ORLANDO – Jaylen Brown dislocated his index finger after being tugged down by Cole Anthony in the second quarter. Luke Kornet had cotton stuffed up his nostril as if he’d just gone the distance in a UFC title fight after an elbow to the face. Derrick White was shaking off his shoulder after a hard fall.
The two-hour and forty-six-minute slugfest — the longest game the Celtics have played all season, including overtime — ended with Kristaps Porzingis in a chokehold as time expired.
It was exactly the kind of game Orlando wanted to play, and it resulted in a 95-93 Game 3 win for a team that desperately needed it.
“We knew coming back down 0-2, we were going to have to do whatever we could to get this game and give ourselves a chance to tie it up [at] 2-2,” said Paolo Banchero. “I’m just proud of how we didn’t allow some of their runs and some of the plays that they made affect us. We just kept playing and got the win.”
Photo credit Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
The Celtics know what they’re dealing with. Orlando’s plan to beat the Celtics has been to, quite literally, physically beat them. Look no further than the three flagrant fouls — by three different players — in each game so far this series. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s hard foul on Jayson Tatum in Game 1, which led to a bone bruise in Tatum’s wrist and kept him out of Game 2. Goga Bitadze’s elbow to Porzingis’ forehead in Game 2, which left Porzingis needing five stitches. And, most recently, Cole Anthony dragged Brown to the floor in Game 3, dislocating Brown’s finger on the fall.
“There might be a fight break out or something because it is starting to feel like it is not even basketball, and the refs are not controlling the environment. So, it is what it is,” said Brown. “If you want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.”
To their credit, Orlando plays with relentless physicality. They test the legal limits, frustrating opponents and forcing them to play their brand of basketball, which the Celtics are clearly feeling the effects of beyond the bumps and bruises.
The Celtics, who committed 11.9 turnovers per game this season, the second-fewest in the league, turned the ball over 21 times. It was the first time in the Mazzulla era that the Celtics recorded 20+ turnovers in a playoff game and just the sixth time total. Those turnovers led to 26 points for Orlando.
“I think you have to give them credit. I thought they obviously upped their ball pressure at the point of attack, full court, and the half court,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla. “I would say credit to them for their defensive physicality. We also had some ones that we have to – we have to be there.”
Photo credit Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Boston also allowed 15 offensive rebounds. It marked just the third time in the Mazzulla era that the Celtics surrendered 15+ offensive rebounds in a playoff game. Those rebounds resulted in 16 second-chance points. If you parlay the second-chance points and points off turnovers, those 42 points account for 44.2% of Orlando’s total points.
“They were more familiar than us on the offensive glass,” Mazzulla said. “That’s 40 points in the margins, turnovers, and second-chance points. So, we just have to be better. When you don’t do those things, it comes down to close games.”
The Celtics’ struggles in the margins hurt their offensive flow. The pace slowed. The ball stuck. The Celtics finished with just 15 assists — tied for the second-fewest of the Mazzulla era — and only six in the second half. They managed just 34 second-half points, their fewest in a playoff half since Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. Their 11-point third quarter was their lowest-scoring quarter since November 1, 2021.
“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.”
Orlando wanted a rock fight, and Boston gave them one — and it backfired. The Celtics finished with more turnovers (21) than assists (15) and attempted just 27 three-pointers. It marked just the sixth time in the Mazzulla era Boston attempted fewer than 30 threes — they’re now 1-5 in those games.
“Playing our basketball, that’s the key,” said Brown. “We know how good we are and what we can do. But we just got to fight. We’ve got to meet their level in the next game, and we’ll be more prepared.”
Photo credit Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
The Celtics need to be the enforcers. They are far and away the more talented team. After all, they only lost by two in one of their worst performances of the season.
This isn’t a series the Celtics want to drag out any longer than it has to. To make sure of that, they need to match Orlando’s physicality and get back to playing their game, because when they do, there’s a clear advantage.
“Just get up. Ain’t that what Joe told me [in Game 1]? Get up. Move on to the next play. Protect yourself and just focus on the game,” Tatum said on handling the physicality. “Compete. Play at a high level. Keep it basketball, but just be physical. It’s the playoffs. S— happens from time to time.”
