>2025-04-30T10:00:00-04:00</published>
  268.    <updated>2025-04-30T10:00:00-04:00</updated>
  269.    <title>10 takeaways from a dominant second half by the Celtics to blowout the Magic in Game 5</title>
  270.    <content type="html">  
  271.  
  272.    &lt;figure&gt;
  273.      &lt;img alt="NBA: Playoffs-Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/E7VHfyoWUzMPGJfXVZbxmH20-5A=/0x0:5702x3801/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74057493/usa_today_26049398.0.jpg" /&gt;
  274.        &lt;figcaption&gt;David Butler II-Imagn Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  275.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  276.  
  277.  &lt;p&gt;Boston looked flat to start but unleashed a scoring avalanche that buried the Magic. Mazzulla’s game plan, Tatum’s passing, and targeted mismatches all clicked at the right time.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h2 id="iFoJ6n"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#1 - Sloppy start gave us doubts…&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  278. &lt;p id="JRcphA"&gt;It’s hard to say if that was due to the fatigue of coming back from Florida or the late start, but the beginning of the game felt sloppy, even lazy. After eight minutes, they had only scored 12 points, and the visual impression on this transition was alarming.&lt;/p&gt;
  279. &lt;div id="udB8kR"&gt;
  280. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F61%2Ff4831dc0-eab9-de00-3068-cd3b66a88697_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  281. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  282. &lt;/div&gt;
  283. &lt;p id="nqtiu4"&gt;Blowing away a transition like that, without really trying, in a game to move on to the next round, was uncharacteristic. But they were preserving themselves for a second-half explosion. Indeed, despite trailing at halftime, the &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com"&gt;Celtics&lt;/a&gt; won by more than 30 points — the first time that has happened in NBA history.&lt;/p&gt;
  284. &lt;h2 id="xh6A50"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#2 - But the run at the end of the third gave us chills!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  285. &lt;p id="H5yIs6"&gt;With less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Celtics took control of the game by running the same play three times in a row. The choreography, designed by the coaching staff, starts with a ghost screen from Sam Hauser for Jayson Tatum. That means Hauser sets a fake screen and keeps running to the other side. This often confuses the defense.&lt;/p&gt;
  286. &lt;p id="2z27qY"&gt;Hauser then runs toward the other side of the ball to use another (real) screen from Luke Kornet to get free beyond the arc. On the first try, they got an open three out of it.&lt;/p&gt;
  287. &lt;div id="pXdlDo"&gt;
  288. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F444%2F5f70531f-b589-2c9a-7ea1-396110da922e_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  289. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  290. &lt;/div&gt;
  291. &lt;p id="c60aRf"&gt;Second try, the Celtics ran the same play, but this time the separation wasn’t created, which triggered the second layer of the action — a Spain pick-and-roll. This is a screen from Kornet on the ball, plus a screen from Payton Pritchard on Kornet’s matchup. That gives space to Kornet to roll and forces help from the weak side, creating enough space for Al Horford to hit the open corner shot.&lt;/p&gt;
  292. &lt;div id="oE6Nqi"&gt;
  293. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  294. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;WOOP WOOP! Joe Mazzulla is having fun with his playbook again!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Ghost Flare action into an Spain pick-and-roll. Jayson Tatum finds Luke Kornet on the short-roll, who sends it to Al Horford in the corner.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The Celtics are up 83 to 62 to start the fourth.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;(&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/celticsblog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@celticsblog&lt;/a&gt;) &lt;a href="https://t.co/QdR1WutOw6"&gt;pic.twitter.com/QdR1WutOw6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Azad (@azmatlanba) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/azmatlanba/status/1917409161127813492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  295. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  296. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  297.  
