By ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — Franz Wagner scored 32 points, Paolo Banchero added 29 and the Orlando Magic beat Boston, 95-93, on Friday night, April 25, to cut the Celtics’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference first-round series.
Jayson Tatum had 36 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics in his return to the starting lineup after missing Game 2 with a bruised wrist.
The defending NBA champions were 33-8 on the road this season but are now 0-3 in Orlando in 2024-25. The Magic host Game 4 on Sunday.
Boston rallied after scoring just 11 points in the third quarter to tie it 91 on Derrick White’s layup with 2:31 to play. Wagner answered with a layup, and after a miss by Tatum, followed with another basket for a 95-91 lead with 1:26 to play.
White scored, and after Wagner missed a 3-pointer, the Celtics got the ball and inbounded with 0.3 seconds left but White’s pass toward the basket was tapped away as time expired.
Jaylen Brown had 19 points for the Celtics, who went 17 minutes without a 3-point basket in the second half.
The Celtics played without Jrue Holiday, who has a strained right hamstring.
Tatum, who was listed as doubtful late Friday afternoon, scored 21 points in the first half, leading the Celtics to a 10-point lead.
Tatum’s 3-pointer early in the second half stretched their lead to 11, but the Celtics missed 17 of their next 19 shots and did not hit another 3-point shot until Al Horford connected with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Gary Trent Jr. got hot from deep, Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated in the paint and together they gave the Milwaukee Bucks new life in their first-round playoff series.
Trent tied a franchise playoff record with nine 3-pointers and scored 37 points, Antetokounmpo also had 37 and the Bucks used a big second half to beat Indiana, 117-101, and cut the Pacers’ series lead to 2-1.
“My mindset was just to come in and get a win,” said Trent, who got a rare start and had his highest playoff scoring output.
Trent also was assigned to cover Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was held in check for most of the game.
“I was trying to be all over him to start the game,” Trent said. “Let him know you’re there and try to take him out of his game.”
In Minneapolis, Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.
Anthony Edwards scored 29 points and Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored the Lakers 13-1 over the final 4:37 of the game after Doncic’s tying baseline jumper.
LeBron James did the heavy lifting with Doncic playing through a stomach illness, scoring 38 points including three 3-pointers in a four-possession span midway through the fourth quarter. But he couldn’t find a shot after that, hitting the side of the backboard with a corner heave with the Lakers down 111-104 with 1:26 left.
Game 4 is in Minneapolis on Sunday afternoon.
