Much has been made about the level of physicality in the Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic first-round playoff series, but Boston coach Joe Mazzulla is apparently fine with it.

Despite Al Horford accusing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of intentionally knocking him to the floor in Game 2, as well as Jaylen Brown claiming the Celtics were prepared to “fight” the Magic if they wanted to, Mazzulla, true to form, had much a different reaction to a question that centered on whether Orlando was “crossing the line” with its physicality.

“No one's been arrested,” Mazzulla said. “As long as we're playing within the rules, you have to win in the trenches, rebounding, defending without fouling, all those things go into playing.”

Mazzulla, who certainly has the most bizarre comments in interviews of any active NBA coach, has actually voiced his support for fighting in the NBA. At the beginning of the season, he outright stated he wanted to “bring back fighting” in the NBA and decried that teams cannot “clear the benches” or have a little “scuffle” from time to time without massive punishments.

Related Boston Celtics NewsArticle continues below
Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet (40) grabs the rebound against New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) in the second quarter during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.
Celtics’ Luke Kornet sidesteps free agency question
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) and forward Jayson Tatum (0) warm up before the start of game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at TD Garden.
Jaylen Brown reveals shocking meniscus injury
Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) controls the ball while New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) defends in the second half during game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.
Jrue Holiday feels like Celtics let Boston down after playoff loss

Still, his team does not seem to be entirely on board with that message amid a tough series with one of the best defensive teams. Orlando, which ranked second in defensive rating in the league (two spots better than Boston) is a young, hungry squad searching for the franchise's first playoff series victory since 2010. The Celtics, as the defending champions, also have a large target on their backs.

As a result, there have been several hard fouls, physical defense, and tempers flaring throughout the first four games of the series. Fortunately for the Celtics, they have come out with the win in three of those games.

In Game 4, it was Jayson Tatum who led Boston to victory; the superstar wing had a game-high 37 points and 14 rebounds in 42 minutes of action to give the Celtics a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Now, the series shifts back to Boston for Game 5, which, if the Celtics win, will mark the end of the Magic's season. Game 5 is set for an 8:30 p.m. ET tip tomorrow.