  298. &lt;/div&gt;
  299. &lt;p id="u5pj8q"&gt;Then came the classic Jayson Tatum pull-up triple. Three times in a row, the same play — three different outcomes, nine points generated in such a short span.&lt;/p&gt;
  300. &lt;div id="4sdkXL"&gt;
  301. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F459%2F7bc1a9f7-520f-6e05-1f53-8dbf0f756453_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  302. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  303. &lt;/div&gt;
  304. &lt;p id="SkIUFG"&gt;I asked Joe Mazzulla about that sequence and why he went to the same play three times in a row. He took the time to explain that he wanted to test different layers of the play because he knew the Magic would try different coverages. Very interesting to hear Mazzulla’s thoughts and intentions behind his game plan.&lt;/p&gt;
  305. &lt;div id="xmtgvz"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 46.2395%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://streamable.com/o/0urhu8?autoplay=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  306. &lt;h2 id="rdahgu"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#3 - Kornet impact&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  307. &lt;p id="suNNXi"&gt;With Kristaps Porzingis in foul trouble, Luke Kornet needed to step up and bring an inside presence — and he did. His synergy with Jayson Tatum, screening ability, and willingness to pass from different zones made him one of the difference-makers last night.&lt;/p&gt;
  308. &lt;p id="inDeQE"&gt;The offensive flow feels much better with him on the floor as a connector. He doesn’t attack mismatches like Porzingis or shoot from the corners like Horford, but the separation he creates with his screens is extremely impactful.&lt;/p&gt;
  309. &lt;p id="pHmUkC"&gt;The Celtics also used his passing to unlock Jayson Tatum with some off-ball movement. In the play below, Anthony Black is so scared to get stuck on the screen from Kornet that he’s a step behind when Tatum decides to cut to the rim instead of running to the ball.&lt;/p&gt;
  310. &lt;div id="6CTEhv"&gt;
  311. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F126%2Fc604be65-647c-89f6-f949-f31b85fb7fa5_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  312. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  313. &lt;/div&gt;
  314. &lt;p id="0uSEhh"&gt;In #2 we looked into the play that gave the Celtics a big lead late in the third — well, all of that is possible thanks to Kornet’s screening ability. Having him as an option off the bench could be key for the Celtics’ postseason run.&lt;/p&gt;
  315. &lt;h2 id="eZz5uk"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#4 - Targeting Banchero&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  316. &lt;p id="OhfBQC"&gt;In the previous 10 takeaways, we talked about the potential of going at Paolo Banchero on defense. Well, it materialized last night and led the Celtics to a decisive win. They started early, involving him in actions, forcing him to switch or read the play.&lt;/p&gt;
  317. &lt;div id="eGvoH8"&gt;
  318. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  319. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;The Celtics are getting great looks when they targeting Paolo Banchero&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Empty-side pick-and-roll with Kornet is the 5-slot to drag away Wendel Carter Jr.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Cory Joseph and Banchero are forced to switch, but the young star is a little slow to react. Great process.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;(&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/celticsblog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@celticsblog&lt;/a&gt;) &lt;a href="https://t.co/MrwOWItFDO"&gt;pic.twitter.com/MrwOWItFDO&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Azad (@azmatlanba) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/azmatlanba/status/1917386206419312942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  320. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  321. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  322.  
  323. &lt;/div&gt;
  324. &lt;p id="r7PSwL"&gt;Then, the Celtics isolated him and forced him to stop Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum one-on-one. Because the Magic don’t want to send help on isolations, they knew they could put Banchero in a difficult position. Tatum and Brown both have the body and the skill set to attack him.&lt;/p&gt;
  325. &lt;div id="hOYuHR"&gt;
  326. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F130%2Ffe9ec18c-779f-806c-f4c7-1fa34b551922_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  327. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  328. &lt;/div&gt;
  329. &lt;p id="WCQA6q"&gt;By attacking him relentlessly and forcing him to defend alone, he started piling up fouls. So, the Celtics kept going at him even more aggressively. Here, Brown gets the switch he wants, fakes, and drives on the young star for an and-one. That was Paolo’s fifth foul. He sat after that play, and when he came back on the floor, it was too late — the Magic were already too far behind.&lt;/p&gt;
  330. &lt;div id="ObkLvz"&gt;
  331. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F349%2Ff1324115-1bf7-b4a2-7d8d-e2c66317a8a3_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  332. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  333. &lt;/div&gt;
  334. &lt;p id="PJc3Gb"&gt;Great offensive approach. Instead of attacking the weak link, the Celtics went after the offensive creator and sent him to the bench.&lt;/p&gt;
  335. &lt;h2 id="Er5XNb"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#5 - Jayson’s pull-up triple sends Orlando to Cancun&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  336. &lt;p id="3QWdH7"&gt;With Banchero out, the Magic adapted and tried to include Goga Bitadze in a double-big lineup. They stuck with the switching defense, which meant Jayson Tatum could go get his mismatch and build from there. There aren’t many mismatches on that Magic team, so whenever an opportunity to target one appears, they must go at it.&lt;/p&gt;
  337. &lt;div id="d5OAVx"&gt;
  338. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F422%2Fd65053f8-4bad-78bd-307d-a1ae0e991e63_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  339. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  340. &lt;/div&gt;
  341. &lt;p id="90qyQr"&gt;Jayson Tatum taking over creates a lot of opportunities for himself — but also for the others. As he recognized in the press conference, they opened up a little more in Game 5. Thanks to that, Tatum was able to generate offense for the rest of the team too.&lt;/p&gt;
  342. &lt;h2 id="UOsfkW"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#6 - Jayson’s passing blossoms through his gravity&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  343. &lt;p id="6yqtLm"&gt;To close the series, Jayson Tatum had 10 assists — one-third of the Celtics’ total. Most of them came from his scoring gravity.&lt;/p&gt;
  344. &lt;p id="ZBCAlg"&gt;On this action, Sam Hauser sets a screen that disrupts Orlando’s coverage. JT’s scoring gravity and Hauser’s shooting create a tough dilemma. As Tatum drives, Banchero is forced to help, leaving Kornet open under the basket. Great illustration of Tatum using his scoring gravity to open the court for others.&lt;/p&gt;
  345. &lt;div id="W0GJxk"&gt;
  346. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F115%2F4cc02259-9a5a-044b-dc59-b22b57581802_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  347. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  348. &lt;/div&gt;
  349. &lt;p id="jeMKCP"&gt;Late in the third quarter, the Magic started to overreact to Tatum’s scoring performance, and their defensive discipline began to fade. In the play below, Gary Harris tries too hard to strip the ball from Tatum, which opens the driving lane. Then there’s hesitation over whether he should switch with Wendell Carter Jr., and it costs them three points again.&lt;/p&gt;
  350. &lt;div id="lfcDpS"&gt;
  351. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F466%2F03df1d48-217d-b797-571b-00a020cd46f0_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  352. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  353. &lt;/div&gt;
  354. &lt;p id="RmURxM"&gt;As good as the Magic’s defense can be, Jayson Tatum found a way to figure them out, and they started to collapse little by little. Overall, an impressive 35-point game with 10 assists on only 16 field goal attempts.&lt;/p&gt;
  355. &lt;h2 id="V5m8im"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#7 - Jaylen Brown bounced back in the second half&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  356. &lt;p id="cGEO4j"&gt;Noa Dalzell asked Jaylen Brown about his great third and fourth quarters. He mentioned it took him some time to feel right.&lt;/p&gt;
  357. &lt;div id="tC1Rfx"&gt;
  358. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  359. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Asked Jaylen Brown about coming out strong in the third quarter in back-to-back games: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;“It took me a minute to kind of get warmed up a little bit, but in the second half, I felt a little bit better to start the third quarter.“&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;“I'm usually want to throw the first punch, but my… &lt;a href="https://t.co/6mLL3J41XR"&gt;pic.twitter.com/6mLL3J41XR&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Noa Dalzell   (@NoaDalzell) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NoaDalzell/status/1917433628805529600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  360. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  361. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  362.  
