Celtics secure 2-0 series lead over Magic without Jayson Tatum
The Celtics managed to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series against the Magic, even without Jayson Tatum.
Apr 23, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots over falling Orlando Magic guard Cory Joseph (10) during the first quarter of game two of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.
Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn ImagesBOSTON — The Celtics were in a tightly contested game at halftime Wednesday night, a similar predicament they encountered during their Game 1 victory on Sunday. Except there was a key difference between each scenario.
Jayson Tatum, who is day-to-day with a wrist injury, was ruled out less than an hour before Game 2’s tip-off, leaving Boston without its star forward as it battled for a 2-0 series lead in its first-round bout against the Magic.
His absence proved inconsequential.
Although the Magic cut the Celtics’ advantage to single digits toward the end of the fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough to overthrow the defending NBA Champions in their own building, even without their superstar. Boston won, 109-100, to secure a 2-0 series lead in the first round of the playoffs.
Jaylen Brown sparked a scoring onslaught with consecutive 3-pointers to begin the second half. Al Horford grabbed an offensive board that resulted in a Derrick White 3-pointer before Kristaps Porzingis made a layup, capping an 11-2 scoring run and a 12-point lead, which eventually grew to as many as 15 points.
Brown was excellent in the contest, leading the Celtics with 36 points on a hyper-efficient 12-of-19 mark from the field with a 7-for-8 performance from behind the arc. He was ultra-aggressive offensively, an approach that frequently brought him to the free throw line, where he made seven of his eight attempts. Brown managed to dish out five assists and grab 10 rebounds.
Even with Brown's impressive performance, other Celtics stepped up to secure their win. Porzingis finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, even returning to the contest with blood gushing from his forehead after he caught an elbow from Goga Bitadze in the third quarter. Although he missed all five of his 3-pointers, Porzingis made 10 of his 14 free throws, a theme for a team that finished with 25 made free throws on 33 attempts. White finished with 17 points, five assists and six rebounds.
The Celtics struggled shooting at various points throughout the contest, contributing to their inability to garner a major lead late in the contest. They finished with a 45.0 field goal percentage with a 32.4 percent clip from deep.
Game 3 between the Celtics and Magic takes place Sunday at Kia Center, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET.
