jQuery(document).ready(function() { addByline("Marc D'Amico", "Celtics.com", "Marc_DAmico"); keysToTheGame('post'); });
Key Moment
Jayson Tatum may have shown Jonathan Isaac a little too much respect from 3-point range.
How hard should you run a minimal 3-point threat off of the 3-point line when the game is hanging in the balance? Tatum decided to do so as hard as humanly possible.
It didn’t work, but you can’t fault his effort.
Orlando led by three points during the final minute when Isaac, who had made only three 3-pointers all season heading into Monday night, took possession of the ball on the right wing. Before he even had time to throw a shot fake, Tatum came screaming at him to run him off of the 3-point line and force Isaac to make another play off the dribble.
Isaac did exactly that, coming through with the biggest shot of his young career.
The second-year forward took one dribble with his left hand and pulled up for a wide-open jumper from just outside the free-throw line. He canned it to account for only his third make all night from outside the restricted area.
The bucket pushed Orlando ahead 91-86 with 53.7 seconds left in the game. Boston scored the next four points to crawl to within one point, but that was as close as it got. The second point from Isaac’s jumper accounted for the deciding point of the game.
Key Player
Kyrie Irving has struggled to make jumpers so far this season this season. That doesn’t mean his offense has gone quiet.
Irving made up for a 2-for-8 night from long distance by shooting 7-for-9 from inside the paint. Somehow, on a night during which his jumper was stale, he still managed to lead Boston with 22 points – five points better than the next-best total from any other member of the team (Al Horford, 15 points).
To Irving’s credit, he also contributed to the contest in many other ways. He hauled in eight rebounds, which trailed only Jayson Tatum’s 10 on the team, and also dished out a team-best five assists. The point guard grabbed two of the team’s six steals and accounted for one of Boston’s three blocked shots.
The C’s likely wouldn’t have had a chance to win the game during the final minute had Irving not played so well during the second half, either. He scored 17 of his 22 points during the third and fourth quarters.
Box Score Nuggets
- Four Orlando players logged double-doubles, while no Celtics players accomplished the feat.
- Jayson Tatum led the C's in rebounding with 10 boards, marking his second straight game with double-digit rebounds.
- D.J. Augustin and Evan Fournier tied for the game high in assists with 10 apiece.
- Neither team shot better than 40.9 percent from the field.
- Boston never led in the game.
- The Celtics outscored the Magic 23-6 in fast break points.
- Kyrie Irving led the C's in scoring with 22 points.
- Nikola Vucevic led the game in both scoring (24 points) and rebounding (12 boards).
- All five of Orlando's starters scored in double-figures.
- Neither team committed more than 12 turnovers.
- Vucevic and Marcus Smart tied for the game high in steals with three apiece.
- Boston's bench outscored Orlando's bench 30-14.
Quote of the Night
Brad Stevens' surprising comment on Boston's offense, which scored only 90 points.