If you thought the Boston Celtics were just going to breeze through Orlando, Friday night’s Game 3 was a rude awakening. A chaotic, physical mess ended with the Celtics dropping a 95-93 heartbreaker to the Magic, and Jaylen Brown had plenty to get off his chest afterward.
The Celtics still hold a 2-1 series lead, but judging by Brown’s postgame tone, it sounds like tensions are about to boil way over in Game 4.
Brown Sounds Off After Fiery Game 3 Loss
Brown didn’t bother sugarcoating anything when he met the media after the game. Straight up, he warned that the way things are going, we might not even be watching basketball for much longer.
“There might be a fight break out or something because it’s starting to feel like it’s not even basketball and the refs is not controlling the environment,” Brown said bluntly. “If they want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.”
Jaylen Brown on the Celtics, Magic series:
“There might be a fight break out. 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.” 😳
via @JustinmTurpin
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) April 26, 2025
Well, that’s not your typical “we’ll adjust and be better” playoff talk. That’s frustration and fire bottled up after a game that felt more like a wrestling match than a basketball game.
And to top it off, he is dealing with a nagging bone bruise in his right knee. But still, Brown was able to suit up after being listed as questionable in the morning shootaround. And he brought it, dropping 19 points, snagging six rebounds, and shooting a solid 50% from the floor.
But clearly, it wasn’t the stats that had him heated. It was the way the game spiraled, with the officiating, or the lack of it, setting the tone.
Celtics Look Ahead to Crucial Game 4 Against Gritty Magic
As much as Brown was fuming, the Celtics didn’t really have time to sit around and stew. They’ll be back at it for Game 4 on Sunday at the Kia Center, and they’ll need every bit of that anger to channel into a bounce-back win.
On the road this year, Boston has been downright nasty, posting a 33-9 record in away games. But Orlando is showing it’s not here just to roll over and be another notch on Boston’s championship belt. The Magic’s game plan is clear: muck things up, get physical, and try to knock the Celtics off their rhythm.
Boston still has the upper hand in the series, but if Friday night taught them anything, it’s that the Magic aren’t going to just hand it over. This is going to be a street fight, and Brown just warned everyone: the Celtics aren’t backing down.
With tempers flaring and stakes rising, buckle up. Game 4 is about to be a war.