  363. &lt;/div&gt;
  364. &lt;p id="MXDbza"&gt;But once his body started to respond well, Jaylen Brown was on a roll. First, he was the one who gave Banchero his fifth foul. Then, he kept looking for mismatches. On the side with Al Horford, for example, he gets into a two-man action, fakes the handoff, and gets the switch he wants. Then he isolates Wendell Carter Jr., freezes him with a couple of hesitations, and uses his speed to find a way to the rim.&lt;/p&gt;
  365. &lt;div id="LqOEoN"&gt;
  366. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F368%2F5c87a7d0-3f07-313f-2214-2ae619d49864_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  367. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  368. &lt;/div&gt;
  369. &lt;p id="YQIlma"&gt;His knee hasn’t fully recovered and he takes time to warm up, but the flashes we got from Brown this series were encouraging for the rest of the Playoffs.&lt;/p&gt;
  370. &lt;h2 id="CZ5xGl"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#8 - After timeout problematic for Orlando&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  371. &lt;p id="8IxG8V"&gt;Before the game, I asked Jamahl Mosley about the Magic’s defense against the Celtics’ after-timeout actions. He emphasized how hard it is to contest those plays and how much discipline and communication it requires. Last night, the Celtics were able to attack the Magic thanks to great play calls and adaptability.&lt;/p&gt;
  372. &lt;div id="SLMGbz"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 46.2395%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://streamable.com/o/7fjugl?autoplay=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  373. &lt;p id="WkJFUk"&gt;In the play below, for example, they first go for a handoff action between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but Franz Wagner takes away that route. Then the Celtics shift into an alternate route with the ball going to Al Horford. Tatum recognizes Derrick White’s back screen and runs to use it, getting a mismatch on Cory Joseph.&lt;/p&gt;
  374. &lt;div id="EURWCj"&gt;
  375. &lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.nba.com%2Fnba%2Fpbp%2Fmedia%2F2025%2F04%2F29%2F0042400115%2F273%2Fc4ea15de-dd6e-c780-02c0-582514633629_1280x720.mp4&amp;amp;key=9ef4a209439e42bc59783ba959d50197" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  376. &lt;script async="" src="https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  377. &lt;/div&gt;
  378. &lt;p id="3YeMk7"&gt;Like we already showed in #2, the Celtics’ coaching staff is very good at designing plays that can dismantle defenses. The half-court offensive flow was way better last night, and despite the Magic coach’s best efforts, the young team from Florida wasn’t able to keep up with the Celtics.&lt;/p&gt;
  379. &lt;h2 id="tTiqQt"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#9 - Celtics’ biggest adjustment? Don’t lose the ball&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  380. &lt;p id="70n4wS"&gt;If the Celtics dominated the second quarter so thoroughly, it wasn’t only because of Jayson Tatum’s scoring and passing or Jaylen Brown’s bounce-back — it was mainly because they didn’t lose the ball once until they were up 23.&lt;/p&gt;
  381. &lt;p id="IeWrkn"&gt;They took away one of the Magic’s main offensive routes by doing so, and gave themselves the best chance to win.&lt;/p&gt;
  382. &lt;h2 id="6QEPAq"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#10 - First time covering a Playoff series&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  383. &lt;p id="PnVKNG"&gt;I wanted to finish this article by thanking you — the readers — and the CelticsBlog team for making it possible for me to come back to Boston and cover the Celtics’ playoff run. This sometimes feels unreal, and it wouldn’t be possible without you all. So, thank you for that.&lt;/p&gt;
  384.  
