If you only peeked at the final margin — Boston 120, Orlando 89 — you’d think this first‑round series was a breezy walk down Causeway Street for the defending champs. The reality is, it felt a lot more like playing pickup in a parking lot full of potholes.

The Celtics needed five bruising, whistle‑heavy games to shove aside a plucky Magic group, and they left the floor just as relieved as they were sore. Still, 4‑1 is still a gentleman's sweep, and with two weeks of talk about upsets floating around the league, Boston did the one thing contenders have to do early in the playoffs: handle their business, get off their feet, and let the rest of the bracket sort itself out.

Getting Over the Orlando Hump

Orlando actually won the regular season series 2‑1 and held Boston to a paltry 105.7 points a night — by far the Celtics’ lowest output against any East opponent. The Magic’s rangy wings switched everything, turned the paint into intense traffic, and dared Boston’s shooters to fire under duress. Add in the fact that Jayson Tatum missed two of those games and it’s easy to see why this matchup had “potential headache” scribbled in Sharpie on Joe Mazzulla’s whiteboard.

Fast‑forward to the playoffs and Boston found answers — just not always the clean, sharpshooting ones we’re used to. The Celtics canned “only” 11 threes a game in the series (they led the league at nearly 18 during the season), but they made up the difference in transition buckets, second‑chance looks, and a nightly parade to the free‑throw line. That adaptability, more than any stat line, is what let them shove the door shut in five.

Where the Series Turned

Game 1 – Derrick White Sets the Tone

Opening night felt like a tone-setter more than anything else. While most fans expected the Celtics' stars to come out firing, it was Boston’s supporting cast that delivered the early punch — specifically Derrick White, who casually dropped 30 points and looked like the most comfortable player on the floor. His third-quarter explosion was the turning point, slicing open what had been a tight game and flipping the script fast.

But of course, it wouldn’t be a Celtics playoff opener without a little drama. Late in the game, Tatum took a hard fall and immediately clutched his wrist — never a sight anyone in green wants to see. X-rays came back clean, but the diagnosis of a bone bruise meant the pain would linger.

More importantly, it was something we’d end up seeing over and over again in this series: the Magic weren’t just trying to win with Xs and Os. They were going to make it ugly, chippy, and physical.

Game 2 – Brown’s Solo Act

No Tatum? No problem. Jaylen Brown put the team on his back and then went out and delivered. With their franchise guy in street clothes nursing a wrist bruise, Brown played like someone who’d had enough of the physicality and decided to make Orlando pay on the scoreboard instead. He poured in 36 points — most of them on assertive, no-nonsense drives and tough mid-range shots that felt refreshing to see in today's NBA.

And then there was Kristaps Porzingis, who took an elbow to the face so hard it left him bleeding and needing stitches. You could see the gash on his forehead and still, there he was down the stretch, anchoring the paint, swatting shots, hitting jumpers, and finishing with a 20-10 double-double like nothing had happened.

Game 3 – Wagner & Banchero Swing Back

Orlando’s lone win was less basketball and more backyard wrestling in sneakers. Seriously — there were 43 fouls called and 35 turnovers between the two teams. That’s 78 stoppages in 48 minutes. Boston tied a season-high with 21 of those giveaways. The Celtics looked flat, frustrated, and sloppy — like they were playing in slow motion while Orlando just kept grinding.

Franz Wagner exploded for 32 points, his best game of the series by far, while Paolo Banchero added 29 and looked every bit like the rising star people hoped he’d be. Orlando mucked up the rhythm and forced Boston into playing their style of game — and it worked.

Game 4 – Tatum’s Counterpunch

Game 4 was the pivot point, plain and simple. The kind of game that could've tilted the series momentum either way. Orlando had successfully dragged Boston into the mud again — tied at 91 with four minutes to go and the crowd in Orlando buzzing, thinking maybe they had another grind-it-out win in them. But then, like clockwork, Jayson Tatum decided enough was enough.

Tatum rattled off 10 straight points, completely shifting the mood in the arena and on the floor. It wasn’t just the buckets — it was how he did it. Attacking downhill, getting to his spots, drawing contact, and converting at the free-throw line. All while staying completely in control.

By the end of the game, Tatum had put up 37 points, 14 boards, and went a perfect 14-for-14 from the stripe. It was a superstar takeover, no way around it.

