Since coaching camp, head coach Joe Mazzulla has stated one of many strengths of the 2025-26 Celtics is their depth.
That actually was the case Sunday night time as Boston’s bench delivered its greatest all-around efficiency of the season in a 111-107 win over the Magic.
Anfernee Simons? He was volcanic throughout a 25-point first half, which included a streak of 17 straight Celtics factors.
Luka Garza? He scored 14 of his season-high-tying 16 factors after halftime on 7-of-8 capturing, repeatedly punishing Orlando’s protection with putbacks. The backup huge man’s eight rebounds (in simply 17 minutes) have been his most in a sport since his rookie season in 2021-22.
Hugo Gonzalez once more created havoc as a high-energy defender. Eight of the Magic’s 17 turnovers occurred with the rookie on the ground, together with two Gonzalez steals, and Boston outscored Orlando by 19 factors over his 13 minutes.
And Jordan Walsh, the low man on the Celtics’ depth chart in a number of video games earlier this season, continued his recent resurgence with six factors, six rebounds, 4 assists and two steals. Walsh performed your entire fourth quarter and buried each of his 3-point makes an attempt, together with one from the nook that iced the sport with 13.2 seconds remaining.
Walsh has logged at the very least 18 minutes in every of the Celtics’ final three video games and is a plus-43 throughout that span.
Garza, Gonzalez and Walsh all have been on the court docket early within the fourth quarter as Boston turned a one-point deficit into an 11-point lead.
“It’s a credit score to these guys,” Mazzulla told reporters after the sport. “They delivered.”
All instructed, Boston’s reserves outscored Orlando’s 50-18 and outrebounded them 20-10, serving to the Celtics secure a split of their two-game weekend collection on the Kia Middle.
Simons, Garza, Gonzalez and Walsh shot a mixed 18-for-25 from the sphere (72.0%) and 8-for-12 from 3-point vary (66.7%).
“I assumed they have been good tonight,” Jaylen Brown, who scored 27 factors within the win, told reporters in Orlando. “Huge-time win for us. That was Orlando staff, bodily staff that performs rather well at residence within the common season. To have our guys on the highway make some big-time performs, a few of our younger guys step up, that’s what I wish to see. Luka Garza was nice tonight. Jordan, Hugo. Anfernee began to step into himself a bit bit, too. So all nice indicators.”
