Wagner and Banchero help Magic beat Celtics 95-93 to cut Boston’s lead to 2-1

Paolo Banchero

Franz Wagner scored 32 points, Paolo Banchero added 29 and the Orlando Magic beat Boston 95-93 on Friday night to cut the Celtics’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Jayson Tatum had 36 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics in his return to the starting lineup after missing Game 2 with a bruised wrist.

The defending NBA champions were 33-8 on the road this season but are now 0-3 in Orlando in 2024-25. The Magic host Game 4 today (Macau time).

The Celtics, who set several NBA records for 3-point shooting during the regular season, shot 9 for 27 in Game 3 and went 17 minutes between 3-pointers in the second half. The game included 43 fouls, a flagrant foul and 35 turnovers, 21 by the Celtics against the physical Magic defense.

“I feel like it suits our team, our playing style,” said Wagner, who had eight assists and seven rebounds. “We’ve played like that all year, and I feel like whoever plays more aggressive is going to win in this series.”

The flagrant foul was called on Orlando’s Cole Anthony after a play in which Boston’s Jaylen Brown dislocated his left index finger.

“Maybe a fight will break out (in Game 4),” said Brown, who finished with 19 points and five fouls. “If you want to fight, we can do that and see who goes to the second round.”

The Celtics believe the Magic are already getting plenty of shots in.

“Some fouls they call and some they don’t, and that’s how it’s going to be,” said Kristaps Porzingis, who had seven points and four fouls. “We have to accept the reality and also, we can use that. It goes both ways. It’s really a big difference from the regular season.”

Boston rallied after scoring just 11 points in the third quarter to tie it 91 on Derrick White’s layup with 2:31 to play. Wagner answered with a layup, and after a miss by Tatum, followed with another basket for a 95-91 lead with 1:26 to play.

White scored, and after Wagner missed a 3-pointer, the Celtics got the ball and inbounded with 0.3 seconds left but White’s pass toward the basket was tapped away as time expired.

The Celtics played without Jrue Holiday, who has a strained right hamstring.

Tatum, who was listed as doubtful late Friday afternoon, scored 21 points in the first half, leading the Celtics to a 10-point lead.

Tatum’s 3-pointer early in the second half stretched their lead to 11, but the Celtics missed 17 of their next 19 shots and did not hit another 3-point shot until Al Horford connected with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter.

Wagner and Banchero combined for nine points on a 14-0 run that pulled the Magic ahead and they led 86-74 after the third quarter. DICK SCANLON, ORLANDO, MDT/AP