The Celtics knew the Magic would try to get physical, and a bloodied Kristaps Porzingis led the resistance - The Boston Globe (2025)

The Celtics knew this would be a bruising, physical, and perhaps even bloody playoff series against the seventh-seeded Magic. But all year, coach Joe Mazzulla has stressed that they must be prepared to win in different ways.

So in Game 2, Boston provided a reminder that it is the superior team even when battling in a style that its opponent prefers. The Celtics eventually wore down the Magic, 109-100, to take a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 will be played in Orlando on Friday night.

“We’re going to be us,” said Porzingis, whose gash required five stitches. “We’re not going to let anybody punk us. And we expect teams to be doing this kind of stuff, to get in our heads, to try to provoke us, to try to maybe get some reaction out of us. . . . But we’re just not going to take it. So we’re going to hit them right back.”

The Celtics’ victory was particularly notable because it was crafted without superstar forward Jayson Tatum, who sat out with a bruised right wrist, an injury he suffered when he tumbled after a hard foul in Game 1.

Coach Joe Mazzulla said that on Tuesday the Celtics’ other All-Star, Jaylen Brown, came up to him and said he would do whatever it took to win Game 2, perhaps a reference to Tatum’s looming absence.

Brown mostly dismissed that moment after Game 2, insisting that he takes that approach in every game. Nevertheless, his performance sparkled.

Brown made 12 of 19 shots and finished with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, answering any lingering questions about his knee injury that slowed him over the final month of the regular season.

“You just trust the mindset and really the warrior mentality that he has,” Mazzulla said. “He knows his mind, he knows his body, and he can take it to another level mentally and physically.”

Porzingis added 20 points and 10 rebounds and Derrick White had 17 points. Boston held a 46-34 rebounding edge.

Paolo Banchero had 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists to lead the Magic, who made just 15 of 24 free throws.

Despite the win, the Celtics acknowledged that there were flaws that must be fixed. Mazzulla said the Magic “got the best of us, somewhat,” with the Celtics committing too many fouls and allowing Orlando to push back after Celtics runs.

“Overall, we just didn’t play up to our level,” Porzingis said. “This is what I feel, honestly, and I expect us to be better going forward.”

Celtics forward Al Horford took exception to Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s hard foul on Tatum in Game 1 that sent the Celtics star tumbling to the ground and bruised his wrist.

The Garden crowd directed some half-hearted boos toward Caldwell-Pope early in Wednesday’s game, and midway through the second quarter, with the Celtics leading, 42-35, Caldwell-Pope and Horford got tangled while running downcourt.

Caldwell-Pope was whistled for a foul on the play, and Horford quickly jumped to his feet and was clearly frustrated with the Magic guard. Brown got into Caldwell-Pope’s face to let it be known that he was not pleased, either.

If the Magic were trying to send a message, the Celtics made it clear that they would not back down.

“It’s the playoffs, baby,” guard Payton Pritchard said. “That’s what it is, so we knew what they were going to do. That’s what I told Al after, I’m like, ‘It’s just fun. This is basketball now.’ ”

The Celtics led by as many as 15 points and held double-digit advantages for several stretches.

Brown started the third quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to spark an 11-0 run that pushed the Celtics’ lead to 61-49. Then over a 60-second span later in the period he scored inside, came up with a steal and a dunk, and sliced to the hoop for a layup.

“He’s always made tough shots, but they couldn’t stop him,” Pritchard said. “We needed it tonight. We needed every bucket he gave us.”

After the Magic cut the deficit to 96-89 with four minutes left, Brown responded with a running layup and a high-arcing 16-footer, and the lead was never really in danger after that.

“Now, the series starts,” Mazzulla said, “because we’re going to a place where they play really well at home, and I expect the absolute best of them are getting ready for that.”

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.