  385. </content>
  386.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420777/boston-celtics-orlando-magic-playoffs-game-5-ten-takeaways-jayson-tatum-joe-mazzulla"/>
  387.    <id>https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420777/boston-celtics-orlando-magic-playoffs-game-5-ten-takeaways-jayson-tatum-joe-mazzulla</id>
  388.    <author>
  389.      <name>Azad Rosay</name>
  390.    </author>
  391.  </entry>
  392.  <entry>
  393.    <published>2025-04-30T08:00:00-04:00</published>
  394.    <updated>2025-04-30T08:00:00-04:00</updated>
  395.    <title>Celtics finish strong in series-clinching win over Magic</title>
  396.    <content type="html">  
  397.  
  398.    &lt;figure&gt;
  399.      &lt;img alt="NBA: Playoffs-Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0GBNPzAwC30YAdsNAdh_Tzv7sWE=/454x0:5272x3212/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74057227/usa_today_26048927.0.jpg" /&gt;
  400.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum | David Butler II-Imagn Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  401.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  402.  
  403.  &lt;p&gt;POOF! The Magic are gone.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="Ab0ttI"&gt;For nine halves, the &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com"&gt;Boston Celtics&lt;/a&gt; and Orlando Magic exchanged blows in what was a physical first-round series. Despite a lack of offensive firepower, the Magic forced their way into close finishes against the Cs by “mucking up the game,” as they say.&lt;/p&gt;
  404. &lt;p id="VIkyir"&gt;Of course, there were less-than-pretty stretches for Boston throughout this series. The first half of Game 5 was a prime example. Orlando did a tremendous job of limiting the Celtics’ three-point attempts and creating extra possessions.&lt;/p&gt;
  405. &lt;p id="Xqs8x8"&gt;Boston attempted just six triples in the opening 24 minutes and made none of them. Meanwhile, the Magic attempted nine more total shots than the hosts, thanks to 10 offensive rebounds.&lt;/p&gt;
  406. &lt;p id="pzhi2q"&gt;The Celtics found themselves down by two at the halftime buzzer.&lt;/p&gt;
  407. &lt;p id="9Eoifk"&gt;It was beginning to feel very similar to the Game 3 loss in Orlando.&lt;/p&gt;
  408. &lt;p id="53UJip"&gt;Until it wasn’t.&lt;/p&gt;
  409. &lt;p id="U3136f"&gt;“At the end of the day, every game is different,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla. “Every team is different. We have to answer the call and play solution-oriented basketball.”&lt;/p&gt;
  410. &lt;p id="JEx2nW"&gt;Mazzulla’s team answered the call after the break, that’s for sure.&lt;/p&gt;
  411. &lt;p id="NGkgEa"&gt;They outscored the seventh-seeded Magic 73-40 in the second half and turned a rock fight into a rout. It felt like the basketball equivalent of Forrest Gump’s leg braces breaking off as he sprints, allowing him to run without any limitations.&lt;/p&gt;
  412. &lt;div id="KxB5Un"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WbervbV903A?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  413. &lt;p id="4RgeAg"&gt;Did Paolo Banchero’s fifth foul have something to do with it? Sure, but that’s neither here nor there.&lt;/p&gt;
  414. &lt;p id="nyLG4s"&gt;All of a sudden, the offense looked like it had for the majority of the season, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were cooking, and Boston was finishing defensive possessions with rebounds.&lt;/p&gt;
  415. &lt;p id="oVbHZZ"&gt;The Celtic duo combined to score 34 points on a fiery 9-of-15 from the floor and 6-of-9 from deep. They nearly outscored the Magic by themselves.&lt;/p&gt;
  416. &lt;p id="ZsafmB"&gt;Their offensive explosion trickled down to the rest of the Celtics, too. Both Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser had great scoring nights off the bench, knocking down a few triples of their own. Luke Kornet also had an impressive showing with nine points and four rebounds.&lt;/p&gt;
  417. &lt;p id="7dS0yz"&gt;It may seem pretty minute, but in a series where the bench wasn’t particularly great, it’s encouraging to see them put together a game like this to cap it off.&lt;/p&gt;
  418. &lt;p id="OWAdHJ"&gt;Is there momentum that can carry between series? I’m not sure, but Boston has given themselves as good of a chance as possible to try and do so in the second round.&lt;/p&gt;
  419.  
  420. </content>
  421.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420742/boston-celtics-orlando-magic-game-5-nba-playoffs-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-payton-pritchard"/>
  422.    <id>https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420742/boston-celtics-orlando-magic-game-5-nba-playoffs-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-payton-pritchard</id>
  423.    <author>
  424.      <name>Sam LaFrance</name>
  425.    </author>
  426.  </entry>
  427.  <entry>
  428.    <published>2025-04-30T05:04:04-04:00</published>
  429.    <updated>2025-04-30T05:04:04-04:00</updated>
  430.    <title>The Celtics survived Jrue Holiday’s absence — and Payton Pritchard was a big reason why</title>
  431.    <content type="html">  
  432.  
  433.    &lt;figure&gt;
  434.      &lt;img alt="2025 NBA Playoffs - Orlando Magic v Boston Celtics - Game Two" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/V7NLDRa7KpgfDc5MQYo8i8UIHk4=/0x0:2282x1521/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74057039/2211034328.0.jpg" /&gt;
  435.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  436.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  437.  
