Boston Celtics Prove They Can Trade Blows with Anybody, Says Kristaps Porzingis
The Boston Celtics have sent a clear message to their NBA rivals: they will not be intimidated by a physical style of play. Despite missing their star forward Jason Tatum due to a bruised right wrist bone, the defending champions defeated the Orlando Magic 109-100 on Wednesday, taking a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round best-of-seven series.
According to Yahoo Sports, Jaylen Brown scored 36 points, going 5-of-7 from three-point range, to lead the Celtics to victory. The team’s center, Kristaps Porzingis, added 20 points and 10 rebounds, despite suffering a bloody forehead gash late in the third quarter.
“It was a tough, physical game,” Porzingis said. “Nothing easy on either side. Every rebound is a war and it’s probably going to be that way for the rest of the series. We’re going to be us. We’re not going to let anybody punk us.”
The Celtics expect a body-banging style from opponents, and Porzingis believes they are ready to respond in kind. “We expect teams to be doing this kind of stuff, to get in our heads, try to provoke us, get some reaction out of us,” he said. “We weren’t surprised but we’re just not going to take it. We’re going to hit them right back.”
The Celtics were without Tatum, their points, rebounds, and assists leader, due to injury. However, they still managed to dominate the game, leading 81-71 entering the fourth quarter. The Magic got no closer than five points after that.
Orlando’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope fouled Tatum on the injury play in game one and tripped over Al Horford in game two. Both players were restrained before the second-quarter incident escalated.
The Celtics were 8-2 in the regular season without Tatum, with both losses coming to Orlando. “We’ve got a lot of talent so it just comes down to being ready,” Brown said. “We came out and were aggressive.”
In other games, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers held off the visiting Miami Heat 121-112, taking a 2-0 series lead. Donovan Mitchell scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Cavs to victory.
At Houston, Jalen Green scored 38 points and the Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors 109-94 to level their Western Conference series at 1-1. The Warriors lost Jimmy Butler to a pelvis contusion after a severe fall on a first-quarter foul.
The Celtics will look to continue their winning streak on Friday in Orlando, while the Cavaliers and Rockets will face off in game three on Saturday.
Yahoo Sports reports that Porzingis’s injury was a result of a rebound battle with Orlando center Goga Bitadze, who opened a cut that required five stitches. Despite the injury, Porzingis returned to the game with a smaller bandage and continued to play.
“It was just a quick flash, a quick cut, but I saw the amount of blood as soon as I looked at my hand so I knew it was going to be some stitches for sure,” Porzingis said, comparing the action to the violence of pro wrestling. “I love my ‘WWE’ moments for sure. It just happens in the game.”
The Celtics’ victory is a testament to their strength and resilience, and they will look to continue their dominance in the series. As Yahoo Sports reports, the team’s players are confident in their ability to adapt and overcome adversity.
“We didn’t play up to our level,” Porzingis said. “I expect us to be better going forward.”
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