ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Aaron Gordon had 28 points and 12 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic held off a late rally to beat the Boston Celtics 105-103 on Saturday night.
Jayson Tatum missed a jumper at the buzzer that would have tied it for the Celtics, who charged back from a nine-point deficit in the final 1:43 before losing to the Magic for the second time this season.
Kyrie Irving scored 25 points for the Celtics, 10 of them from the foul line in the final 4:31 as Boston made its late charge. He appeared frustrated afterward with Gordon Hayward, who inbounded the ball on Boston’s final possession.
Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Orlando, which broke a four-game losing streak. Terrence Ross came off the bench with 25 points, 18 in the second half.
Boston fell behind 29-21 early in the second quarter after going 5 minutes, 45 seconds between field goals. But Jaylen Brown hit a couple of 3-pointers, and Tatum and Marcus Smart each hit one as the Celtics took command with a 23-5 run and led 51-41 at halftime.
Boston led 61-53 when Tatum went to the bench with four fouls midway through the third quarter.
Vucevic and Ross scored nine points apiece in the period and Ross hit a 3-pointer in the final second to help Orlando cut the deficit to five.
Ross and Gordon then combined for 14 points in a 19-4 fourth-quarter run that regained a seven-point lead for Orlando with 5:57 remaining.
TIP-INS
Celtics: F-C Aron Baynes missed an 11th straight game with a fractured finger on his left hand. … Hayward, an 88 percent free-throw shooter, missed his first three attempts.
Magic: Rookie C Mo Bamba, who missed a second game with a sore left foot, hopes to return by Wednesday. … Orlando won the season series for the first time since 2009-10.
UP NEXT
Celtics: At Brooklyn on Monday night.
Magic: At home against Houston on Sunday night.