  438.  &lt;p&gt;The Sixth Man of the Year was impressive defensively, prompting Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley to praise his ball pressure and helping the Celtics get out of the first round. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="QzPTys"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BOSTON&lt;/strong&gt; — At a March shootaround in Miami earlier this season, Payton Pritchard emphasized the pride he’s taken in his defensive growth: the backup point guard &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/3/18/24387826/payton-pritchard-boston-celtics-sixth-man-of-the-year-defense-shai-gilgeous-alexander-okc-thunder"&gt;told CelticsBlog&lt;/a&gt; he aspired to become one of the &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com"&gt;Celtics&lt;/a&gt;’ top defenders. &lt;/p&gt;
  439. &lt;p id="HJDwLx"&gt;“I want to be that guy,” he said, explaining that he relishes the moments when opposing stars target him. &lt;/p&gt;
  440. &lt;p id="M8hnVI"&gt;In a five-game playoff series against the Orlando Magic, Pritchard demonstrated those words don’t ring hollow: he’s become an asset on that end of the floor. &lt;/p&gt;
  441. &lt;aside id="hIkroi"&gt;&lt;div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Payton Pritchard on working to be the Celtics’ best defender, quitting alcohol, and why he never flops ","url":"https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/3/18/24387826/payton-pritchard-boston-celtics-sixth-man-of-the-year-defense-shai-gilgeous-alexander-okc-thunder"}]}'&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/aside&gt;&lt;p id="6AM816"&gt;When &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/28/24419761/celtics-injury-report-jaylen-brown-jrue-holiday-orlando-magic-game-5-nba-playoffs"&gt;Jrue Holiday&lt;/a&gt; went down with a hamstring strain after Game 2, the Celtics found themselves in a bind. Their most versatile defender, who primarily had the Paolo Banchero defensive assignment in the first two games, was suddenly sidelined. &lt;/p&gt;
  442. &lt;p id="yfeBue"&gt;Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said before Game 5 that game-planning against a Holiday-less Celtics team proved massively different than preparing for a fully-loaded one, rattling through the ways Holiday impacts the game. &lt;/p&gt;
  443. &lt;p id="LFtW2S"&gt;“He adds so many small intangible things to this team,” Mosley said. “His toughness, his resolve on the court, he never gets rattled. He blows up all the things you’re trying to run.”  &lt;/p&gt;
  444. &lt;p id="jRWNme"&gt;Then, unprompted, Mosley brought up the NBA’s’ &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/22/24414061/boston-celtics-payton-pritchard-nba-sixth-man-of-the-year-orlando-magic-playoffs"&gt;Sixth Man of the Year.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  445. &lt;p id="qBuprf"&gt;“It’s just been Payton Pritchard who’s stepped into that role now,” he said. “He’s moved into the,&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;‘he’s gonna pick up full court [role].’ He’s gonna change the game.”&lt;/p&gt;
  446. &lt;p id="zwVMKG"&gt;Offensively, it was an up-and-down playoff series for Pritchard after finishing the best regular season of his NBA career. &lt;/p&gt;
  447. &lt;p id="YJJuB0"&gt;He averaged 9.2 points per game on 51.2% shooting in the first round, hitting 50% of his attempts from beyond the arc. His scoring contributions were particularly crucial in the first two games; he opened up the playoffs with a 19-point Game 1 barrage and followed that effort with a 14-point Game 2, shooting 11-for-19 in the wins. In Games 3 and 4, the Magic’s stifling defense relegated him to a more ancillary role on offense, as he converted only 1-of-4 field goal attempts across more than 50 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
  448. &lt;p id="VZz9r3"&gt;Still, he continued to impact winning, regardless of whether he found openings on offense. &lt;/p&gt;
  449. &lt;div id="EdsOJi"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/byAqH6hpK58?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  450. &lt;h3 id="7mY8bi"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;With Jrue Holiday sidelined, Payton Pritchard made his mark defensively&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  451. &lt;p id="jZWU08"&gt;“It’s something I want to be known for,” Pritchard told CelticsBlog after the Celtics’ close-out Game 5 victory. “I’ve said that, being a two-way player. I know people in the past wanted to say that I’ve maybe been a liability, but that’s something I’m trying to strive to overcome and be a great on-ball defender that can just take people out of a series.” &lt;/p&gt;
  452. &lt;p id="ZJIDa1"&gt;A younger Pritchard might’ve grown frustrated with his lack of scoring. Now, he viewed it as an opportunity to contribute elsewhere. &lt;/p&gt;
  453. &lt;p id="Bs4Pom"&gt;“Obviously, you want to score,” Pritchard said. “It’s not possible every game with the people we have on our team. Sometimes, they take that load and so, how can you make an impact? For me, it was every game, ball pressure, getting into the ball, making it tough every time.”&lt;/p&gt;
  454. &lt;aside id="Rz7PaY"&gt;&lt;div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Parquet plays: Celtics Pride is Payton Pritchard and Payton Pritchard is Celtics Pride","url":"https://www.celticsblog.com/celtics-videos/2025/4/25/24415366/parquet-plays-celtics-pride-is-payton-pritchard-and-payton-pritchard-is-celtics-pride"}]}'&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/aside&gt;&lt;p id="sZQM2Y"&gt;He held Banchero and Franz Wagner to a combined 3-for-11 shooting on switches, and the Magic referenced his ball pressure as part of the reason Orlando slowed down on offense. &lt;/p&gt;
