SportsPreview
The biggest question facing every WNBA team in training camp
WNBA training camps open with key questions for each team.
ESPN News1 min read
Sports
Shorthanded Celtics Stun Magic, Throw Eastern Conference Playoffs Into Disarray
TL;DR
The Boston Celtics, despite being shorthanded, defeated the Orlando Magic 113-108, causing chaos in the Eastern Conference playoffs. This unexpected victory came in the final game of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.
Boston Celtics forward Luka Garza
Shorthanded Celtics Stun Magic, Throw Eastern Conference Playoffs Into Disarray originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The final game of the 2025-26 NBA regular season was technically meaningless for the Boston Celtics, but they still played to win.
And they did, upsetting the Orlando MagicĀ 113-108 at TD Garden on Sunday and throwing the Eastern Conference playoffs into disarray.
After clinching the two seed with their historic win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, the Celtics rested their starters on Sunday. Accordingly, they entered their season finale as massive home underdogs against the fully healthy Magic, who needed a win to have a shot at the six seed.
The first half of the game went as expected, with Orlando taking a nine-point lead into halftime. With nothing to play for and the cheapest active roster of any NBA team this season, Boston easily could have packed it in. Instead, the Celtics mounted a shocking comeback, erupting forĀ 42 points in the third quarter and holding off a late rally by the Magic to win the game.
Baylor Scheierman led the way with a career-high 30 points, while Ron Harper Jr. and Luka Garza both scored 27. After dealing with inconsistent playing time at various points this season, the trio ended their breakout campaigns on a high note.
The stunning outcome had massive playoff implications in the East. With the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers both winning, they secured the sixth and seventh seeds while Orlando slid from the seventh seed to the eighth seed. The Magic will now face theĀ 76ers on the road in the NBA Play-In Tournament this week.
It was a fitting end to Boston's season and a microcosm of the team's success this year. Despite being undermanned and underestimated all season, the Celtics consistently overachieved and found a way to win, often against better rosters on paper.
Boston ended the season on a roll, goingĀ 13-3 over its finalĀ 16 games. TheĀ Celtics are off this week but will wait and see who they'll face in the first round of the playoffs, as they'll host the winner of Orlando vs. Philadelphia.
Q&A
What was the final score of the Celtics vs. Magic game?
The final score was 113-108 in favor of the Boston Celtics.
How did the Celtics' win affect the Eastern Conference playoffs?
The Celtics' victory over the Magic created disarray in the Eastern Conference playoffs standings.
Why was the Celtics vs. Magic game considered technically meaningless?
The game was deemed technically meaningless as it was the final match of the 2025-26 NBA regular season with no playoff implications for the Celtics.
