Magic players defiant amid criticism after KCP's hard foul on Tatum

Magic players defiant amid criticism after KCP's hard foul on Tatum originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It takes a lot to make Al Horford agitated. So, when the Boston Celtics veteran called out Orlando Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a hard foul that injured Jayson Tatum’s wrist — “There was something extra,” Horford said of the play — eyebrows were raised.

The Magic, it appears, couldn’t care less.

“That stuff really means nothing to me,” Orlando guard Cole Anthony said Wednesday ahead of Game 2 at TD Garden when asked about Horford’s comments, via Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “At the end of the day, if anything, I look at it like a positive because now we’ve got them complaining.

“We’ve just got to keep our same level of physicality and at the same time know, nobody’s trying to take anybody out and hurt anybody. We all play this game the right way.”

The Magic, who ranked 28th in the NBA in scoring this season, rely on physicality and defensive effort to win games. And while that physicality has drawn the ire of opponents — Atlanta’s Trae Young recently pointed out that two of his Hawks teammates got injured while playing Orlando — Anthony said his team isn’t changing its approach.

“We’re going to keep mucking it up,” Anthony added. “You’re just giving us good feedback.”

Magic guard Cory Joseph also came to Caldwell-Pope’s defense, responding “not at all” when asked if there was any truth to Horford’s “something extra” comments about KCP.

“It just seemed like a playoff foul to me,” Joseph told reporters, via Sports Illustrated’s Mason Williams. “He went for the ball, missed the ball, Jayson was pretty high up, got his arm. He didn’t come across his face or anything. I don’t think he did anything extra.”

Joseph also downplayed any notion that Orlando has been more physical than other teams competing in the playoffs.

“I’m watching all the games; I think all the games are pretty physical,” Joseph said. “I don’t think ours was any different last time, and I don’t expect it to be any different.

“Nobody’s out there trying to hurt anybody. Nobody wants anybody to be hurt. We’re all just playing hard, physical basketball.”

Caldwell-Pope offered a similar reaction Wednesday when asked about his foul on Tatum.

“Just a foul. Playoff basketball. That’s all I gotta say on it,” Caldwell-Pope told CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning. “I didn’t hear any comments (from Horford). I’m not worried about any comments. At the end of the day, this is how I play, this is how I’ve been playing in playoff basketball.

“A hard foul is a hard foul. I really don’t care what anybody says. I’m still gonna play how I play, how I’m supposed to play for my team at the end of the day.”

The result of that hard foul was a wrist injury to Tatum that could sideline Boston’s star player for Game 2 on Wednesday night. (The Celtics listed Tatum as doubtful on Tuesday.) And while the Celtics are a far more talented team that should win the series regardless of Tatum’s availability, the bigger concern for Boston against a physical club like Orlando is avoiding injuries to key players.

Based on comments from Anthony and his teammates, the Magic certainly don’t plan to tone down their physicality, which might be their only hope of making this a series. So, the Celtics should be prepared for more of Orlando “mucking it up” going forward.

Tip-off at TD Garden is set for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.