Game 5 – The Knockout Blow at TD

Game 5 was exactly what you want from a closeout performance: decisive, dominant, and drama-free. The Celtics started slow, missing their first eight three-point attempts, but still managed to build a five-point lead by halftime.

Jayson Tatum led the way with 35 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds, putting together one of his most complete games of the postseason. Jaylen Brown chipped in 23 points on a smooth 9-for-15 shooting night, finding his rhythm early and never forcing the issue.

The Celtics finally found their outside stroke in the second half, going 13-for-17 from deep after the cold start. That shooting stretch cracked the game wide open and sent TD Garden into full celebration mode. The Magic had no answer for Boston’s ball movement and depth once they started cooking, and with Paolo Banchero battling foul trouble, Orlando never mounted much of a response.

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the game was well out of reach. Sam Hauser dropped 10 off the bench, Payton Pritchard added energy and pace, and the starters got to enjoy the final minutes from the bench. The win improved Boston’s all-time record to 31-0 when leading a series 3-1, and this one felt like them reminding the league they’re built for another deep run.

The Series Themes That Mattered

1. Physicality on the Edge of Control

Orlando entered with the league’s best scoring defense and decided their best shot was to body Boston at every turn. They racked up three flagrant fouls, left Porzingis leaking, and forced Tatum to ice that wrist after every game.

The Celtics shot 123 free throws to Orlando’s 91 and turned those freebies into an extra 27 points across five games — the series margin was 31. Simple math.

2. Adversity? Been There, Done That

Brown played the final two games with what looked like a splint on his index finger. Tatum missed Game 2 entirely. Porzingis rocked a butterfly bandage the size of Rhode Island. Jrue Holiday, the team’s adult in the room, was out most of the back half. Instead of wilting, Boston leaned on Al Horford’s steady screen‑setting, Payton Pritchard’s pace pushes, and Sam Hauser’s corner threes.

3. Star Power Still Wins Playoff Series

When the dust settled, Tatum averaged 31‑11‑5 on 45% shooting; Brown chipped in 23‑8‑2 and shot 44% from deep. Orlando’s young core flashed real bite, but the Celtics’ duo slammed the door every time things tightened. See Game 4, when Tatum’s personal 7‑0 spurt answered the bell, or Game 5, when Brown’s second‑quarter binge turned a one‑possession game into a bench game.

4. Adjust, Repeat, Advance

Give Mazzulla’s staff credit: they ditched some of the flow offense for old‑school mismatches. Tatum hunted switches on smaller guards, Porzingis planted himself on the block whenever Wendell Carter Jr. sat, and Boston spammed empty‑side pick‑and‑rolls that forced Orlando into late rotations. By Game 5 the Magic were shooting gaps they hadn't been earlier, and the Celtics punished them with backdoor cuts and skip passes.

Looking Ahead — Knicks? Pistons? The Real Enemy Is the Training Table

The best thing about closing in five is getting to binge‑watch someone else’s headaches. New York currently leads Detroit 3‑2, and both teams play a punishing brand of basketball. The longer that series drags, the happier Boston’s medical staff becomes. Holiday gets another week to loosen that hamstring, Brown’s finger can de‑swoll, and Tatum’s wrist might stop throbbing just in time for another switch‑heavy defense.

From a matchup standpoint, the Knicks would bring bruising front‑court depth and Tom Thibodeau’s style of play. Detroit, meanwhile, leans on Cade Cunningham’s half‑court wizardry and a host of springy athletes. Either way, Boston owns home‑court and the comfort of knowing its championship core has already survived uglier brawls than whatever it is that's waiting for them.

Same Goal, New Road Map

If last summer’s banner run was a fireworks show — threes raining from the rafters and blowouts galore — this year’s playoff opener felt more like a bar fight in slow motion. And that might be exactly what Boston needed. Everyone loves to talk about versatility come playoff time, but most of the top teams don’t get pushed hard enough this early to really test it. The Celtics did — and they showed they can win ugly. When the three-point shot isn’t falling, when half the roster is wrapped in ice, and when the other team is turning every drive into a wrestling match, Boston still found ways to come out on top. 

They’re four wins closer to another parade in June, and they’ve already had to dig a little deeper than they probably expected. They came out of it with a few aches, sure — but also a stronger sense of identity. This group can win with grit just as much as it can with skill.