  455. &lt;p id="MKt9Ui"&gt;“I probably figured they would (target me), but where I’m at my best is ball pressure, up high,” Pritchard said. “If I play them into my game, then I have the advantage. Obviously, if they catch it down on the block, they’re 6-10, that’s more their advantage. So if I can push the catches out and just make things tough every time, then I should be alright. That’s what I strive to do, and I felt like I did a good job.”&lt;/p&gt;
  456. &lt;div id="umO90s"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://streamable.com/o/tj5yng?autoplay=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  457. &lt;p id="8I5iaJ"&gt;Eventually, Banchero and Wagner seemingly stopped hunting Pritchard altogether. Pritchard noticed it, too. &lt;/p&gt;
  458. &lt;p id="jPqg6U"&gt;“They stopped going to it, because for them, it was having to work extra just to even get down there,” Pritchard said, adding he realized the Magic stars had to carefully think about their moves once they finally got the switch they pursued. “I think I did a good job in that area.” &lt;/p&gt;
  459. &lt;p id="nuxPZa"&gt;In the series finale, Orlando’s players shot 3-for-11 when guarded by Pritchard. &lt;/p&gt;
  460. &lt;h3 id="V3Z6MG"&gt;
  461. &lt;strong&gt;Still, Payton Pritchard wasn’t &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;trying&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt; to replace Jrue Holiday&lt;/strong&gt;
  462. &lt;/h3&gt;
  463. &lt;p id="gJUdiZ"&gt;Holiday, whose NBA contemporaries routinely praise as one of the best guard defenders in the modern era, remains day-to-day with a right hamstring strain that the Celtics have shared little information about. &lt;/p&gt;
  464. &lt;p id="dBrJ8n"&gt;And, while he’s out, Pritchard made clear he wasn’t trying to be Jrue Holiday. &lt;/p&gt;
  465. &lt;p id="o5THJk"&gt;“I was just trying to play hard,” he said, adding a line that Celtics players often utter: “Jrue’s unbelievable.”  &lt;/p&gt;
  466. &lt;p id="5zWsFv"&gt;Al Horford noted that Holiday’s defensive impact is immeasurable, but nonetheless agreed with Mosley’s perception that Pritchard had stepped up in his absence. &lt;/p&gt;
  467. &lt;p id="0KZXnS"&gt;“I felt like Payton, all series, his ball pressure, his impact was noticeable,” Horford said. “He was just trying to find ways to impact the game, to impact winning. Payton was key for us there. &lt;/p&gt;
  468. &lt;div id="sLICwn"&gt;
  469. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  470. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Asked Al Horford about Payton Pritchard stepping up defensively in Jrue Holiday’s absence: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;“What Jrue does for us —  it's elite. The impact that he has on our team, you can't measure it.”&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;“ I felt like Payton all series, his ball pressure, his impact was noticeable.” &lt;a href="https://t.co/yvocD68fiI"&gt;pic.twitter.com/yvocD68fiI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Noa Dalzell   (@NoaDalzell) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NoaDalzell/status/1917430181020549579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  471. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  472. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  473.  
  474. &lt;/div&gt;
  475. &lt;p id="VVMtuB"&gt;Pritchard’s Celtics teammates have a first-hand appreciation of what that relenting ball pressure is like. &lt;/p&gt;
  476. &lt;p id="vHFCdJ"&gt;“Going up against somebody like Payton is difficult — I’d hate to do it,” Holiday said earlier this season. “Sometimes you just like the easy games, especially when you’re in the backcourt. Payton makes it difficult.”&lt;/p&gt;
  477. &lt;div id="NklKTj"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://streamable.com/o/k73wx1?autoplay=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  478. &lt;p id="WcHZ1H"&gt;Pritchard will work to limit his single-digit scoring games as the Celtics’ postseason run continues. But they don’t dictate his effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;
  479. &lt;p id="UAXP8v"&gt;Regardless of whether the shots fall — or if he gets the attempts in the first place — he ensures his defense isn’t impacted. &lt;/p&gt;
  480. &lt;p id="BpRjeD"&gt;“I just try to leave my impact on stuff I can control,” he said. “Sometimes, I can’t control if I’m gonna get shots... I can control my effort defensively and trying to rebound.”&lt;/p&gt;
  481. &lt;p id="uG4uno"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  482.  
  483. </content>
  484.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420797/payton-pritchard-boston-celtics-orlando-magic-jrue-holiday-nba-playoffs-defense-jamahl-mosley"/>
  485.    <id>https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/30/24420797/payton-pritchard-boston-celtics-orlando-magic-jrue-holiday-nba-playoffs-defense-jamahl-mosley</id>
  486.    <author>
  487.      <name>Noa Dalzell</name>
  488.      <name>Bobby Manning</name>
  489.    </author>
  490.  </entry>
  491.  <entry>
  492.    <published>2025-04-29T23:17:06-04:00</published>
  493.    <updated>2025-04-29T23:17:06-04:00</updated>
  494.    <title>Celtics win 120-89 over Magic in Game 5, end series 4-1</title>
  495.    <content type="html">  
  496.  
