Jaylen Brown Blows Up NBA Playoffs: Celtics Star Says He’s Ready to ‘Fight’ Magic

Jaylen Brown embraces the physicality in their series with the Magic.

When the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic clashed in another bruising, hard-fought battle, the defending champions added yet another injury to their list. Game 1 saw Jayson Tatum suffer a bone bruise in his right wrist. In Game 2, Kristaps Porzingis took an elbow to the head and needed five stitches. Now, after Boston’s Game 3 loss to Orlando, Jaylen Brown revealed he dislocated his left index finger following a flagrant foul by Cole Anthony.

All three injuries — the wrist bruise, the head wound, and Brown’s dislocated finger — stemmed from flagrant fouls committed by the Magic. Unsurprisingly, Brown voiced his frustration afterward, taking aim at Orlando’s rough tactics and calling out the referees for letting it slide.

“I don’t know. There might be a fight break out or something. It’s starting to feel like it’s not even basketball, and the refs is not controlling the environment… If they want to fight it out, we can do that,” said Brown in his post-game interview.

This series was always going to be a battle, especially against a relentless, youthful Magic squad — but Game 3 pushed the physicality to a new level. The Celtics faltered under that pressure in the second half, watching their 10-point halftime cushion vanish almost instantly. Despite mounting a late push, Boston’s miscues and sloppy execution down the stretch led to their first playoff defeat. They now cling to a 2-1 series lead over Orlando.

Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Celtics coughed up 21 turnovers in Game 3, which the Magic turned into 26 points. Meanwhile, Orlando was far more disciplined with the ball, giving it away just 14 times. To make matters worse for Boston, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were responsible for 13 of those 21 miscues. Orlando’s physicality throughout the series finally tipped the scale in their favor.

Brown wrapped up Game 3 with 19 points and six rebounds but also committed six turnovers. He entered Friday’s matchup as questionable, still hampered by a lingering right knee issue that’s affected him for weeks. The Celtics, as a whole, failed to match the Magic’s physicality, racking up 21 turnovers. After the loss, Brown voiced his frustration, saying he didn’t agree with several calls made during the game.

The Celtics aim to bounce back after their road loss, with both Brown and Tatum gutting it out despite pregame injury designations. Tatum, returning from a bone bruise, didn’t show any signs of rust—he dropped 36 points and looked every bit the All-Star. After shifting from doubtful to questionable, he cleared warmups and delivered when it counted.

The series is staying put after Orlando snagged a win from the defending champs. The Magic will likely try to turn Game 4 into another gritty, chaotic battle—just like every matchup so far. Now, it’s on the Celtics to answer back when the series resumes Sunday at 7 p.m. inside the Kia Center.