April 9 was not a good day for the Boston Celtics. Despite a staggering nine wins in the last 10 games, including a six-game winning streak, the Celtics found themselves slightly unnerved as the Orlando Magic manufactured a 76-96 victory, helping them clinch the seventh seed in the conference. The Celtics, on the other hand, were left with a gloomy locker room, and a heartfelt confession by Payton Pritchard that shed light on a harsh reality. But before we tell you about that…

The losing team’s bad luck can’t be just be attributed to an underwhelming performance, but also a roster with all top six rotation players resting—throwing away a chance to tie an NBA record (shy of one win) of matching the 2015-16 Warriors’ record of 34 road wins in a season. Notably, the team’s star player Jayson Tatum did not play owing to a “left ankle sprain,” while Kristaps Porziņģis was out with “illness reconditioning,” Jrue Holiday with a shoulder injury, Derrick White with an ankle sprain, and Al Horford missing out his second straight game due to a right knee sprain. And while Jaylen Brown was listed as questionable ahead of the game, he ultimately sat out due to a lingering right knee bone bruise. So, as expected, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley made sure his team pulled off a memorable night.

Magic’s Franz Wagner scored a game-high 23 points, as Cole Anthony tallied 18 points on five 3-pointers off the bench. Paolo Banchero ended the night with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. However, in C’s final road game, offensive struggles were rampant with the team shooting just 39 percent from the floor (7-40 from 3), and clinching a lackluster 3-point range (7-for-40). Pritchard finished the night with 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists. Baylor Scheierman, who scored the same points as his teammate also roped in 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. The team ended its regular season 33-8, and is expected to meet Orlando in the first round of the playoffs again. Hopefully, with a fully healthy roster till then, the night will end differently. But unfortunately, physical health is not the team’s only hurdle right now.

As the regular season nears its final whistle, signs of fatigue are creeping in. The 82-game sprint flew by, but the real battle begins now. Deeper concerns have quietly caught up with Joe Mazzulla and his squad, turning it into more than just a bad night. Speaking to the media after their loss, Payton Pritchard, C’s hero of the night, admitted to something concerning that might have affected the game.

He said, “Overall, everybody had good energy.” But, “It’s tough. Like, you know, sometimes you have a lack of basic moments, and I think that just comes from mental fatigue.” It isn’t surprising that Pritchard is confessing to exhaustion or mental fatigue taking over the team. However, with the playoffs around the corner, they will have to shrug off this feeling!

At the same time, with Tatum and Brown’s absence on the floor on Wednesday, a degree of responsibility falls on Pritchard. The 27-year-old guard admitted, “For sure, sure. It’s a leadership jump.” He added, “So, you got to kind of lead the group, making sure everybody’s involved, making sure everybody’s playing the right way.”

However, the loss didn’t sit well with the star, and he took accountability for the same. Payton Pritchard said: “So, maybe I didn’t do the best job of that tonight. But there are certain times I let the game kind of get out of control. And, like, they went on runs when, you know, you need a bucket or you need a stop and stuff like that. So, some of those is on me, for sure.”

Meanwhile, Joe Mazzulla also admitted, or rather pointed out, the biggest flaw in their game that led to the disheartening loss.

Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla’s honest confession after 20-point Magic loss

A night that ended with only 76 points for the Boston Celtics. A night of low scoring and mental fatigue, without Tatum and Brown. What truly went wrong for Mazzulla’s team? Simply put, their offense gave up on Wednesday. Even the head coach wouldn’t deny that.

Speaking to the media, Joe Mazzulla said: “We got some good looks, didn’t make them. I thought, you know, Orlando’s defense was good. You know, we had 16 turnovers. So, they won the shot margin there. So, it’s got to be better there.” 

The Celtics’ reserves battled Orlando’s defense but couldn’t find consistent rhythm despite Pritchard’s double-double and strong efforts from Scheierman and Kornet. Early on, Boston leaned on defense, smothering the Magic’s unstable offense while struggling to hit shots themselves. They finally broke through late in the first with an 8-0 run, seizing brief control. However, momentum quickly shifted. A costly foul and Orlando’s sudden scoring burst flipped the script before the buzzer.

Wednesday’s unraveling wasn’t just a cold shooting night—it was a wake-up call. Between mental lapses, missing leaders, and an offense that vanished, the Celtics looked vulnerable. Still, time isn’t on their side. With the Playoffs looming, urgency must replace uncertainty, and the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown need to be fit and firing.