Celtics Power Through Magic Despite Tatum Injury Scare in Game 1 Win
Alright, let’s talk about what went down in Game 1 between the Celtics and Magic—it was a rollercoaster with a classic playoff vibe. The Boston Celtics came out and did what champions are supposed to do, pulling away in the second half to grab a solid 103-86 win over the Orlando Magic. But it wasn't all smooth sailing—there was a heart-stopping moment when Jayson Tatum hit the deck hard after a foul. For a second there, every Celtics fan held their breath.
In the first half, Orlando looked like they might shake things up. Their defense tightened up in the second quarter, locking in just like they did during the regular season when they posted the league’s second-best defensive rating. They actually went into halftime up by one, 49-48, after a strong 25-12 run to close out the second quarter. It felt like maybe—just maybe—the young Magic squad was about to make things interesting.
But man, Boston had other plans.
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Coming out of the break, the Celtics flipped a switch. They outscored the Magic 30-18 in the third, completely taking control of the game. Derrick White was on fire, dropping 30 points and just torching Orlando's defense. And when Boston starts clicking on both ends like that? It’s scary. They’ve got one of the best defenses themselves, and it showed. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the game felt more like a formality than a battle.
Now let’s talk about that moment everyone was buzzing about—Jayson Tatum’s injury scare. With about 8 and a half minutes left in the game, Tatum took a hard fall after getting fouled mid-air by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. It was ruled a flagrant 1, and you could see Tatum wincing, holding that right wrist of his. He stayed down for a bit, walked to the bench, and got checked out. Everyone was thinking, "Please no." But he came back in, missed the free throws—kind of telling—but then hit a clutch three just minutes later, which honestly helped calm the nerves in the building.
He finished with 17 points and 14 boards, clearly playing through some discomfort. Coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game that Tatum was doing good, which is a huge relief. Still, you could see him flexing his wrist on the bench, so that’s something to keep an eye on moving forward.
Looking ahead, the question for Orlando is whether they can keep up offensively. Their defense is solid, no doubt—but against a team like Boston, that might not be enough. If they want to steal a game in this series, they're going to have to find more consistency on offense. Because when Boston’s firing on all cylinders, especially with contributions from guys like White, it’s hard to stop them.
Game 1 is in the books, and Boston has made it clear—they’re not going to be an easy out. Even with an injury scare to their star, they kept their composure and handled business. Let’s see how Orlando responds in Game 2.
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