The Celtics switch to double-big and playmaker Jaylen Brown to defeat Magic once more, 114-97.

With Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup, the Celtics employed a different play style to achieve the same outcome as they did on Friday, defeating the Magic in their home stand and short series.

Boston — After a close victory on Friday, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford were added back into the Boston starting lineup, enabling the team to adopt a new playing philosophy. One that worried a Magic club that had faced them hard in the past. They played small with Lamar Stevens at center, scored eighteen fast break points, and produced nine corner threes.

Joe Mazzulla stated before the game, “Just keep the foundation the same.” “Good shift action on the weak side, ball pressure, and physical activity… reaching out to shooters and defending without fouling…I believe that our speed advantage coming out of transition had a major role. establishing the two-on-ones as well. We did a great job, in my opinion, of being intentional about our screening, which forced guys off the ball, forced switches, forced some over-helps, and allowed us to make the play. The most crucial thing is that we continue to be intentional about our screening and our physica

While Porzingis was having trouble getting going, he missed a pick-and-pop three and went on a post-up on Boston’s opening two possessions. Banchero scored 19 points in the first quarter. The Celtics started 8-for-22 from the floor and were primarily dependent on put-backs, laying three misses back. Halfway through the quarter, Boston made a major move, with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White keeping up with Banchero. After Pritchard blocked Franz Wagner, Horford stole the ball and found Jayson Tatum in transition for a layup. Tatum’s pull-up three on the next play kept the Celtics within 31-27 at the halfway point of the quarter.

Midway through the second quarter, Tatum was flagged for a third foul, which forced Brown to lead the second unit for the final 8:07 after Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Payton Pritchard had given Boston the lead by 8 points. After the Celtics finished with a lengthy Horford and Porzingis combo, Neemias Queta started the quarter at center. He stayed big but played quickly to earn Holiday a layup on the run off Brown’s back-and-forth passing.

After that, Brown embarked on a 14–4 run to grab a 10-point lead, scoring or dishing up an assist on almost every basket. Holiday made a pull-up two around a Queta screen to end the game after Anthony Black and Banchero had tied it at 39 with five straight points. After making a pull-up three, Brown drove the baseline, found Horford for a three, blew by Goga Bitadze, and blocked him on the other end. Two plays later in the pick-and-roll, they made a play that allowed Porzingis to slam the ball. However, Porzingis missed his dump-off into a long hook jumper.

After making one more three off an in-bounds pass, Tatum returned to defense to stop Banchero, who ended up going just 13 for 30 against Boston’s elite wings, who scored 54 points. By playing differently and overcoming a sluggish start, they accumulated a 21-point advantage