Celtics Bench Delivers in Season Finale as Scheierman Leads Deep Rotation Past Magic

The Boston Celtics' much-discussed “Stay Ready Crew” answered the call in emphatic fashion Sunday night at TD Garden, delivering a 113-108 victory over the Orlando Magic in the final game of the 2025-26 regular season. With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Neemias Queta all sidelined, it was the Celtics' deep bench that seized the moment—and delivered a statement about the depth of this roster heading into the playoffs.

Baylor Scheierman led the charge, finishing with a team-high 22 points and handling the offense with poise well beyond what anyone could have expected from a deep-rotation player in a pressure situation. His ability to run the floor and make decisions under duress gave Boston exactly what it needed when the starters were unavailable.

The victory was a genuine team effort. Eight players logged meaningful minutes and contributed, rotating through with the kind of cohesion usually reserved for units that have logged serious time together. The Celtics converted Orlando's 19 turnovers into 23 points—a differential that proved decisive in a game that remained competitive throughout.

“You’ve got to give them a ton of credit,” Orlando head coach Jamahl Moseley said afterward. “Those eight players played together. They knew that they should and then made a ton of shots. Some of that was given to them by us, to turn that ball over 19 times for 23 points, that’s part of it. They had a ton of shot making going on, and then us turning it over was part of that.”

The game was effectively sealed by a play that wasn't even in the original design. Luka Garza knocked down a three-pointer in the closing moments that swung momentum decisively in Boston's favor—a shot Scheierman admitted was improvised rather than scripted.

“Honestly, he just threw that thing up there,” Scheierman said with a grin. “It was a big time shot. We wanted to get him a 3, that’s not necessarily how we had it drawn up to get there but yeah.”

The Celtics entered the game having already clinched their playoff positioning, making the victory almost purely a statement about what lies beneath the headline names. For a team with championship ambitions, that statement may matter more than anything that shows up in the standings.

“We’re proud of the effort we put out there,” Scheierman said. “I think going into the game we were expected to go out there and compete and win the game. I know going into the game that was our expectation and we’re excited that we won, and honestly, just getting ready for playoffs now.”

With the postseason beginning this week across the Eastern Conference, the Celtics now know they have reliable options beyond their core rotation—and that depth could prove pivotal in a conference where every edge counts.