Jaylen Brown scores 36 as Celtics beat Magic without Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) drives to the basket against Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (1) during the first half in game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff basketball series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
BOSTON (AP) — 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.
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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.
CAVALIERS 121, HEAT 112
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and Cleveland held on for a victory over Miami Heat on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
The top-seeded Cavaliers set an NBA playoff record with 11 3-pointers in the second quarter and had 22 for the game. However, Cleveland had to hold off a second-half charge by Miami.
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Tyler Herro scored 33 points for Miami, which hosts Game 3 on Saturday afternoon.
The Cavaliers had a 19-point lead with under 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter before the Heat made their run to get within 105-103 lead with 3:11 left.
Mitchell, who also had six rebounds and six assists, then put the game on his shoulders. He scored Cleveland's next eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, during an 8-2 run to give them some breathing room.
Evan Mobley had 20 points and Darius Garland 19 for the Cavaliers.
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