The Celtics comfortably defeated the Magic in the NBA regular season on December 18, winning five in a row with a score of 114-97 while maintaining a home unbeaten record with a 14-0 record. The Magic performed well for a while, but then lost their touch and were firmly controlled by the Celtics, gradually widening the score gap. In the final quarter, Brown's scoring streak cemented the Celtics' victory.
The game was another matchup between the two teams, with the Celtics winning comfortably and this time the Magic were starting to excite as Banchero scored back-to-back points inside and outside to score 19 points in the first quarter to give the team a 31-27 lead in the first quarter. However, in the second quarter, the Magic's touch began to decline, and the Celtics seized the opportunity to play a wave of 15-5 offensive to successfully open up the difference, leading the opponent 61-50 at halftime. In the second half, both teams had a dip, and the Celtics made consecutive mistakes, and the Magic narrowed the gap to four points at one point.
Fortunately, Tatum and Porzingis scored back-to-back points to stabilize the situation and lead 83-74 at the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, Brown found his touch and scored 15 points in a row, helping the team further widen the difference, and the game lost suspense. The Celtics eventually outscored the Magic by 17 points to make it five wins in a row. In this game, the Celtics continued their recent hot form, while Brown was in hot form in this game, scoring 17 points in the final quarter and contributing 31 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
In contrast, Tatum didn't feel very good, he finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds on 8-of-21 shooting;Porzingis returned with 15 points and 10 rebounds, with Holiday contributing 14 points and White scoring 10. The Celtics' starting five are still on firepower, and after beating the Magic, they are unbeaten at home and have won 14 straight games and are still firmly at the top of the league.
The Magic did not perform well, only two of the team scored double-doubles, including the 21-year-old Banchero who performed well, he contributed a double-double of 36 points and 10 rebounds, including 19 points in the first quarter, but then failed to continue the state, coupled with the poor performance of his teammates, which ultimately led to the loss of the Magic. The loss left the Magic on a two-game losing streak, dropping them to fourth place in the East, and the big dark horse's momentum was somewhat frustrated.