On Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets instead fouled out the NBA playoffs with their unwatchable performances. The Celtics, without their star Jayson Tatum, showed incredible fortitude and rallied late to beat the vastly improved Orlando Magic while the Rockets pulled out a close win against the Golden State Warriors in a playoff-like nail-biter.
In Game 2 vs the Magic, the Celtics prevailed 109-100, to assume a commanding 2-0 lead in their series. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with an impressive 36 points, while Kristaps Porzingis contributed a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Celtics made sure to hold their continuing momentum as long as they could. They flourished despite Tatum being out with a bone bruise from earlier in the playoffs.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla commended his team for its resilience during Tatum’s absence.
“He’s been great and consistent throughout the season,” – Joe Mazzulla, Celtics coach.
Even in their loss, the Magic showed a lot of fight tonight as they battled for all four quarters. Franz Wagner had a candid assessment of his team’s performance in the comment section.
“I thought we played with a lot of heart, a lot of character.”
He went on to add, “We created a ton of scoring opportunities in that game.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors faced off against the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of their series. Stephen Curry with 20 points, four steals, and three assists led the Warriors to lose against the Houston Rockets. It continued a hot streak for Houston’s Jalen Green, who shined with a game-high 38 points. Sengun helped Green with an impressive game of his own, scoring 17 points and collecting 16 rebounds.
The Rockets’ win knotted their series up with Golden State at 1-1.
Additionally, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley acknowledged the value of home court advantage in playoffs environments. “That’s what sports is all about,” he said. “It doesn’t become a series until the home team loses.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a 2-0 lead in their series over the Miami Heat. Donovan Mitchell was phenomenal, dropping 30 points including 17 in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers seem set to ride the wave all the way to a deep playoff run as they show no signs of stopping in feeding off this momentum.
The playoffs have seen multiple teams rise to challenges, with role players stepping up when stars are sidelined. Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Jrue Holiday each reached double digits in scoring for Boston. Their dynamic and assertive performances evidenced the depth and versatility that the team’s roster boasted.
The deeper into the playoffs we go, the higher excitement and tension will rise as teams come cushion to get an opportunity to compete for the ultimate title.
