NBA: Tatum's 32 points lift Celtics past Magic 108-97 after Orlando fightback

Boston won at Orlando, 108-97, on Sunday 1 November 2026, in front of 18,236 spectators at the Kia Center. Jayson Tatum finished with 32 points, including 15 of 17 from the free-throw line, and the Celtics pulled clear in the final quarter (31-23) after seeing the Magic cut the gap to four points.

The key points: Boston won despite poor three-point shooting (12 of 44) by drawing fouls (22 of 26 from the line, against 15 of 19 for Orlando) and by turning the ball over less (13 against 18). For the Magic, who were listed without Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Izaiyah Nelson or Noah Penda, the two top scorers, Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva, scored 23 points each. Devin Carter is listed as out for the Celtics.

Orlando take nine-point lead, Boston close the gap straight away

The Magic struck first. A 7-0 run took them from 3-2 to 10-2, and they then reached 13-4, their biggest lead of the night (9 points). Boston answered with a 7-0 run to get back to 13-11, and Orlando still led 15-11 with six minutes left in the first quarter. The Celtics ended the period ahead, 24-23.

The second quarter went their way (31-27), after a 7-0 run that stretched from the end of the first. Boston took the break with a five-point lead, 55-50. Jayson Tatum reportedly suffered a cut after a head-to-head collision with Jamal Cain, before returning to action in the second quarter after a spell in the locker room.

Boston's 9-0 run, Orlando's 12-0 reply

Coming out of the locker rooms, the Celtics reeled off a 9-0 run to go from 50-55 to 50-64. The gap reached 15 points (69-54) with 7:03 left in the third quarter, Boston's biggest lead of the game.

Orlando then hit back with a 12-0 run, from 54-69 to 66-69, in under three minutes. The Magic won the third quarter (24-22) and went into the last within three points, 74-77.

Boston close the door late on

The Celtics pulled away again: 92-85 with six minutes left, then 97-85 with 4:48 to play. Orlando answered once more with an 8-0 run, to 93-97 with 3:59 left. In the closing minutes Boston then got the better of Orlando, 11-4, to seal the score at 108-97. The lead changed hands five times.

Players of the match

Jayson Tatum carried Boston: 32 points, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and a plus-minus of +7 in 34 minutes. He missed plenty of shots (8 of 19) and gave the ball away four times, but his 15 made free throws weighed heavily. Paul George added 17 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds, with a plus-minus of +10 in 33 minutes. Derrick White scored only 12 points, but Boston won his 34 minutes by 18 points, the best plus-minus of the game. Off the bench, Luka Garza (12 points, 6 rebounds, +11 in 21 minutes) and Baylor Scheierman (10 points, 4 of 5 from the field, +10 in 20 minutes) made a difference in limited time on court.

For Orlando, Anthony Black finished with 23 points, 10 of 11 from the free-throw line and 8 rebounds, but also 4 turnovers and a plus-minus of -11 in 33 minutes. Tristan da Silva, who came off the bench, scored 23 points (5 of 8 from three) and grabbed 10 rebounds in 35 minutes, for a plus-minus of just -1. Desmond Bane added 19 points with 5 three-pointers. The disappointment was Franz Wagner: 5 of 20 from the field for 14 points, despite 12 assists, in 40 minutes.

Three takeaways

A gap that swelled quickly. Boston led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, having trailed by 9 in the first. In between, the two teams traded runs: 9-0 for the Celtics, then 12-0 for the Magic.

Free throws made up for the shooting. Boston made only 12 of 44 three-pointers, against 14 of 39 for Orlando, a 6-point edge from deep for the Magic. The Celtics made up for it with 7 more made free throws (22 against 15) and 5 fewer turnovers (13 against 18). They also dished out more assists (29 against 24).

Orlando always responded, but never took control. The Magic strung together a 7-0, a 12-0 and an 8-0 run, but they won only one quarter out of four, the third (24-22). They finished on 34 of 81 from the field (42%), against 37 of 84 (44%) for Boston.

The SNA view

This Boston win can be read in the distribution of points. The Celtics shot worse from beyond the arc than the Magic, yet they pulled away in the final quarter thanks to what they controlled: free throws, protecting the ball and a bench that made an impact in few minutes. The Magic lost largely on those two fronts, with 18 turnovers and seven fewer free throws than Boston, and Franz Wagner paid for a 5 of 20 shooting night despite his 12 assists. Their three comebacks show a team that does not give up, but the 11-point final margin also says that an 8-0 run is not enough when the opponent answers with 11-4.

What next: Boston have a record of 5 wins and 1 loss and sit 2nd in the Eastern Conference in the standings of 2 November 2026. The Celtics travel to face the Houston Rockets on 3 November at 02:30 Brazzaville time. Orlando, 2-4 and 11th in the East, host the Washington Wizards the same day at 01:30 Brazzaville time.