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Celtics Slam Magic’s Physicality
If the NBA playoffs are a battle of wills, then the Celtics just filed a formal complaint about getting muscled around. After a bruising Game 3 loss to the Orlando Magic, the Boston locker room sounded less like a team plotting adjustments and more like one calling for a referee intervention. And according to them, what the Magic are doing out there isn’t basketballit’s wrestling.
Turning the Playoffs Into a Bar Fight
With Orlando now up 2-1 in the Eastern Conference first-round matchup, Celtics players didn’t mince words about the Magic’s physical style of play. “It’s not basketball,” veteran guard Jrue Holiday told reporters bluntly after the 113-88 blowout loss. “It’s wrestling out there. They’re not trying to play the game the right way. It’s just grabbing, holding, hittingand it’s being allowed.”
Holiday wasn’t alone. Al Horford, always the elder statesman in Boston’s locker room, hinted that officials have let too much slide. “We don’t mind physicality,” Horford said. “We’ve seen it before. But there’s a difference between playing tough and playing dirty.” Direct shots across the playoff bow, no doubt.
Celtics Losing Their Cooland Their Touch
Boston didn’t just lose Game 3, they lost it spectacularly. They shot a dismal 25.6% from three-point range and struggled to generate good looks against an aggressive, muscular Orlando defense that seemed determined to turn every Celtics dribble into a demolition derby.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for just 36 pointsa major drop-off compared to their regular-season dominance. Meanwhile, Magic forward Jonathan Isaac seemed to relish his role as Boston’s personal headache, pestering Tatum with hand checks, body shots, and the occasional hip toss that wouldn’t look out of place in a WWE ring.
Orlando Says: Deal With It
Of course, Orlando isn’t apologizingnot even a little. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley brushed off the Celtics’ complaints with a sly smile. “It’s playoff basketball,” Mosley said coolly. “If you don’t like it, you adjust. We’re going to keep playing our way.”
Magic players also weren’t shy about defending their physicality. Franz Wagner called it “just competing at a high level,” while Paolo Banchero noted that “if Boston wants easy shots, they’re in the wrong series.”
Where Does Boston Go From Here?
Game 4 looms large, and the Celtics, meanwhile, are at a crossroads. Rather than fully engaging in a war of attrition, Boston prides itself on precision, ball movement, and exploiting matchups in space. If the referees aren’t slowing down Orlando’s brawling style, then the Celtics may have to pivot either by matching the physicality or finding a way to speed the series up before they get mugged out of the playoffs.
“We have to focus on what we can control,” Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “It’s the playoffs. It’s not supposed to be easy. Complaining isn’t going to help us. Playing smarter will.”
The Bottom Line
Look, nobody expected this first-round series to turn into Monday Night Raw, but here we are. Orlando is punching Boston in the mouthfiguratively speaking, for nowand the Celtics are either going to fight back or bow out wondering where their title dreams went.
Whatever happens next, one thing’s for sure: blood, sweat, and grudges will soak the hardwood before this series is over. And honestly, would we want it any other way?
For more coverage on the NBA playoffs and behind-the-scenes drama, stay tuned to our site for updates, interviews, and expert analysis.
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