Magic Aim to Lean Further Into Physicality in Game 2 vs. Celtics

The Orlando Magic's physicality helped them to an early lead in Game 1. But when the Boston Celtics matched it, the Magic struggled. Heading into Game 2, Orlando needs to go start to finish with its hands-on approach.

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac fights for a rebound versus Boston Celtics guard Derrick White and center Luke Kornet. | Boston Globe, Getty Images

BOSTON – Leading the Boston Celtics at halftime of Game 1, the Orlando Magic were surprising everyone except themselves.

"We came out ultra-aggressive, ultra-physical, and I think that caught them off guard a little bit," Magic forward Jonathan Isaac said after his team's Tuesday practice inside TD Garden.

There was no added conversation about bringing the fight to the defending champions, or chatter about upping the ante of their hands-on, body-up defensive approach in the playoffs. That's just Orlando's identity, Isaac reasoned.

Isaac, however, believes Boston's halftime conversation focused on just that. The Celtics came out of the locker room and matched their opponents on a physical level, and with the tables turned, now the Magic were the ones taken aback.

"[Boston] coming out so strong, it put us on our heels a little bit and we were fighting to get back into the game the rest of the game," Isaac said.

The Magic's poor handling of the Celtics' physicality fed into the latest woeful third quarter – a familiar thorn in Orlando's side all season long. Boston turned its one-point deficit into a 17-point advantage in 10 minutes, seeing itself through to the decisive Game 1 victory.

Asked if there was a common reason why the Magic have struggled coming out of the locker room this season, Isaac said it's a matter of their mindset.

"It's kind of human nature when you're playing well going into halftime – it's so easy to just take a step back or relax just a little bit,' Isaac said, "and that costs you."

An uphill battle against these Celtics doesn't favor the Magic.

Boston's proficient outside shooting and sharp defensive pressure, plus Orlando's pre-existing injuries and offensive shortcomings, mean the wear-you-down approach could help to even the odds or give the Magic an advantage versus just about anyone.

Orlando believes it forwent that leveller in the second half. With Boston, a team that goes a mile when given an inch, stepping back is all the invitation it needs to pounce.

"I think we let up a little bit," Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said, who was tagged with a Flagrant 1 foul late in Sunday's game after hard contact with Jayson Tatum at the rim. "I don't think we came out in that second half how we finished the first half. I think we've got to get back to that. We've got to try to play 48 minutes of being physical, getting out to those guys and playing fast."

Update: The Celtics have listed Tatum as doubtful because of a right distal radius bone bruise in his wrist. Full injury reports.

Whether it be through their own experience in Game 1 or watching along during the extended break before Wednesday's Game 2, Orlando's made a revelation.

"We know that going into the next game, and just watching the playoffs so far, the refs are letting us play," Isaac said. "We know that it's a physical game, and I think it is a little bit of a shock, even in playoffs in the past, that they're letting us play this much. There's grabbing and holding and bumping on every single play. That excites me, that excites our team, and now we can take it to another level.

"We'll be ready to sustain our play throughout."

Going into Game 2 looking to even the series before it swings back to the Kia Center, Orlando still feels well-positioned to steal a game and and tipoff Game 3 with one game apiece.

"We know what we're about, we know what we believe in," Caldwell-Pope said. "We believe in ourselves, in this team. We know what we can do, and we're one of the best defensive teams in the league.

"We kind of lean on what we're great at, so we've got to continue to be more physical on that end."

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

• PACE, PLAYSTYLE EMPHASIZED AT MONDAY'S PRACTICE: After Game 1 didn't go the Magic's way, they got back on the practice court to emphasize playing faster and cleaning up mistakes. CLICK HERE
• CELTICS REMIND WHY THEY'RE DANGEROUS: The defending champions' balanced Game 1 attack and ability to withstand Orlando's big swings remind the Magic just how dangerous they are. CLICK HERE
• 6 THINGS TO WATCH IN MAGIC-CELTICS SERIES: CLICK HERE
• MAGIC COMFY AS UNDERDOGS: Orlando feels it has the answers to Boston's test and is ready to "shock the world." CLICK HERE
• ARE MAGIC, CELTICS SIMILAR?: Some members of the Orlando Magic see bits and pieces of themselves in the Boston Celtics, while one prominent voice doesn't. CLICK HERE

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