4 takeaways as Celtics beat Magic as unlikely heroes emerge in victory

The Celtics shook off a slow start on Sunday night and rallied for an impressive 111-107 road win over the Orlando Magic at Kia Center.

The visitors fought back from a 12-point deficit in the win and took command of the game with an 18-5 run in the opening six minutes of the fourth quarter to build a double-digit lead. The Magic fought back late with a 10-2 run late in the fourth quarter and got within one point in the final minute, but a Jordan Walsh 3-point shot with 10 seconds left put the game away and helped Boston split the two-game set in Orlando.

Jaylen Brown finished with a team-high 27 points while Luka Garza chipped in with 16 points off the bench in just 17 minutes. Anfernee Simons also was a force for the visitors early, scoring all 25 of his points in the first half.

Paolo Banchero had a game-high 28 points for the Magic, who dropped to 4-6 on the season. Boston improved to 5-6 with the victory.

Boston gets a day off now before finishing their three-game road trip in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Here are four takeaways from the Celtics’ win on Sunday night:

Anfernee Simons puts on a show in the first half: The offseason trade addition saved his best half of basketball with Boston for his hometown on Sunday night. The reserve guard helped Boston erase a double-digit first quarter deficit by erupting for 23 points in an eight minute spurt. He finished with 25 points in first half on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range. The scouting outburst was desperately needed, particularly in the second quarter where he scored 16 of Boston’s 24 points in the frame. When taking Simons’ scoring out of the mix, the visitors shot just 25 percent from the field in the second quarter but still found themselves tied up with Orlando at halftime thanks to Simons.

Jordan Walsh plays his best game of the season: The backup forward has emerged in the Celtics rotation since a strong performance against the Wizards on Wednesday night. He’s now grabbed at least six rebounds in three straight games in limited minutes, a welcome sign on a team that continues to get crushed on the offensive glass against most opponents. Over the past week, Walsh has been the best defensive rebounder getting minutes off the bench for Joe Mazzulla. The third-year forward also hit a key 3-point shot early in the fourth quarter, a dagger 3 from the corner with 10 seconds left, and grabbed three steals. He looks like he’s earned a permanent spot in the rotation ahead of Baylor Scheierman until further notice, largely thanks to his defense.

Sam Hauser remains in a shooting funk: The opening night starter has had a miserable month of November so far in a reserve role, and that continued on Sunday night. He missed both of his shot attempts and is now just 3-of-24 from the field over his last four games, mustering just 10 points over the stretch. Easy looks have been hard to come by this season for Hauser with this revamped roster, and that has been evident for Hauser during this stretch.

Boston’s bench saves the day: The Celtics reserves have usually been their weak spot early this year, but the bench saved the day on various fronts Sunday. Simons was the hero in the first half, while Jordan Walsh hit a dagger 3 in the fourth quarter, and Luka Garza was a monster on the glass late. Throw in some great defensive plays from Hugo Gonzalez, and this was easily the best game from that group all year. Boston’s reserves outscored Orlando’s bench 50-18 in the victory.