BOSTON Celtics overcame the absence of Jayson Tatum to defeat Orlando Magic, 109-100, in Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference first round series on Wednesday night (Thursday morning in the Philippines) at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Tatum, who averaged 26.8 points per game during the regular season, didn’t play in Game 2 because of a bone bruise he sustained during their 103-86 Game 1 victory last Sunday.
Jaylen Brown stepped up in Tatum’s absence by scoring a game-high 36 points to go with 10 rebounds and five assists as the defending champions took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Kristaps Porzingis added a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Derrick White (17), Payton Pritchard (14) and Jrue Holiday (11) also scored in double figures for the Celtics.
The Celtics led 23-21 after one quarter and 50-47 at halftime before they managed to pull away in the third quarter, erecting their largest lead at 81-66 on a Pritchard three-pointer.
The Magic closed the quarter on a 5-0 spurt and trailed 71-61 entering the fourth, but the Celtics had their answers as they held on to the advantage until the final buzzer.
Paulo Banchero finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. had 25 and 16, respectively, which will hope to bounce back at home on Game 3 this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell knocked down timely baskets as Cleveland Cavaliers scored a 121-112 Game 2 win over Miami Heat, establishing a 2-0 edge in their Eastern Conference series.
Holding to a slim 105-103 lead, Mitchell converted a midrange basket and drained a 32-footer off a Jarrett Allen steal to give top-seeded Cleveland some breathing room at 110-103.
Miami got the deficit down to five by scoring on its next two possessions, but the Heat missed their next two shots before Evan Mobley sank two free throws with 25.7 seconds left to put Cleveland up 115-108.
Mitchell finished with 30 points to lead the Cavs, Darius Garland contributed 21 points and nine assists, Mobley had 20 points and six rebounds, and DeAndee Hunter added 12 points.
In the Western Conference, Houston Rockets bounced back in Game 2 with a 109-94 win over Golden State Warriors to tie their series at 1-1. Filipino-American Jalen Green led the Rockets with 38 points./PN
BOX SCORE:
BOSTON 109 — Brown 36, Porzingis 20, White 17, Pritchard 14, Holiday 11, Horford 9, Kornet 2, Hauser 0.
ORLANDO 100 — Banchero 32, Wagner 25, Carter Jr 16, Black 11, Joseph 7, Harris 4, Caldwell-Pope 3, Bitadze 2, Houstan 0, Isaac 0, Anthony 0.
Quarterscores: 23-21; 50-47; 81-71; 109-100.
