Boston finds itself in a tough battle against Orlando, which leads 53-45 at the half.
The Magic opened the game with a 7-2 run and spent the bulk of the remaining first half playing with a lead. But the Celtics had their moments in the first half, whether it was Avery Bradley knocking down a jumper or David Lee going to work inside the paint.
Here are three pointers to take from the first half of Boston’s matchup against Orlando:
* Rebounding
Both teams came into the game relatively even in terms of rebounding the ball, but the Magic had an edge in this phase of the game most of the night. At the half, Orlando had a 22-16 rebounding edge.
* Sullinger silence
Jared Sullinger is having yet another game in which he's a force on the boards. But Boston really could use his offense, too. He had four rebounds but was held scoreless.
Boston Celtics
* Bench Play
Always a strength, the Celtics’ second unit was not able to make much of impact in the first half. Meanwhile, the Magic certainly liked what they saw in Andrew Nicholson and Victor Oladipo off the bench. The challenge will be whether Boston’s second unit can get in a nice groove and turn the game’s momentum in their favor.