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Magic holds off Celtics at Garden

By The Associated Press - | Oct 22, 2018

Boston Celtics' Kyrie Irving goes up to shoot against Orlando Magic's Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Monday, Oct. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

BOSTON (AP) – Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 12 rebounds while the Orlando Magic survived two 3-point attempts by Boston in the closing seconds to beat the Celtics 93-90 on Monday night.

Jonathan Isaac added 18 points and 12 boards for the Magic (2-2).

Kyrie Irving led the Celtics (2-2) with 22 points. Al Horford had 15 and Gordon Hayward 11. Irving and Hayward each missed a 3 in the final seconds.

The Celtics, who never led in the game, trailed by at least five points from the midway point of the final quarter until Jaylen Brown nailed a 3-pointer from the left corner, closing it to 89-86 with 71 seconds left.

But Isaac answered with a foul-line jumper om the next possession.

Horford and Irving then had consecutive baskets 32 seconds apart, slicing it to 91-90 with 14.2 seconds to play.

With Boston forced to foul Evan Fournier after Orlando inbounded the ball after a timeout, he stepped to the line and made both free throws with 7.8 seconds left.

Irving then missed his 3 from the right corner, and after Horford grabbed the rebound and fed it out – Hayward’s rimmed out just before the buzzer sounded.

Orlando had pulled ahead by 13 points twice late in the third quarter before Boston closed the period by scoring 10 of the final 12 points to slice it to 75-70 at the break.

Seated courtside

Red Sox star Mookie Betts walked into the arena early in the second quarter and watched from a courtside seat across from Boston’s bench. Later in the quarter, the Celtics moved him next to their bench.

Up next

Celtics: At Oklahoma City on Thursday.

They beat the Thunder in both meetings last season.

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