Friday night at the Kia Center, the Orlando Magic gained a sliver of revenge for the Boston Celtics bouncing them from the first round of last year's playoffs. The hosts survived a slugfest, prevailing 123-110 in an NBA Cup contest. They did so by shifting into a gear the visitors couldn't match in the final frame. Instead, sloppy play defined Boston's closing stretch, as it fell to 4-6 in the first 10 tilts of the 2025-26 campaign.
Now the Celtics will aim to even the score of this two-game mini-series. As they prepare for Sunday's contest, they will welcome back Xavier Tillman Sr.