Boston Celtics players voiced displeasure regarding the officiating following their 95-93 loss to the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of their playoff series. The Celtics cited excessive physicality allowed by the referees.
All-Star guard Jaylen Brown spoke about the contact level, suggesting officials were not maintaining control of the contest. He stated the physicality could escalate further.
Brown warned that the lack of calls could lead to confrontation on the court. "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 not controlling their environment," Brown said, via Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com.
He added that if physical play was allowed, the team was prepared to respond in kind. "If you want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round," Brown commented.
Forward Kristaps Porzingis also commented on the officiating during the Magic game. He described the contact initiated by the Magic as borderline fouls.
Porzingis noted that some of the contact resulted in foul calls, while other similar instances did not. He acknowledged this was how the game was being officiated.
"They're just borderline fouling," Porzingis said of the Magic, per ESPN. "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."
Game 3 is concluded, but the Celtics players' comments suggest a strategy to influence how future games in the series are called. Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday.
