Magic clinch 7th spot in East with win over Celtics

BY Associated Press Orlando

UPDATED 8:45 AM ET Apr. 10, 2025 PUBLISHED 11:07 PM ET Apr. 09, 2025 PUBLISHED 11:07 PM EDT Apr. 09, 2025

ORLANDO, Fla. — Franz Wagner scored 23 points, Cole Anthony came off the bench with 18 points and the Orlando Magic defeated the Boston Celtics 96-76 on Wednesday night to clinch seventh place in the Eastern Conference and the top spot in the Play-in Tournament.

Baylor Scheierman and Payton Pritchard scored 15 points each to lead the Celtics, who did not use their top six players and made 7 of 40 3-point shots.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford did not play for the Celtics.

Paolo Banchero had 15 points and six assists for the Magic. It was Wagner's 12th consecutive game of scoring 20 or more points. Banchero's streak of scoring at least 20 points per game ended at 20.

Tickets for Orlando’s April 15 NBA Play-In game, including group packages and hospitality suites, go on sale Thursday, April 10. Pre-sale begins at 10 a.m., then tickets all go on-sale at 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the Magic's website or by calling 407-89-MAGIC (62442). Fans can sign up for early ticket access at OrlandoMagic.com/presale.

Orlando Magic season ticket holders are given first priority for postseason tickets.

Takeaways

Celtics: Are locked into the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs and played a day after an overtime win against New York. The 76 points was a season-low for Boston, well under the previous low of the 92 points they scored at Oklahoma City on Jan. 5.

Magic: Winning for the eighth time in 10 games, Orlando qualified for a home game in the first round of the Play-in Tournament against an opponent to be determined. A win in that game would earn the seventh seed in the playoffs and a first-round series against the Celtics. The Magic also clinched the Southeast Division. Guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope did not play in the second half because of a sore left knee.

Key moment

Wagner, Gary Harris and Caleb Houstan hit 3-pointers, and Banchero scored six points on a 20-4 third-quarter run that turned an eight-point Orlando lead into a 24-point lead.