The Orlando Magic are proving they’ve got serious fight in them, even with their roster decimated by injuries. They just pulled off an impressive 108-104 win over the Boston Celtics, and they did it without several of their star players.
It’s been a rough stretch for Orlando. Paolo Banchero’s been sidelined since the start of the season, and now both Wagner brothers are out too, with Moritz’s season-ending knee injury being the latest blow.
But don’t tell this team they can’t compete.
“It’s who we are,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said after the win. “I’m not going to get tired of saying that, and I don’t want them to be surprised.”
The Magic’s defense was absolutely stellar against Boston, forcing one of the NBA’s best shooting teams into a miserable night from three-point range. The Celtics hit just 8 of 33 shots from deep – a shocking 24.2%.
That’s pretty remarkable considering Boston had made at least 10 three-pointers in their last 52 games straight.
Trevelin Queen, who’s on a two-way contract, stepped up big time. He not only contained Celtics star Jaylen Brown but matched his career-high with 17 points.
“I believed in myself that I belong,” Queen said simply.
Rookie Tristan da Silva led all Magic scorers with 18 points, showing the team’s depth is real.
The win comes just days after Orlando erased a massive 25-point deficit to beat Miami, showing this team just doesn’t quit.
But the injury situation is getting serious. Moritz Wagner’s ACL tear against Miami this weekend means Orlando’s now missing three of their top four scorers. He was putting up nearly 13 points per game as the team’s sixth man before going down.
“We’re all praying for him. This one was for Mo,” said teammate Goga Bitadze. “It’s really bad to see one of our brothers go down.”
Despite all the setbacks, Orlando’s proving they’re still a force to be reckoned with. They’re currently leading the league in three-point defense, allowing fewer than 32 attempts per game.
The message is clear: count this Magic team out at your own risk.
