Magic Take Positive From Celtics’ ‘Complaining’ About Jayson Tatum Foul

Game 2 of the Celtics-Magic first-round series could get chippy based on Orlando’s response to the Jayson Tatum injury fallout.

Tatum suffered a wrist injury in Boston’s Game 1 win over the Magic on Sunday. The C’s superstar is doubtful to play Wednesday, and Al Horford believes there was “something extra” to the hard foul.

The veteran’s fiery comments might mean Orlando is in Boston’s head. That’s how the Magic see it, at least.

“That stuff really means nothing to me,” Cole Anthony told reporters Wednesday, per 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.”

Joe Mazzulla didn’t seem to think much about the incident when he stopped the team trainer from attending to Tatum and yelled at him to get up. Veteran guard Cory Joseph called it a “playoff foul,” per Sports Illustrated’s Mason Williams.

Ketavious Caldwell-Pope, who committed the foul, insisted there wasn’t any malicious intent when he fouled Tatum.

“Just a foul. Playoff basketball,” Caldwell-Pope told Bobby Manning of CLNS Media. “That’s all I gotta say on it. 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.”

Regardless if there was intent, the Magic understand they’re playing with house money. Orlando was a 10.5-point underdog heading into Game 2 and not many pundits think the Eastern Conference series will go more than five games, with some picking Boston to sweep the best-of-seven series.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if things continued to get physical and chippy at TD Garden as the Celtics look to go up 2-0 with or without Tatum. Tipoff for Game 2 is scheduled at 7 p.m. ET.