  497.    &lt;figure&gt;
  498.      &lt;img alt="NBA: Playoffs-Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QiCpFq0DavF2XZFuKRhp8Zgs5TM=/0x0:3309x2206/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74056868/usa_today_26048498.0.jpg" /&gt;
  499.        &lt;figcaption&gt;David Butler II-Imagn Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  500.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  501.  
  502.  &lt;p&gt;After trailing at the half, the floodgates opened for Jayson Tatum and Boston in the second half as they advance in 5 games.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="hiYn8U"&gt;Boston returned home to TD Garden Tuesday night for Game 5 after going 1-1 in Orlando. Boston who has been physically challenged all series by the Magic, weathered a strong Orlando first-half performance to storm back in the second and secure a dominant 120-89 win in front of a rowdy home crowd headlined by Jayson Tatum’s big 35-point night.&lt;/p&gt;
  503. &lt;p id="rr3HEP"&gt;Boston has been rolling with a shortened rotation of just 8 players the last few games, with Jrue Holiday ruled out once again. Fans expected to see plenty of Luke Kornet, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser as Al Horford stayed in the starting lineup.&lt;/p&gt;
  504. &lt;p id="F3C9YD"&gt;Jaylen Brown opened up the scoring on the night with a fourteen-foot jumper that was quickly followed up by a long two-pointer from Al Horford. Boston was up 4-0 early before Paolo Banchero got the Magic on the scoreboard. Wagner then drove into the key to dunk for his first score to keep things tied 4-4.&lt;/p&gt;
  505. &lt;p id="dPOGEC"&gt;Kristaps Porzingis was effective to start Game 5, hitting on a turnaround jumper, then flashing into the key for a layup. The Magic were active on the glass to start the game, keeping the ball alive and creating plenty of second-chance looks. Joe Mazzulla called his team’s first timeout at the 6 and a half minute mark with scores knotted at eight all.&lt;/p&gt;
  506. &lt;p id="JonDu5"&gt;Tatum remained scoreless until the 8-minute mark, as it was the Magic who looked the more comfortable team on the road taking an early 9-point early lead as KCP hit on consecutive triples to silence the Boston crowd.&lt;/p&gt;
  507. &lt;p id="Ti6nDk"&gt;Tatum was assisting at a rapid pace to start the game as he drove and dished for his fifth of the night on a Luke Kornet layup. Banchero then rattled in his first three-pointer of the night, as the Magic pushed it out to a 24-15 lead.&lt;/p&gt;
  508. &lt;p id="YL2h9Y"&gt;Tatum got to the elbow and hit his third basket of the game, a turnaround elbow jumper, to stop the Magic run. Gary Harris hit his first shot of the night with the clock expiring in the first quarter, Magic up by four, 27-23.&lt;/p&gt;
  509. &lt;p id="6b8G3x"&gt;The start of the second quarter was not great for Boston, as it was the Magic outhustling the &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com"&gt;Celtics&lt;/a&gt; to stretch the lead back to nine. Boston eventually got the scoreboard with a Kristaps three-point play off a Derrick White inbounds pass.&lt;/p&gt;
  510. &lt;p id="WbDCwT"&gt;The Magic’s Franz Wagner was scoring at will throughout the first half, attacking Boston’s rim relentlessly; the German wing had 13 points in the first 13 minutes of the game. Boston picked up the pace around the midway point of the second as Jaylen Brown and Derrick White attacked the basket to get the score back to three, 38-35.&lt;/p&gt;
  511. &lt;p id="TcAqhx"&gt;Boston started the game scoreless from three as the Orlando D was spread well beyond the C’s three-point arc. Al Horford looked to break the drought for Boston, but his corner shot was ruled a two-pointer by the referees as Big Al had a foot on the line. A loud two-handed Jaylen Brown dunk in transition saw the Boston crowd rise in unison.&lt;/p&gt;
  512. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  513.        &lt;img alt="NBA: Playoffs-Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/F-T8yko5tZPw5hXgtfrsWZ-PzP8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25976202/usa_today_26048444.jpg"&gt;
  514.      &lt;cite&gt;David Butler II-Imagn Images&lt;/cite&gt;
  515.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  516. &lt;p id="Mam6lL"&gt;Boston managed to get the scores level at one point, but the young Magic team continued to work harder on both ends than the home team. Jayson Tatum dunked it home to end the first half for Boston, 49-47. The Celtics would go scoreless from beyond the arc in the 1st half for the first time since October 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
  517. &lt;p id="VqTU28"&gt;Paolo Banchero picked up his fourth foul of the game early in the third quarter and was visibly upset. JT eventually scored the first three-pointer of the night for Boston as he converted over an outstretched Paolo Banchero. That bucket was immediately followed by a solid Jaylen Brown drive in which Banchero was whistled for his fifth foul of the night and a seat on the Orlando bench with 9 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. &lt;/p&gt;
  518. &lt;p id="AWTpfO"&gt;Jaylen Brown’s fourteenth point of the night came on finger roll layup as the home team went on a 8-0 run to retake the lead. Both teams continue to engage in a physical play in the third, highlighting the intensity of this physical series. The pace really slowed down in the third as both teams settled into a physical and slow pace of play. Jaylen Brown fed Kristaps in the low block who was fouled and converted both free throws for his ninth point of the night.&lt;/p&gt;
