The Boston Celtics kicked off their playoff journey with a decisive Game 1 victory over the Orlando Magic, fueled by a dominant second half and Derrick White’s stellar 30-point performance.
Despite a fourth-quarter scare involving a hard fall by Jayson Tatum, who thankfully avoided serious injury, the Celtics showcased their depth and resilience.
Jayson Tatum’s Injury Scare: ‘It’s clean, I’m good’
In the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoffs series, Boston Celtics forward Tatum suffered a hard fall after a mid-air collision with Orlando Magic’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The play was reviewed, and Caldwell-Pope was assessed a flagrant foul.
The occurrence immediately raised worries about Tatum’s health. But, the All-Star quickly returned to everybody a little reassured after a short statement he gave:
Post-game X-rays signified that there was no structural damage to Tatum’s wrist, thus making him able to continue to play and have a massive impact on the result of the Celtics’ victory 103-86. Even after the scare, when Tatum knew his pain, he stayed on the court and became a major contributor both offensively and defensively.
While the Celtics did not officially release a statement, it was clear from the light-hearted way head coach Joe Mazzulla and Jrue Holiday spoke about it that they really believed that it was merely the harshness of the playoffs.
Jrue Holiday characterized the foul as typical playoff physicality, remarking:
“Hard foul. Playoff basketball. 7th seed that’s gonna come out and fight and be physical. Just a hard foul.”
Celtics Dominate Second Half to Secure Game 1 Victory
Having been behind only a point at the end of the second quarter, the Celtics controlled the game in the second half when they scored 30 to Magic’s 18 in the third quarter.
Payton Pritchard came off the bench to gather 19 points. Tatum scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, showing great determination after his fall. Jaylen Brown, who returned from the injury, played for 30 minutes and scored 16 points.
On the Magic’s side, Paolo Banchero delivered a strong performance with 36 points and 11 rebounds, while Franz Wagner added 23 points. However, Orlando’s 15 turnovers proved costly, leading to 24 points for Boston.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday at TD Garden. Given Tatum got a green light to play and the Celtics showed a lot of depth and grit, they are looking to carry on with their solid performance to grab a 2-0 series lead.