In the playoffs, massive underdogs don’t usually win by playing pretty. They win by making things ugly — and for the Magic, that’s not just strategy; it’s survival.

Playing without superstar Jayson Tatum in Game 2 against the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics answered the physicality of Orlando, with a tough, fought out victory. Although Boston never got their lead to a wide gap,

BOSTON — Before the Orlando Magic left Florida to begin their first-round playoff matchup against the Boston Celtics, they felt they had learned valuable lessons last spring about the mental side of an NBA postseason series.