Celtics Playoff Nightmare: Tatum 36 Points and still Shocking Loss!

Key Points Summary โ€“ Celtics Lose Playoff Game

  • Jayson Tatum returned from injury and scored 36 points but it wasnโ€™t enough.
  • Celtics lose 95-93 to the Magic, cutting their series lead to 2-1.
  • Boston collapsed in a disastrous third quarter, scoring only 11 points.
  • The Celtics missed 17 of 19 shots during a brutal stretch.
  • Franz Wagner (32 points) and Paolo Banchero (29 points) led the Magicโ€™s comeback.
  • Jrue Holiday missed Game 3 with a hamstring injury, hurting Bostonโ€™s defense.
  • Game 4 is a must-win for Boston, or the series could slip away.

Celtics Playoff Nightmare: Tatumโ€™s 36 Points Wasted in Devastating Loss to Magic

It was supposed to be a triumphant night.
Jayson Tatum returned from injury, dropped 36 points, and gave the Celtics a fighting chance.

Instead? Boston lost 95-93 to the Orlando Magic in a gut-wrenching Game 3 collapse, cutting their series lead to a terrifying 2-1.

Celtics lose playoff game, and now their championship dream is hanging by a thread.


Tatum Fought Through the Pain โ€“ But It Wasnโ€™t Enough

After missing Game 2 with a bone bruise in his right wrist, Tatum suited up and gave everything he had.

  • 36 points
  • 9 rebounds
  • 39 hard-fought minutes

โ€œI just felt like I needed to go out there and play,โ€ Tatum said.

He playedโ€ฆ but Boston still fell short.


Disaster Struck in the Third Quarter

The Celtics went into halftime with a comfortable 10-point lead.
Tatum was rolling. Boston looked in control.

But the third quarter? An absolute disaster:

  • Celtics scored just 11 points.
  • Shot 3-for-17 from the field.
  • Committed 6 turnovers.
  • Missed 17 of their next 19 shots!

Orlando smelled bloodโ€”and they pounced.


Magicโ€™s Young Guns Took Over

Franz Wagner (32 points) and Paolo Banchero (29 points) took full advantage of Bostonโ€™s meltdown.

They spearheaded a 14-0 run that flipped the game completely, and the Magic led 86-74 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Celtics fought back to tie the game at 91, but Wagner sealed the win with back-to-back baskets.
The final buzzer soundedโ€”and Bostonโ€™s dreams of a 3-0 stranglehold vanished into thin air.


Missing Jrue Holiday Was a Killer

Boston missed their defensive anchor Jrue Holiday, out with a hamstring injury.
Without him, the Celtics were vulnerable, and the Magicโ€™s physical play pushed them around.

Boston committed 21 turnovers, a shocking number for a playoff game.

Porzingis summed it up:

โ€œItโ€™s a big difference from the regular season.โ€


The Final Seconds: More Heartbreak

Down by two, Boston had one last chance with 0.3 seconds left.
But Derrick Whiteโ€™s desperate inbounds pass was deflectedโ€”and just like that, it was over.

Tatum stood stunned. The Magic celebrated.


Celticsโ€™ Problems Pile Up

  • Tatum injured: Still playing through pain.
  • Holiday injured: No timeline for return.
  • 3-point shooting vanished: Celtics went 17 minutes without hitting a 3 in the second half.
  • Turnover nightmare: 21 brutal giveaways.
  • Orlandoโ€™s physicality: Boston couldnโ€™t match the Magicโ€™s aggression.

This isnโ€™t the regular season anymore. This is playoff survival.


Whatโ€™s Next: Game 4 Must-Win

  • When: Sunday
  • Where: Orlando
  • Series: Boston leads 2-1

Game 4 is now the most important game of the season for the Celtics.

Lose, and itโ€™s 2-2 with all the momentum swinging Orlandoโ€™s way.

Win, and Boston regains control and heads back to TD Garden for Game 5.


Celtics Lose Playoff Game

Boston fans are devastated.
Tatumโ€™s heroic return deserved better.

But basketball doesnโ€™t reward effort aloneโ€”it demands execution.

Now the Celtics find themselves staring down a fired-up Orlando team, missing a key player, and needing every ounce of heart and toughness they have left.

If they want to defend their crown, they better wake up fastโ€”because the Magic just proved theyโ€™re not going away.

Sunday will be a war. 

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