Celtics win their 8th straight game with a 104-88 victory in Orlando

Playing in Orlando has been sort of a mixed bag for the Celtics under Brad Stevens, but they came away with a victory in a matchup of two teams near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The win extended Boston’s win streak to eight games and put them atop the NBA with an 8-2 record, following their 0-2 start to the season.

The eight straight wins broke a tie with the 2016-17 team for most consecutive wins under Brad Stevens. The eight victories in a row are the most the Celtics have had since the 2010-11 team won 14 consecutive games over a month long stretch from late November to late December.

Orlando came into the game leading the league in three-point shooting, but they were held to just 6 of 29 from behind the arc. Boston also took care of the glass against the much bigger Magic, out-rebounding Orlando by a 54-to-45 margin.

Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. Al Horford had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Boston’s bench was also terrific as they outscored their Orlando counterparts 36 to 28 on the night. Marcus Smart led the reserves with solid all-around play, finishing with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

Aaron Gordon led the Magic with 18 points and 12 rebounds. The Magic were shorthanded at point guard, with Elfrid Payton and D.J. Augustin both battling hamstring strains. For the second consecutive game, they struggled to get into their offense easily. Center Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with seven assists, more than double his closest teammate.

Overall, Boston’s defense was excellent, as they held Orlando to 36.3 percent from the field. This effort continued the early-season trend of the Celtics playing the NBA’s best defense.

The Celtics will look to extend the win streak to nine consecutive games tomorrow night against the Atlanta Hawks, who surprisingly beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road tonight.