Celtics cracked the code to Magic's mind games (and Mazzulla saw it all along)

Game 3 was a disaster for the Boston Celtics. Jaylen Brown got thrown to the ground by Cole Anthony, Derrick White took a dive into the bench, and the Orlando Magic deployed an increased level of physicality to throw Boston off its game. “Definitely, it was a physical game,” Brown said post-game. “They got away with a lot. When you get away with it, I would do it too. That definitely affected us, but we will be ready for Game 4.”

But as the prevailing narratives focused on Orlando’s physicality, Joe Mazzulla paid attention elsewhere. "Out of the 95 points, 46 came off turnovers, offensive rebounds, and free throws,” Mazzulla told reporters the morning after the 95-93 Celtics loss. “So, you just can't be blinded by the details…You have to fight like hell to win those [the margins]."

In Game 4 on Sunday night, the Celtics got back to controlling their own controllables.

Mazzulla knew how the Celtics could beat the Magic's mind games in Game 4

The Magic still brought their physicality. Wendell Carter Jr. hip-checked White into the hardwood. Anthony Black threw Jayson Tatum to the ground. They maintained their tactics. They wanted to keep baiting Boston into playing their game (which worked in Game 3, to a degree). But the Celtics adjusted.

Instead of allowing the Magic to slow them down, they picked up the pace. Bringing the ball up the floor at a much faster pace, even after made baskets. Yet in the half-court, Boston took their time, especially late in games. As Orlando kept trying to take away threes, the Celtics slowed down, utilized off-ball movement and screening to find the matchups they wanted.

Orlando still battled on the boards, but Al Horford, Tatum, and Brown fought harder. They were more intentional with their rebounding, which allowed their defense to hold the Magic to one-shot possessions. “We defended without fouling, and we held them to one shot,” Mazzulla said after Game 4. “I think those two things are the most important.”

In Game 3, the Celtics had 19 turnovers (21, counting Tatum’s traveling and carrying violations), gave up 15 offensive rebounds to the Magic, and let Orlando shoot 26 free throws.

In Game 4, the Celtics only turned the ball over 10 times, allowed just seven offensive rebounds, and Orlando only shot 20 free throws.

Boston fixed all of the margins that Mazzulla preached relentlessly after the Magic’s physicality was the talk of the town after Game 3.

Rather than meeting the Magic in their yard—playing their games and matching their brand of basketball—Boston got back to winning with their formula. And while Jayson Tatum’s heroic efforts gave them a massive boost in the closing moments, the margins still dictated the game.