BOSTON – The Celtics hit a season-worst three-game losing streak against one of the worst teams in the NBA Sunday.
It doesn't get much worse than that as you head out on a West Coast trip.
Boston was able to cut a 19-point deficit through three quarters down to seven with just over a minute to play. But 10 minutes of solid defense could not make sure for three quarters of sleepwalking as Boston dropped a 108-95 final to an Orlando Magic team that entered the day with only 13 wins on the year.
Kyrie Irving scored 40 points on 14-of-23 shooting, with five 3-pointers, but got little help from his friends on either end of the court. While Jaylen Brown had 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, the Celtics shot 43.5 percent for the night and hit only 8-of-27 (29.5 percent) on 3-pointers.
Elfrid Payton led the Magic with 22 points.
Down 19 entering the fourth quarter, the Celtics held the Magic without a point for the first 2:36 of the final session, but could only manage four themselves with Irving’s jumper cutting the gap to 90-75.
Baskets from Jayson Tatum and Brown had it 93-79 with 7:37 on the clock before Tatum’s put-back brought the Celtics within 12 with 7:07 to go. A Tatum 3-pointer made it a nine-point difference, and the Celtics had three chances to make it a two-possession game, before Payton got the line for a 94-84 game with 4:34 to play.
Irving was fouled on a 3-point shot and hit two of three to knock the gap to eight with 4:16 left. Payton answered with a jumper and Khem Birch had an easy put-back for a 12-point game before Al Horford’s 3-pointer brought the Celtics within 98-89 with 2:51 remaining.
Tatum missed a corner 3-pointer that would have brought the Celtics within six before Irving scored in the lane for a seven-point gap with 1:44 to go. Boston forced a miss, but again Birch was there for a put-back. Horford basket from Irving made it 100-93 before the Celtics intentionally fouled Payton and he hit one of two with 1:01 to play.
The Celtics were held off the board for the rest of the day.
Irving’s return from missing a game with shoulder soreness was just about all that kept the Celtics afloat in the first half as he scored 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go with six rebounds in 18 minutes.
The Celtics were down as many as eight in the second quarter, and faced a 54-47 deficit with 3:17 left in the half, before a run into the break. A Marcus Morris put-back and Brown 3-pointer had Boston within two when Irving answered an Payton basket with a pull-up jumper.
Irving’s third 3-pointer of the half had the Celtics within one before Morris got the basket with 3.1 seconds on the clock for a 59-58 lead at the break.
But even Irving’s offense was not enough to keep the Celtics above water in the third quarter as the Magic shredded the Boston in a 32-point quarter that put them up 19 after three.