"It was a horrific coaching job."
A tough night for the Magic: On Sunday, the Celtics scored an unexpected 113-108 win against the Magic despite resting numerous players (Boston dressed only eight against Orlando).
With a playoff spot locked up, the Celtics could afford to give starters a rest. The Magic, meanwhile, were trying to notch one more win to ensure home-court advantage in the upcoming play-in tournament. With real stakes, Orlando featured a full roster for the game.
It made what happened that much more perplexing from a Magic standpoint. Not only did Boston backups outplay Magic starters — Baylor Scheierman scored 30 points, one of several Celtics to attain career-highs — but the Orlando lineup puzzled analysts. Desmond Bane and Franz Wagner both played well under their average number of minutes, though Paolo Banchero logged 38 minutes.
The defeat cost Orlando home-court against the 76ers in the play-in tournament.
It was a loss that drew criticism from inside and outside the organization.
“Just think we were relaxed,” Banchero told reporters of the Magic’s second-half performance. “No sense of urgency. I think we just let them back in the game and they got guys out there that can play. They got going and the crowd got going.”
“We can’t expect to win just because guys are out and we can’t expect to win just because we have a lead at halftime,” he added. “You have to come out and finish the game. You have to come out and play hard. You can’t just be relaxed in moments like this, and I think guys were way too relaxed and expecting it to go our way. That’s not what happened.”
It was a continuation of a theme for the Magic in terms of consistency.
“I think it’s the same things we’ve talked about all year,” Bane said afterward. “We’ve got to look within first. There’s so much more this group has to give. And we’ve got to do it.”
The head-scratching performance (and strategy) also drew the attention of Ringer founder and NBA commentator Bill Simmons.
“This is a borderline catastrophic Orlando loss,” Simmons declared in a Sunday night episode of his eponymously-named podcast. “I mean they actually went backward in the standings.”
“Inexplicable,” Simmons noted. “This whole thing of just not taking Game 82 seriously enough because the other team’s going to rest some guys. The league’s too good now. When guys play scrubs, they’re not scrubs anymore.”
NBA reporter Zach Lowe, Simmons’s podcast guest, noted that if the Magic are now unable to defeat the 76ers (without Joel Embiid) in the play-in tournament, Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley’s “hot seat” job status will “erupt into flames.”
“It was a horrific coaching job,” Simmons concluded.
The Magic now face the 76ers in the play-in tournament on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Philadelphia.
Scores and schedules:
The Celtics closed out the regular season with an aforementioned 113-108 win over the Magic. Boston now awaits the play-in tournament to find out its first-round postseason opponent.
The Bruins defeated the Blue Jackets 3-2 on Sunday. Boston finishes the NHL regular season on Tuesday against the Devils at TD Garden at 7 p.m.
The Red Sox also got a Sunday win, downing the Cardinals 9-3. Boston begins a three-game series in Minnesota against the Twins this evening at 7:40 p.m.
The Fleet will be back at the Tsongas Center on Wednesday against the Minnesota Frost at 7 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
- Baylor Scheierman goes off to spark improbable Celtics win over Magic: 7 takeaways
- Contreras and Story each get 4 hits to help the Red Sox beat the Cardinals 9-3
- James Hagens looked like he belonged in his NHL debut with Bruins
- Derrick White, maybe the least likely NBA player to have a podcast, is doing just that
- Bob Hall, the father of wheelchair racing and a 2-time winner of the Boston Marathon, dead at 74
- Doc Rivers is reportedly out as Milwaukee Bucks coach
- Watch: Bill Belichick wins a challenge during Savannah Bananas coaching debut
A notable night: With a long list of players getting the night off, Sunday’s regular season finale ended up being a launchpad for several career-high scoring totals.
— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2026A trio of Celtics had career scoring nights 🔥
Baylor Scheierman: 30 PTS (career-high)
Luka Garza: 27 PTS (career-high)
Ron Harper Jr.: 27 PTS (career-high) pic.twitter.com/qhDa45AkPy
Jaylen Brown speaks for Celtics fans: The Celtics star got to be fan on Sunday as his teammates pulled off the win.
I love this team ☘️
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) April 13, 2026
On this day: In 1957, the Celtics — led by 37 points from Tommy Heinsohn, 32 rebounds from Bill Russell, and 11 assists from Bob Cousy — defeated the St. Louis Hawks 125-123 in double-overtime to win the team’s first NBA championship in Game 7 of the finals.
Daily highlight: Driss El Jabali of of Moroccan side MAS Fes scored one of the most incredible goals of the season on Sunday in a 1-0 win over Wydad AC. Replays are worth watching.
— KoraMaroc (@AtKoraMaroc) April 12, 2026La Botola est simplement le meilleur championnat en Afrique 🇲🇦🔥
Des buts magnifiques ⚽
Des joueurs bourrés de talent ⭐
Des stades incroyables 🏟️
Une réalisation au top 🎥
Et les meilleurs supporters du continent 👏Voilà pourquoi la Botola domine 💯 pic.twitter.com/xgXxvAoKtS
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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