BOSTON โ The Boston Celtics began their playoff journey with a promising victory on Sunday, managing a commanding 103-86 win against the Orlando Magic. During this tense opener, Jayson Tatum, Bostonโs key player, gave fans quite a scare. After a hard fall left him clutching his wrist, Tatum lay on the court momentarily, drawing collective gasps from the arena.
Amid chants of โMVPโ from the crowd, Tatum eventually got to his feet, eliciting cheers as he made his way back to the bench. Reflecting on the incident, Tatum shared, โI just landed on it. It was throbbing for a second,โ but assured everyone that the pain soon dissipated. This was particularly good news for Boston, a team determined to defend their NBA championship title.
The scoring honors went to Derrick White, who posted an impressive 30 points. Tatum contributed with 17 points and managed to stay in the game despite his fall. Payton Pritchard stood out with 19 points off the bench. In this seriesโ first match, the Celticsโ depth was evident. Jaylen Brown, recovering from a knee issue, added 16 points in his 31 minutes on the court. Reflecting on the teamโs performance, White stated, โWeโve got many different ways we can win. A lot of different things we can throw at teams.โ
The game took a dramatic turn with 8:28 remaining when Tatum, attacking the basket for a dunk, was fouled hard by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Tatumโs awkward landing resulted in his staying on the floor momentarily, visibly clutching his hand. A video review upgraded the foul to a flagrant, but Tatum missed both ensuing free throws. Fortunately, a postgame X-ray showed no serious injury.
On the Magicโs side, Paolo Banchero shone brightly with 36 points and 11 rebounds. Franz Wagner supported with 23 points, although Orlando struggled to maintain their lead. The Magic have been unable to escape the first playoff round since 2010, a fact that weighed on their efforts Sunday. They even led by a point at halftime, holding an impressive record with their 3-point defense in the game. But the third quarter saw the Magic crumble, turning the ball over multiple times and being outscored 30-18, setting the stage for Bostonโs insurmountable lead.
Overall, Boston capitalized on Orlandoโs 15 turnovers, converting them into 24 points. Banchero pointed out, โItโs Game 1, thereโs nerves. Lit crowd. Really loud,โ acknowledging the challenges Orlando faced offensively.
Brown, recently receiving knee injections, didnโt show any significant limitations during the match. He even punctuated a third-quarter surge with a celebratory two-handed dunk. โI havenโt got one of those in a little bit,โ Brown said with excitement. โBut weโre just getting started.โ
Game 2 of this eagerly watched playoff series is set to happen on Wednesday night, with Boston as hosts once more.