The Boston Celtics just might be on the verge of turning their young season around after their defeat of the Orlando Magic by the score of 91-83 on Thursday, January 26.

The win marks their third straight, and their second straight victory over the Magic. The Celtics improve to 8-9 on the season while Orlando drops to 12-6.

Coming into the game, Boston was riding the tail of their 87-56 blowout win over the Magic back on Monday, January 23. Orlando went on to defeat the Indiana Pacers the next day by the score of 102-83, but it was Boston’s first game since the Monday matchup. Surely, they hoped for a repeat performance.

The Celtics played without Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, and Jermaine O’Neal but still managed to defeat the Magic, due primarily to stellar play in the second half. Orlando was outscored 54-25 in the final two quarters, and held to just eight points in the fourth. Boston was outscored 58-37 in the first half.

Paul Pierce was the top performer for the Celtics scoring 24 points with six rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 10 rebounds while E’Twaun Moore led the reserves with 16 points off the bench.

Dwight Howard was held to just 16 points but picked up 16 rebounds on the night. Jason Richardson scored 13 points while Ryan Anderson contributed 12 in Orlando’s losing effort.

Even without three starters, the Celtics were able to come from behind and pull out a win against one of the better teams in the league. Confidence is surely building amongst them that they are never out of a game regardless of who is unable to play and what opponent they are facing. The season may not be a wash after all regardless of what some fans feared after the rough start to the season.

It is great to see the Celtics never give up. After the first half it was questionable if they could pull it off. Their stellar defense won if for them in the second half, the fourth quarter especially.

Boston will face another tough opponent at home on Friday, January 27 when the Indiana Pacers come to town. If they keep the momentum going, this can be a winnable game for sure.

More Boston Celtics Commentary from this Contributor:

Boston Celtics embarrass Orlando Magic 87-56: A fan’s reaction

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce defeat Washington Wizards: A fan’s reaction

Boston Celtics come up short, fall to Suns 79-71: A fan’s reaction

Boston Celtics end skid, defeat Raptors 96-73: A fan’s reaction

Boston Celtics need change, fast: A fan’s take

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is an avid Boston Celtics fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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