Blood, bruises, and Boston grit — that was the vibe in Game 2 as the Celtics fought their way to a 109-100 win over the Orlando Magic, and yes, they did it without Jayson Tatum.

This was no walk in the park. It was a grindfest, it got testy, and at one point, it got downright bloody — literally — when Kristaps Porzingis took a nasty elbow to the dome and exited with a gash on his forehead. But like a true playoff warrior, the 7’3″ unicorn was back minutes later with a bandage and some dried blood, ready to shoot free throws like nothing happened. That’s the kind of energy that kept TD Garden on its feet and helped Boston take a 2-0 series lead heading into Orlando.

With under a minute left in the third quarter, Porzingis and Goga Bitadze scrapped for a loose ball. Bitadze went full Mortal Kombat and clocked KP right in the forehead on a follow-through — blood immediately started pouring. The Celtics big man walked off to the locker room, and Bitadze was slapped with a flagrant 1.

Now here’s the thing: Porzingis and Bitadze already had smoke. Bitadze literally got ejected back in December for grabbing KP by the throat. So, yeah, there’s a little history here.

Porzingis returned for a brief stint, looking like an MMA fighter with a huge wrap on his head, and finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 trips to the free-throw line in 27 gritty minutes. That’s what you call playoff blood, sweat, and buckets.

Jaylen Brown Said “No Tatum No Porzingis? No Problem”

With Tatum sitting out due to that sore right wrist (brace and all on the bench), Jaylen Brown knew it was his night — and he delivered. Brown dropped a game-high 36 points, snatched 10 boards, dished five assists, and even threw down a monster dunk that had the crowd going wild.

He went 12-for-19 from the field and 5-for-7 from deep. The man was on a mission, and that mission was: “I’m the guy tonight.“ Simple as that.

Things got chippy fast. Remember Kentavious Caldwell-Pope? Yeah, Celtics fans booed him from the jump after his foul in Game 1 led to Tatum’s wrist issue. And tensions boiled over again in Game 2 when he and Al Horford got tangled in the second quarter. Horford called him out, Brown stepped in, and it felt like one of those “hold me back!” moments. The refs reviewed it, kept it a common foul, but you can tell: this series has officially hit the spicy stage.

While Boston couldn’t get out and run like in Game 1 (just seven fast-break points), they bullied the Magic in the little things. More free throws (25-of-33), more second-chance points (20 to 10), and more offensive rebounds (13 to 7). It’s the kind of gritty work that doesn’t always make the highlight reel, but it wins playoff games.

Jaylen Brown was the star of the night with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. On the other side, Paolo Banchero put up a fight with 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Franz Wagner chipped in 25 points of his own. But the Magic needed more. And as for Goga Bitadze? Well, he left his mark with one nasty elbow, one flagrant foul, and one villain arc he may not live down anytime soon.

Game 3 tips off Friday night in Orlando. The Celtics are up 2-0, but with rising tempers and Kristaps Porzingis needing another set of stitches (his second this month!), things are about to get even more dramatic in the Sunshine State. Don’t blink — this series is heating up fast.