Celtics' second unit steps up and offers a crucial lesson in win vs. Magic

The Boston Celtics capped their two-game mini-series vs. the Orlando Magic with a 111-107 win at the Kia Center. It was the definition of a team victory.

Several members of the second unit had their best game of the season. For some, it was one of, if not the best, of their careers. Boston's bench outscored Orlando's 50-18.

Jaylen Brown had a team-high 27 points, including a clutch three from 31 feet. On the heels of a jumper by Paolo Banchero, that response gave the visitors a five-point edge with 1:35 left.

Derrick White is still searching for his shot -- don't lose sight of his all-around impact -- but he also buried a crunch-time triple. White's three from the left wing put Boston up by four with 45 seconds remaining in Sunday's victory.

There was also the collective effort that went into influencing the Magic's going 0/4 from beyond the arc in the final five minutes. Furthermore, the Celtics limited the hosts to one offensive rebound in that stretch.

It was a team win that offered a crucial lesson.

Celtics offer a lesson in grace

Anfernee Simons has had an underwhelming start to his tenure in Boston. However, he's not just adjusting to new teammates and a different system. He spent the last two years as the primary offensive option with the Portland Trail Blazers. Now, he's in a sixth-man role.

There's a lot for Simons to acclimate to, including putting forth more effort on defense. The Celtics are also employing a demanding approach. They're pushing the pace at one end and flying around to create havoc at the other. That can impact one's performance as they work to get their legs underneath them.

To his credit, the 26-year-old guard from Florida, as his new team empowers him to remain aggressive on offense, Simons entered Sunday's matchup taking 7.2 three-point attempts and converting them at a 38.9 percent clip.

In Boston's win in his hometown, he helped turn the game around in the first half. Going supernova, Simons erupted for 25 points. He went 8/11 from the field, including knocking down five of the seven threes he hoisted. Per the Celtics, that's the most anyone on the franchise has scored off the bench in the opening two frames in the play-by-play era.

It also allowed Simons to reach 6,000 career points and 1,000 made threes.

"Ant, way to come out of your shell in the first half," said Joe Mazzulla in the Celtics' locker room after the victory.

It was an important step as Simons continues to adapt. That sentiment also applies to Luka Garza's evening. The latter generated 16 points and eight rebounds in his best performance to start the season.

He made plays out of the dunker spot, including grabbing an offensive rebound and cleaning up a Jaylen Brown miss in crunch time to help fend off the Magic.

Garza repeatedly showed off his soft touch on his floaters and continues to set excellent screens. Anyone writing him off ten tilts into his tenure in Boston got a reminder of why it's important to give people grace.

The multiple-time National Player of the Year has obvious offensive talent, including the ability to extend possessions. He plays too hard and puts in too much effort daily not to figure out how to make more of an impact as the campaign goes on than he did to start the season before delivering one of the best games of his career on Sunday.

As a scorer, Simons has proven himself in this league, averaging 20 points over the last four years. Garza is in the infancy of his first chance as a rotation center. Fans aren't obligated to show patience. However, beyond their circumstances as they acclimate to a new situation, on Sunday in Orlando, they demonstrated why it's worthwhile to give them grace.