Horford says KCP intentionally tripped him in Celtics-Magic Game 2
Al Horford again took exception to some Kentavious Caldwell-Pope extra-curriculars in the Celtics' Game 2 win over the Magic.
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Horford says KCP intentionally tripped him in Celtics-Magic Game 2 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continues to get on Al Horford’s bad side.
In Game 1 of the Boston Celtics’ first-round NBA playoff series with the Orlando Magic, Caldwell-Pope drew Horford’s ire for his hard foul on Jayson Tatum that injured the All-Star’s wrist.
“There was something extra,” Horford said after Sunday’s game. “It was about the second or third time they, especially KCP, went at him in that way.”
In the second quarter of Wednesday’s Game 2 at TD Garden, Caldwell-Pope gave Horford something extra, appearing to trip the Celtics big man as he ran up the court on a fast break following a Jaylen Brown rebound.
Horford immediately got up and had words to Caldwell-Pope before walking away, while Brown got in KCP’s face to share some choice words of his own.
While Caldwell-Pope wasn’t assessed a foul on the play after a video review, Horford believes the Magic guard’s actions were intentional.
“Yeah, it was,” Horford told The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn after the game when asked if he thought Caldwell-Pope’s trip was intentional.
“I was starting to run on the break and he got into me there and impeded my progress.”
Orlando has tried to get under the Celtics’ skin with aggressive physicality to make up for a disadvantage in on-court talent. When asked about Horford’s call-out of Caldwell-Pope before Wednesday’s Game 2, Magic guard Cole Anthony responded, “If anything, I look at it like a positive because now we’ve got them complaining,” adding that Orlando is “going to keep mucking it up.”
The Magic certainly mucked up Wednesday’s game, committing 23 personal fouls that resulted in 33 free throw attempts for Boston. But their offensive deficiencies again proved costly, as they made just 7 of 29 (24.1 percent) 3-pointers in a 109-100 loss to the Celtics.
As for Caldwell-Pope? He finished the night with three points on 1 for 9 shooting (0 for 6 from 3).
The Celtics will take a 2-0 series lead to Orlando for Game 3 on Friday night, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
