Playing in their fifth and final Summer League game in Las Vegas, the Magic were without second-year pros Jase Richardson and Noah Penda as well as two-way players Alex Morales and Colin Castleton against the Celtics on Saturday.
Instead, TyTy Washington Jr., Lester Quinones, Philip Wheeler, Keon Johnson and Will Baker earned the start for Orlando coach D.J. Bakker at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center.
In a consolation matchup between two 3-1 squads that featured a fast pace of play and nine lead changes, the Magic pulled away late to earn their fourth consecutive win 103-97.
Orlando trailed 48-45 at halftime but overpowered Boston in the final two quarters, outscoring the Celtics 58-49, largely thanks to Malik Reneau’s 19 second-half points.
The Magic pieced together a strong third quarter by getting out in transition and hitting open shots, two things they didn’t do in the first half. In the shorter 10-minute periods of the summer, the Magic outscored the Celtics 36-23 in the third, which included a 13-3 run, by shooting 72.2% from the field and 4-for-6 from distance.
Beyond Reneau’s scoring spree, Au’Diese Toney recorded 18 points, six rebounds and four steals off the bench, Baker notched 15 points and six rebounds, and Phillip Wheeler added 10 points, including two clutch free throws, in the win.
Bakker turned to a number of players off the bench who had yet to see the floor in Las Vegas, including Ricky Council IV, Tre Holloman and Mike Sharavjamts. It was also Toney’s first time seeing action this summer.
Boston was also sitting key starters, including second-year guard Hugo Gonzalez, 2026 first-round pick Chris Cenac Jr. and second-rounder Dillon Mitchell. The Celtics were led by Caleb Grill’s 18 points and John Tonje’s 14, plus they got 11 points from Tucker DeVries.
As the Celtics made a run late, Council knocked down two key 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter for the Magic.
It was Reneau, however, who stole the show in the second half. The University of Miami product, who attended Montverde Academy in high school, made his first six shots from the floor, including two 3-pointers. He added three rebounds, a steal and one block in 19 minutes of action.
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
Before joining the Orlando Magic for Summer League, Malik Reneau wrapped up his college career at the University of Miami. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)
The 4-1 finish in Las Vegas is a turnaround for the Magic from a year ago. Orlando went 0-5 in Summer League last year.
With this edition of Summer League complete, the Magic will next report for training camp at the AdventHealth Training Center on Sept. 29.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com