The Boston Celtics led the Orlando Magic they could compete–until they couldn’t. In game 4 of the quarterfinals series between the 2nd-seed Celtics and the 7th-seed Magic, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis showed Orlando why they are the reigning champions.
Tatum played a great all-around game–scoring, setting up his teammates, and most importantly, defending. They kept the game pretty close, and the Banchero-Wagner duo thought they could replicate their game 3 win. However, Big Deuce was hitting his shots despite a nagging wrist injury.
Though not super efficient, Tatum finished the game with 37 points and 14 rebounds. Subsequently, the six-time All-Star makes history after becoming the first NBA player to record at least 35 points and shot 100% from free throw (with least 12+ attempts) per game in two consecutive playoff games. In games 3 and 4, Tatum shot a perfect 26-for-26 in the charity stripes.
38-year-old Al Horford also showed he’s still got it. In 35 minutes, Horford got up for 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 huge blocks, making him the second player ever to record at least five blocks in a playoff game at the age of 38, joining NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He also surpasses Pau Gasol in the 15th spot for the NBA’s all-time playoffs blocks leader.
On the other hand, Jaylen Brown goes off for 21 points and 11 rebounds while being the anchor of the defensive end without Jrue Holiday on the floor. Beside him is Derrick White, who made some important plays down the stretch, finishing with 18 points, 7 dimes, and 7 boards. However, the most underrated contributor in their game 4 victory is the Latvian big man–Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis recorded 19 points and 5 rebounds while also shooting well from the field. He may have looked like a defensive liability at times, but he’s made quite an impact on scoring as a lethal stretch 4.
Meanwhile, the Magic had a tragic night. Paolo Banchero did have 31 points but had to take 32 shots to get that production. By standards, shooting 12-of-32 is extremely inefficient. However, that sums up their biggest issue–needing help for Banchero. Franz Wagner was incredible with 24 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, but aside from the German star, no Magic player stepped up to the challenge.
