The first-round postseason matchup between the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics has been an incredibly physical series through the first three games. But in Game 4 of the series on Sunday, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley believes that the game was officiated much differently, perhaps in the Celtics’ favor.
Boston has dealt with a litany of injuries throughout the first three games, with the likes of Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Jayson Tatum all suffering injuries at different points in the series.
The Celtics believe that these injuries are a result of the Magic playing an aggressive style that potentially borders on the line of dirty, with Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, in particular, criticizing their play style publicly after Game 3 of the series.
“They get away with a lot,” said Jaylen Brown after Game 3. “There might be a fight break out or something, because it’s starting to feel like it’s not even basketball, and the refs are just not controlling their environment. So it is what it is. If you want to fight it out we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.”
“I mean, they’re just borderline fouling,” Porzingis said. “That’s what it is. Borderline fouling and fouling, and some of it, (the referees) call it, of course, and some of it they don’t, and that’s how it’s going to be. We have to accept the reality. And also, we can use that. It’s not that there’s only one way, it’s both ways.”
The Celtics got what they were looking for in Game 4 on Sunday, getting to the free throw line at will with 32 free throw attempts on the night. This ultimately proved to be a winning recipe, resulting in a 107-98 victory that gave them a 3-1 series lead.
After Sunday’s game, Jamahl Mosley was asked about the Celtics’ ability to get to the free-throw line in his postgame press conference. As you might expect, he didn’t appreciate the disparity between the two teams’ free throw attempts, questioning whether the officials had taken the Celtics’ complaints from the game into account.
“How many free throws do you think came down on the backstretch when we didn’t have to foul? 26 total, maybe? That’s too many. We fouled a three-point shooter. But we were attacking the basket the exact same way. Now, we have got to knock them down when we get there. That’s a big portion of it. We had to understand the whistle was gonna head in their direction after what has been said. So we just have to continue to be smart there. Hold our ground. Keep position earlier until we show our hand.”
“We talk about physical play, and that’s the way we play. We talk about the back-and-forth battle. And I always talk about our ability to attack the rim. It’s very similar attacks, but not the same foul count. Whether that is physicality prior to, or not. It’s just something we look at.”
Whether it’s fair or unfair to the Magic, there is a question to be asked whether player safety has become a priority for officials in this series, given the injuries on the Celtics’ side through the first three games.
Either way, because every game for the rest of the series will be an elimination game for the Magic, it will be crucial for Jamahl Mosley and company to find a way to get onto the right side of the free-throw line disparity, whether that means figuring out a way to defend without fouling or potentially finding more way to get to the line offensively.
