The Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic kicked off Wednesday’s NBA playoff action with a Celtics 109-100 win at home.
Boston played without star Jayson Tatum, but the team found its rhythm as Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 36 points and the Celtics took a 2-0 series lead.
On Friday, the series heads to Orlando, where the Magic will look to bounce back at the Kia Center.
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Celtics 109, Magic 100
(Boston leads series 2-0)
Porziņģis, Brown step up for Celtics
With Jayson Tatum sidelined by a bone bruise in his right wrist, the Celtics’ offense suffered. They shot just 35.9 percent in the first half, including 23.5 percent (4-for-17) from behind the arc. Against Orlando’s second-ranked defense, Boston went just two for eight from inside the paint during the first quarter, a gross mark on shots so close to the rim.
But the Celtics morphed to squeeze out enough points. They found Kristaps Porziņģis for more post-ups, and he responded by scoring 20 points and drawing 14 free throw attempts. Jaylen Brown, who hadn’t played more than 30 minutes since mid-March because of an injured right knee, proved he was ready physically for a heavier burden. He scored 12 first-quarter points on his way to a stat line of 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Brown played 42 minutes, including all but the final 44.7 seconds of the second half, and still had enough energy left to sink three clutch shots late in the fourth quarter after the Magic threatened. His performance was extremely promising given the concerns about his knee.
Jaylen Brown leaving his mark on Game 2 💪
He’s got 33 PTS as the Celtics lead in the final minutes on TNT!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google pic.twitter.com/H40wt9cA9J
— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2025
Tatum could return for Game 3. He is considered day to day, according to coach Joe Mazzulla. Regardless of whether he’s in the lineup, the Celtics’ depth gives them different ways to win. The Boston guards sank the Magic in Game 1, but Brown and Porziņģis did much of the scoring in Game 2 before Derrick White found his rhythm in the fourth quarter.
Boston will continue to need a lot from that trio if Tatum needs to miss more time. — Jay King, Celtics beat writer
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Magic head home in must-win scenario
Game 2 may be remembered as the Magic’s best opportunity to make this a competitive series.
With Tatum out — something Celtics fans will never forgive Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for — the Magic cut their deficit early in the third quarter to 50-49 and then temporarily collapsed through a combination of a missed defensive rebound, three consecutive missed 3s and great Celtics shot-making from long range.
Boston’s 11-0 run, keyed by a pair of 3s from Brown and an Al Horford offensive board that led to a 3 from White, was a decisive stretch.
The Magic have played six road playoff games during the Paolo Banchero-Franz Wagner era and have lost them all, four last spring in Cleveland (including a heartbreaking Game 7 defeat) and now twice in Boston.
Game 3 at Orlando’s Kia Center is a must-win for the Magic. They play better at home, but the experienced, playoff-tested Celtics performed better this season on the road.
Banchero, Wagner and their teammates, down 0-2 in the series, will have to conjure the same home (ahem) magic they showed last spring against the Cavs to have a chance to return to Boston for a Game 5.
Once again, the Magic couldn’t count on their outside shooting. They went 7 for 29 from 3-point range Wednesday, and Caldwell-Pope — their big signing of the 2024 offseason — went 1 for 9 from the field. Caldwell-Pope remained scoreless until 4:14 remained in the fourth quarter when he made the second of two free-throw attempts, cutting Orlando’s deficit to 96-89.
But the other problems came from their inability to defend without fouling and giving up too many second-chance points. The Celtics went 25 for 33 from the free-throw line and scored 20 second-chance points. — Josh Robbins, Magic beat writer
(Photo: Winslow Townson / Imagn Images)
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