NBA Playoffs: Warriors Lose Despite Curry Heroics; Celtics Beat Orlando

Bloodied and bruised, defending champions Boston Celtics have outlasted Orlando to seize command of their NBA playoff series while the Cleveland Cavaliers maintained their series lead over Miami Heat.

Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 36 points as the Celtics overcame the absence of leading scorer Jayson Tatum to beat the visiting Magic 109-100 on Wednesday in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the second-seeded Celtics, who have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“He’s been great and consistent throughout the season,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said about Brown. “He can take it to another level mentally and physically, and he did that for his team tonight. At the end of the day, he’s willing to do whatever it takes for us to win.”

Orlando used an 8-0 run to pull within five points early in the fourth quarter, but the Magic never got any closer.

“I thought we played with a lot of heart, a lot of character,” said Magic forward Franz Wagner. “We made a bunch of runs in the game.”

Tatum, who averaged 26.8 points per game during the regular season, didn’t play in Game 2 because of a bone bruise. He was knocked to the floor while driving to the basket in the fourth quarter of Boston’s 103-86 Game 1 win on Sunday. Tatum returned to the game but was listed as “doubtful” for Game 2 before the team’s final injury report officially ruled him out.

Derrick White (17), Payton Pritchard (14) and Jrue Holiday (11) also scored in double figures for the Celtics.

The series shifts to Orlando for Game 3, which will be played on Friday.

“It doesn’t become a series until the home team loses …” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. “Our crowd is one of the best in the league. That energy is something we’re gonna need.”

In the other games, East top seed Cleveland held off visiting Miami 121-112 as Donovan Mitchell scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and the Cavs took a 2-0 series edge with game three on Saturday in Miami.