Jaylen Brown Drops 36 as Celtics 109-100 Past Magic Without Tatum/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Jaylen Brown scores 36 to lift Celtics over Magic 109-100. Boston leads series 2-0 despite Jayson Tatum’s injury absence. Kristaps Porzingis returns after bloody injury, adds 20 points.
Jaylen Brown Dominates Without Tatum — Celtics vs. Magic Quick Looks
- Brown Takes Over: Scores 36 points with 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
- Tatum Out: Misses first playoff game of career with wrist injury.
- Porzingis Battles Back: Returns from head gash, contributes 20 points.
- Celtics Go Up 2-0: Boston withstands Magic’s late surge.
- Banchero Shines: Scores 32 points for Orlando in losing effort.
- Game 3 Ahead: Series shifts to Orlando Friday night.
Jaylen Brown Powers Shorthanded Celtics to 2-0 Series Lead Over Magic
Deep Looks
BOSTON (April 23, 2025) — With Jayson Tatum sidelined for the first time in his playoff career, Jaylen Brown made sure the Boston Celtics didn’t miss a beat.
Brown delivered a postseason masterpiece, scoring 36 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out five assists to push the Celtics to a 109-100 win over the Orlando Magic, giving Boston a 2-0 series lead in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
“I just wanted to do whatever it took to win,” Brown said. “Any night I can step up. Tonight was that night.”
Boston held a 15-point second-half lead but had to fend off a late rally by Orlando. Brown and Derrick White, who added 17 points, combined for 17 of Boston’s 28 fourth-quarter points to seal the win.
Porzingis Returns After Head Injury
Kristaps Porzingis provided a gritty 20-point performance, despite suffering a bloody forehead gash late in the third quarter after taking an elbow from Goga Bitadze. The hit sent Porzingis to the locker room for stitches, but he returned with a bandage and a WWE-style entrance to a raucous TD Garden crowd.
“We’re not going to let anybody punk us,” Porzingis said. “We expect it. We hit right back.”
He connected on one of two free throws before briefly exiting again. He returned for the stretch run and helped Boston maintain its lead.
Celtics Thrive Despite Tatum’s Absence
Tatum, out with a bone bruise in his right wrist, was sidelined for the first playoff game of his eight-year career. Wearing street clothes, he supported his team from the bench. Coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum is day-to-day.
“JT is the offensive leader, and we play off of him,” Brown said. “But we’re built for moments like this.”
Mazzulla praised Brown’s leadership:
“He has that warrior mentality. He led us tonight, mentally and physically.”
Banchero’s Big Night Not Enough
For Orlando, Paolo Banchero put up 32 points and nine rebounds, while Franz Wagner contributed 25. But despite closing the gap to just two points with just over three minutes remaining, they couldn’t complete the comeback.
“They came out and hit us hard after halftime,” Banchero said. “We didn’t recover in time.”
Tensions Flare, Series Heats Up
The game wasn’t without fireworks. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who committed a flagrant foul on Tatum in Game 1, was booed throughout the night. He got tangled with Al Horford in the second quarter, drawing a tripping foul. Later, Brown exchanged words with Caldwell-Pope as tempers flared.
Porzingis’ bloodied return further raised the intensity, with the Garden crowd responding loudly. The series is clearly heating up.
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