After beating the Orlando Magic 109-100 at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics took a 2-0 lead in the seven-game series. The biggest storyline coming into the matchup was Jayson Tatum sitting out with a bone bruise on his right wrist from game one, per ESPN, and how it would affect the team. After eight years wearing white and green, this was the first time the former Duke Blue Devil was sidelined during a playoff contest. Currently, the 27-year-old’s availability for Friday’s clash is considered a game-time decision.
“Yeah, there will definitely be a chance. Again, he’s dealing with a severe bone bruise. He’s day-to-day, and he’s progressively gotten better each day,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said to 98.5 The Sports Hub’s.
Regardless of a Tatum-less starting five, Jaylen Brown stepped up, filling the role of the missing leader. In 41 minutes of play, the 28-year-old notched a double-double. The forward led the squad with 36 points, knocking down five of seven deep shots, draining seven of 12 field goals. Additionally, Brown grabbed 10 boards, all on the defensive end, and assisted five buckets.
Aside from Brown, Kristaps Porzingis came alive Wednesday night, contributing 20 points after only putting up five points in their first meeting. The big man struggled from beyond the arc, attempting five shots, but missing them all. As for inside the paint, the 7-foot-2 center cashed in five of nine tries.
To add on, the big man also secured a double-double after rebounding 10 balls, splitting five apiece on both ends of the court. Looking at the fourth quarter, the dynamic player hardly performed after taking an elbow to the head with 55 seconds remaining in the third frame, resulting in him needing five stitches, according to Yahoo Sports. Nonetheless, the fan-favorite got patched up and returned to take the pair of flagrant one free throws.
“We’re not going to let anybody punk us. We’re just not going to take it. We’re going to hit them right back,” Porzingis said to NBC Sports Boston when asked about the physicality.
Turning to the third-highest scorer for the C’s, Derrick White ended the night with 17 points. The guard sank three of four shots from within the perimeter, but struggled from the three-point line, making three of 10 attempts. In the first half, White faced challenges, finding nothing from downtown and only burying one two-pointer, finishing with four points. However, the tables turned after halftime, as the 30-year-old notched three of eight shots from long range and shot perfect within the paint with two jumpers.
Moving on, with Tatum sidelined, Payton Pritchard saw more court time with a little over 32 minutes. Despite not dropping nearly 20 points like the first clash, the former Oregon Duck accumulated 14 points, helping the franchise win. The Sixth Man of the Year nailed three of six three-pointers and knocked down two of five tries from the field.
Finally, Jrue Holiday stepped up for the team, cashing in 11 points for the night. The two-way player missed all three deep shot attempts but made four of six tries from within the arc. The team even saw an old-school version of Holiday, after bringing the ball to the cup and dunking it. Additionally, the veteran snatched the rock six times and dished out five assists.
“Two great defenders. I think they do it in different ways. Jrue is a little more physical, he can guard one through five,” Tatum said to the Boston Globe when asked about Holiday and White’s defensive skills.
Diving into the negatives, fouling played a role early in the match for both teams. Overall, Boston committed 19 personal fouls, with Holiday getting into trouble early in the first half with two. To add on, White nearly fouled out after getting his fifth with 4:14 left in the fourth quarter. With that being said, keeping the fouling to a minimum is a must, as Orlando took advantage of that. Nevertheless, the franchise’s two stars, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, got into foul trouble with four apiece.
Fans can watch the series’ third clash on Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN as Boston travels to Florida.