Bloody good show in Boston

LOS ANGELES: Bloodied and bruised, the defending champions Boston Celtics warned NBA rivals who want to intimidate them with a physical style that they are ready to trade blows with anybody.

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Jaylen Brown scored 36 points, going 5-of-7 from three-point range, and the hosts Celtics defeated Orlando 109-100 on Wednesday, seizing a 2-0 lead in an Eastern Conference first round best-of-seven series.

The Celtics were without six-time All-Star forward Jason Tatum — their points, rebounds and assists leader —as he missed his first career playoff game after 114 appearances due to a bruised right wrist bone suffered in the series opener.

Boston centre Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 points and matched Brown and Al Horford with 10 rebounds despite suffering a bloody forehead gash late in the third quarter when struck in a rebound battle by the left elbow of Orlando centre Goga Bitadze, the Georgian opening a cut that required five stitches.

“It was a tough, physical game. Nothing easy on either side. Every rebound is a war and it’s probably going to be that way for the rest of the series,” Porzingis said.

“We're going to be us. We're not going to let anybody punk us”