  519. &lt;p id="as6gbW"&gt;Boston take Game 5 fueled by a dominant second half performance, Payton Pritchard scored on driving layup as time expired on a broken Boston play with four minutes to go in the quarter. Jayson Tatum hit on his second three-pointer and hit a pair of free-throws as Boston stretched the lead to ten points, 70-60.&lt;/p&gt;
  520. &lt;p id="gXylRB"&gt;Sam Hauser became the first Celtic to hit a three outside of Tatum for Boston, Al Horford got in on the act also, as the Celtics opened up a 14-point lead with a minute to go in the third.&lt;/p&gt;
  521. &lt;p id="1u2FRj"&gt;The flood gates well and truly opened for the team in green as Jayson Tatum hit his third three of the night as Banchero and Wagner looked on from the Orlando bench.&lt;/p&gt;
  522. &lt;p id="78IlQM"&gt;With a huge 19-point advantage, 83-62, going into the final quarter, the Celtics totally changed the course of the game in the third quarter. The Magic were only able to score 13 points in the third quarter while the Celtics scored 36 points.&lt;/p&gt;
  523. &lt;p id="HkVZYh"&gt;Pritchard hit a pair of three-pointers to open up the fourth quarter as the Celtics fans went giddy at TD Garden. Boston’s lead stayed steady at around 20 plus points all through the fourth as the Orlando players and staff started to think about their holiday plans, staring at first round exit.&lt;/p&gt;
  524. &lt;p id="8B55Su"&gt;The Orlando Magic eventually waved the white flag, as they cleared the benches with 3 and a half minutes to go in the game. The final score would be 120-89, Jayson Tatum led all Celtics with 35 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds, Jaylen Brown had 23 points and Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser had 10 points each.&lt;/p&gt;
  525. &lt;p id="sgs3nR"&gt;Boston advance to the second round of the 2025 playoffs and now await the eventual winner of the &lt;a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com"&gt;New York Knicks&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com"&gt;Detroit Pistons&lt;/a&gt; series.&lt;/p&gt;
  526.  
  527. </content>
  528.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/29/24420605/boston-celtics-win-120-89-over-orlando-magic-in-game-5-end-series-4-1-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown"/>
  529.    <id>https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/29/24420605/boston-celtics-win-120-89-over-orlando-magic-in-game-5-end-series-4-1-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown</id>
  530.    <author>
  531.      <name>Bird Rights</name>
  532.    </author>
  533.  </entry>
  534.  <entry>
  535.    <published>2025-04-29T23:12:02-04:00</published>
  536.    <updated>2025-04-29T23:12:02-04:00</updated>
  537.    <title>Who do you want in round 2? (Celtics Reacts Survey)</title>
  538.    <content type="html">  
  539.  
  540.    &lt;figure&gt;
  541.      &lt;img alt="2025 NBA Playoffs - New York Knicks v Detroit Pistons" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/b_kPiwF8p2mkj_R6VhkY-9rnNag=/0x0:4776x3184/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74056858/2211752626.0.jpg" /&gt;
  542.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  543.  
  544.  &lt;p&gt;Would you rather play the Pistons or the Knicks?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="4YZula"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Boston Celtics&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; fans and fans across the country. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/8SCRL8/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sign up here&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  545. &lt;p id="avhbod"&gt;After a grueling 5 game series with the Magic (not kidding, they left our team literally bruised and bloodied), the Celtics get a needed couple of days off between rounds. Meanwhile the Pistons hung on to win tonight, forcing a game 6 in their series with the Knicks.&lt;/p&gt;
  546. &lt;p id="S5lPsH"&gt;The Celtics handled the Knicks time and time again in the regular season, but the playoffs is a different ballgame and they have a lot of talent. The Pistons (in theory) are the less experienced team, but they have a lot of fight and poise in them as well (as the Knicks are learning).&lt;/p&gt;
  547. &lt;p id="pnyB61"&gt;So who would you rather see in the next round?&lt;/p&gt;
  548. &lt;div id="qgkXJY"&gt;&lt;iframe id="ss-embed-frame" onload="window.parent.parent.scrollTo(0,0)" src="https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/XFI864/" style="width:100%;height:400px;border:0px;padding-bottom:4px;" frameborder="0"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/XFI864/"&gt;Please take our survey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  549.  
  550. </content>
  551.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/29/24413941/who-do-you-want-in-round-2-knicks-pistons-celtics-reacts-survey"/>
  552.    <id>https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/4/29/24413941/who-do-you-want-in-round-2-knicks-pistons-celtics-reacts-survey</id>
  553.    <author>
  554.      <name>Jeff Clark</name>
  555.    </author>
  556.  </entry>
  557. </feed>
  558.  

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