BOSTON (AP) — Because it grew to become evident that All-Star Jayson Tatum must sit out Recreation 2 of the Celtics’ first-round playoff collection towards the Orlando Magic, Jaylen Brown needed Boston coach Joe Mazzulla to know one thing.
“He came in saying he was going to do everything it takes to win,” Mazzulla stated.
Brown got here by way of on that promise. And his teammates adopted his lead.
Brown had 36 factors, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, Kristaps Porzingis returned to the sport after getting a bloody gash to the brow and completed with 20 factors, and the Celtics beat the Magic 109-100 on Wednesday evening.
Boston took a 2-0 collection lead whereas taking part in with out Tatum, who has a bone bruise in his proper wrist and missed a playoff sport for the primary time in his profession.
Boston led by 15 factors within the second half, then held off a late push by Orlando. The Celtics hit 12 3-pointers and went 25 of 33 from the free-throw line. Derrick White and Brown had 17 of Boston’s 28 factors within the closing interval; White completed with 17.
“He was leading us on both ends,” Porzingis stated of Brown. “He was being JB.”
“You just trust that mindset, really the warrior mentality that he has,” Mazzulla stated. “He can take it to another level mentally and physically.”
Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 32 factors and 9 rebounds. Franz Wagner scored 25 factors.
Recreation 3 is Friday evening at Orlando.
Tatum had not missed a playoff sport in his eight seasons with Boston. He injured his wrist in Recreation 1 after touchdown awkwardly following a flagrant foul by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Clad in road garments, he joined his workforce previous to tipoff and sat on the finish of the bench.
Mazzulla characterised Tatum’s standing as everyday.
Caldwell-Pope was booed almost each time he touched the ball within the aftermath of his Recreation 1 foul on Tatum, which the Celtics’ Al Horford later characterised as extreme.
Tempers flared between Caldwell-Pope and Horford when their ft bought twisted up and and despatched each crashing to the ground on the 4:42 mark of the second quarter.
Brown then exchanged phrases with Caldwell-Pope. Referees reviewed the the play and decided it was a typical tripping foul on Caldwell-Pope.
Then, late within the third quarter, Porzingis went to the locker room with a gash to his brow however returned in time to shoot a pair of free throws after taking an elbow from Goga Bitadze. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant foul on Bitadze
In the course of the assessment, Porzingis emerged to a loud ovation, with dried blood streaking down the again of his head and a bandage on the middle of his brow. He re-entered the sport and linked on certainly one of his two free throws earlier than exiting once more.
Porzingis returned to the bench space halfway by way of the interval and got here again into the sport with 7:15 left. He stated he bought 5 stitches to shut the wound.
“I love my WWE moments,” Porzingis stated. “We’re not going to get let anybody punk us. We expect teams to do this kind of stuff. … We’re not surprised. But we’re not going to take it. We’re going to hit them right back.”
