Celtics need to answer physicality of Game 3 with a champion's poise

Boston Globe

26-04-2025

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The main Game 3 victim was forward Jaylen Brown, who was yanked down by Cole Anthony in the second quarter, crashing onto his left hand. He said afterwards he dislocated his left index finger.
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'I got nine more,' he joked.
'Definitely a physical game and they got away with a lot,' Brown said of the Magic. 'If you can get away with it, I would do it, too. That definitely affected us but we'll be ready for Game 4.'
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It was Orlando's third flagrant foul of the series and each of those fouls have left a serious mark on a Celtics starter. First it was Tatum's wrist in Game 1, then a gash to Kristaps Porzingis's forehead in Game 2 that required five stitches and now Brown's finger is dislocated. The Magic are playing football out there and the Celtics are left to ponder how do they respond without crossing the line.
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'I mean, I don't know, it might be a fight breaking out or something,' Brown said with a serious face. 'It's starting to feel like it's not even basketball. The refs [are] not controlling the environment. If you want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.'
Of course, Brown didn't actually mean a five-on-five brawl for the right to face the Pistons-Knicks winner (which is something Joe Mazzulla may heartily approve) but it's apparent the Celtics are going to have to adjust their mentality and prepare for more basketball warfare for the remainder of this series.
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'Playing our basketball that's the key,' he said. 'We know how good we are and what we can do. But we just got to fight. We got to meet their level the next game and we'll be more prepared. We're supposed to be playing basketball, that's what it's about, getting up and down but the flagrant fouls is piling up. We just got to be ready for Game 4.'
Tatum came back from the bone bruise on his right wrist to lead the Celtics with 36 points, but the offense became too reliant on his one-on-one play and there were stretches of scoring droughts and turnover-filled possessions against Orlando's aggressive defense.
The Celtics' 21 turnovers were the most of the Mazzulla era and it led to 26 points for the Magic. Orlando points. The Magic has had a difficult time scoring, relying solely on Franz Wagner (32 points) and Paolo Banchero (29 points). When the Celtics had a chance to steal the game in the final minutes, Porzingis couldn't stop Wagner on two spinning drives to the basket for a pair of layups that snapped a 91-91 tie.
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The Celtics went more than two minutes without scoring before Derrick White converted a layup with 28.1 seconds left. Fitting of their frustrating night, the Celtics got a defensive stop but had just 0.3 seconds to respond with a last-gasp tying bucket.
Another game peppered with hard fouls, questionable no-calls and baffling turnovers has turned this into a competitive series, with the Magic pulling within 2-1.
The Celtics walked away knowing they played one of their worst offensive games of the season, but yet were just a few plays from winning Game 3. But they have revived the Magic who now have unlocked their key to success against the Celtics: continue to play physical, bordering on reckless, and hope it frustrates the Celtics and forces them to make mistakes and erratic decisions.
'We just got stagnant,' Tatum said. 'We've just got to play with some more pace and movement. That's when we're at our best.'
Tatum and Brown were upset after the loss, but both definitely had their sense of humor, an indication the spirit and confidence remains high, even as both now battling hand injuries.
'Just get up, ain't that what Joe told me [in Game 1]?' Tatum said. 'Move on to the next play. Protect yourself and just focus on the game. Keep it basketball, but just be physical. It's the playoffs. [Expletive] happens from time to time.'
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The Celtics will not be allowed to don boxing gloves in Game 4, but they're going to have to make a physical adjustment. They will have to answer with more poised play and less hero ball. That's how they're going to have to win this series and they need to win this series as soon as possible before more injuries occur.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at