Jaylen Brown scores 36 as Celtics beat Magic without Jayson Tatum

By Canadian Press on April 23, 2025.

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.

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.

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.

The Associated Press

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