Jaylen Brown took center stage in Game 2, delivering 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists to power the Boston Celtics past the Orlando Magic, 109-100, on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
With Jayson Tatum sidelined by a bone bruise in his right wrist, Brown took charge early and set the tone on both ends of the floor.
Boston now leads the first-round Eastern Conference series 2-0, with Game 3 scheduled for Friday night in Orlando.
Brown scored 17 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and shot 12-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points and 10 rebounds despite leaving the game in the third quarter with a forehead laceration that required five stitches.
Porzingis returned to shoot two free throws following a flagrant foul by Orlando’s Goga Bitadze and later re-entered the game, drawing a loud ovation from the Boston crowd.
Derrick White contributed 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists for the Celtics, while Jrue Holiday chipped in with 11 points and six assists.
Boston shot 45 percent from the field, knocked down 12 three-pointers, and outscored Orlando 28-29 in the final quarter to maintain control.
The Celtics also held a 46-34 rebounding advantage and converted 25 of their 33 free-throw attempts.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in 43 minutes, while Franz Wagner followed with 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting.
Wendell Carter Jr. was efficient inside with 16 points and eight boards, but the Magic shot just 24.1 percent (7-of-29) from three-point range.
Tempers briefly escalated in the second quarter when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Al Horford collided on a play that ended with both players on the floor.
Brown intervened and exchanged words with Caldwell-Pope, though officials ruled it a common foul after a review.
Caldwell-Pope, who was booed throughout the night due to his Game 1 foul on Tatum, struggled to find rhythm and finished 1-of-9 from the field.
