Derrick White scored 30 factors, Jayson Tatum had 17 factors and completed the sport after a scary late fall, and the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 103-86 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff sequence Sunday.
Payton Pritchard added 19 factors off the bench for Boston, which hosts Recreation 2 on Wednesday night time. Jaylen Brown performed 31 minutes and had 16 factors on 6-of-14 capturing after lacking the ultimate three video games of the common season as a consequence of a lingering knee concern.
With Boston main 89-73 with 8:28 remaining, Tatum went up for a dunk and was hit laborious by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as he tried to dam it. Tatum landed awkwardly on his proper aspect.
He stayed down briefly earlier than ultimately rising to his ft, clenching his proper hand. After a video overview by referees, Caldwell-Pope’s foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul. Tatum subsequently missed the 2 ensuing free throws however remained within the sport.
Afterward, Joe Mazzulla was requested about Tatum’s wrist, and the Celtics head coach replied, “He is good.”
Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 36 factors and 11 rebounds. Franz Wagner added 23 factors for Orlando, which has not made it out of the primary spherical of the playoffs for the reason that 2009-10 season.
Orlando led by a degree at halftime, limiting a Boston crew that set an NBA file for 3-pointers this season to 7-of-15 from past the arc within the opening 24 minutes and 16-of-37 for the sport.
However the Magic turned the ball over six instances within the third quarter and had been outscored 30-18 because the Celtics took a 78-65 lead into the fourth. The Celtics’ lead grew as excessive as 19 within the ultimate interval.
For the sport, Orlando completed with 15 turnovers, which led to 24 Boston factors.
Brown, who acquired injections in his knee final week, didn’t present any noticeable results of the problem on the outset Sunday. He had an early turnover, however adopted that up by stripping Banchero, which White picked up and dropped in for a transition floater. Brown later confirmed some offensive explosiveness, bursting previous Banchero and ending with a left-handed layup.
Brown had 4 factors, two rebounds, two steals and an help in the course of the preliminary seven-minute stretch to start the sport earlier than taking his first relaxation.
Reporting by The Related Press.
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