The Boston Celtics held off a spirited Orlando Magic effort in Game 2 of their first-round series on Wednesday night, securing a 109-100 win to take a 2-0 series lead. Much like the series opener on Sunday, the game was defined by tense moments and physical play.
Boston carried a narrow 54-50 lead into halftime before pulling away in the third quarter with a 31-24 run that ultimately proved decisive. Paolo Banchero again led the charge for Orlando with 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Franz Wagner added 25 points, four rebounds, and four assists in the losing effort.
Amid the intensity, tempers briefly flared between Celtics veteran Al Horford and Orlando’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope—continuing the tension that began in Game 1, when Caldwell-Pope committed a flagrant foul on Jayson Tatum, resulting in a wrist injury that sidelined the All-Star forward for Game 2.
Following the brief verbal exchange between Horford and Caldwell-Pope, reporters asked Sixth Man of the Year winner Payton Pritchard about the incident postgame. However, the Celtics star kept his response short:
“That's the playoffs, baby.”
Pritchard has continued to embrace the moment during Boston’s postseason run. Alongside Jaylen Brown, who led the night with 35 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, Pritchard delivered 14 points and three rebounds off the bench in Game 2, helping the Celtics weather Tatum’s absence. His production has been crucial to the Celtics this season, especially with the team leaning heavily on their depth all year long.
Boston’s focus now shifts to Orlando for Game 3 on Saturday, where they’ll aim to extend their series lead. With Tatum’s health still a question mark, contributions from role players like Pritchard could remain a difference-maker in the Celtics' quest to return to the NBA Finals.
