Jaylen Brown scores 36 as Celtics beat Magic 109-100 without Jayson Tatum
Boston led by 15 points in the second half, then held off a late push by Orlando.
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BOSTON — Jaylen Brown had 36 points and 10 rebounds, Kristaps Porzingis returned to the game after getting a bloody gash to the forehead and finished with 20 points, and the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 109-100 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday night.
Boston took a 2-0 series lead while playing without All-Star Jayson Tatum, who has a bone bruise in his right wrist and missed a playoff game for the first time in his career.
Boston led by 15 points in 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 points in the final period; White finished with 17.
Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 32 points and nine rebounds. Franz Wagner scored 25 points.
Game 3 is Friday night at Orlando.
Tatum had not missed a playoff game in his eight seasons with Boston. He injured his wrist in Game 1 after landing awkwardly following a flagrant foul by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Clad in street clothes, he joined his team prior to tipoff and sat at the end of the bench.
