In an intense Game 5 matchup, the Orlando Magic struggled to maintain their lead against the Boston Celtics after star forward Paolo Banchero fouled out. With Banchero benched to avoid a critical sixth foul, the Celtics seized the moment, outscoring Orlando 22-4 during his absence. This turned a tight game into a blowout, with Boston capitalizing on their three-point shooting success. Banchero's absence was felt keenly, leading to the Celtics' decisive 120-89 victory and clinching the series.
"He's the life source for that team," Brown said of Banchero. "He's a phenomenal young player.... But once we saw him get in foul trouble and hang his head - we were ready to go. So we just took advantage of that from there."
Boston capitalized in the second half (13-for-18 from 3-point range) to turn Tuesday's matchup into a lopsided victory, with Banchero's absence proving critical.
With Banchero out for the remainder of the third quarter, the Celtics orchestrated a 22-4 run, giving Boston an 83-62 lead entering the fourth.
Orlando struggled to maintain their momentum after Banchero's fifth foul, as Coach Mosley opted to bench him to avoid further fouls.
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