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Victor Petkov
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Jaylen Brown leads Tatum-less Celtics to Game 2 victory over Magic
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The reigning champs showed great form even without their star and won comfortably 109-100

With All-Star Jayson Tatum sidelined due to a bone bruise in his right wrist, Jaylen Brown took command and delivered a stellar performance to lead the Boston Celtics to a 109-100 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at TD Garden. The win gives Boston a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Brown, who had told head coach Joe Mazzulla he would do “everything it takes to win,” backed up his words with a dominant effort — scoring 36 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and adding five assists. It marked a statement performance in Tatum’s absence, who missed a postseason game for the first time in his career.

“Obviously, JT is the offensive leader, and we play off of him,” Brown said after the game. “But any given night I can rise to the occasion.”

Boston also saw a strong contribution from Kristaps Porzingis, who returned after briefly exiting with a bleeding gash to the forehead. The big man finished with 20 points, playing a key role in maintaining the Celtics’ interior presence.

The Celtics built a 15-point lead in the second half, but had to withstand a late surge from the Magic. Orlando, led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, narrowed the gap in the final quarter, but the Celtics’ poise prevailed. Boston finished the night with 12 made three-pointers and shot 25-of-33 from the free-throw line.

Derrick White also made a crucial impact in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points overall and combining with Brown for 17 of Boston’s 28 points in the final frame.

Now Game 3 shifts to Orlando, where the Magic will look to regroup and defend home court on Saturday night.