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As the Orlando Magic prepare to host the Boston Celtics for a critical Game 3, veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is maintaining an aggressive mindset despite his shooting struggles and recent controversy. With the team facing a 0-2 deficit in their first-round playoff series, Caldwell-Pope addressed his approach and the adjustments he believes are necessary as the Magic fight to stay alive.
Caldwell-Pope, who signed with Orlando last offseason to provide championship experience and perimeter defense, has had a difficult start to the series offensively. In Game 2, he finished with just three points and four rebounds while shooting 1-for-9 from the field and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. Through two games, he’s averaging 4.5 points, four rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 21.4% from the field and 20% from three-point range.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope remains confident amid shooting woes, unfazed by Celtics crowd
Despite the shooting slump, Caldwell-Pope expressed confidence in his shot selection during Friday’s shootaround. Speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Mason Williams, he remained focused on continuing to take open looks.
“Great. They were great shots. Most of them I was open, some was contested, they just didn’t go down,” Caldwell-Pope said. “You know, I’m going to continue to shoot the ball at a high clip, especially when I’m open, and just continue to make the right play.”
Caldwell-Pope asked by @therealBeede what he made of his shot selection in Game 2: “Great. They were great shots. Most of them I was open, some were contested, they just didn’t go down. I’m going to continue to shoot the ball at the high clip, especially when I’m open, and just… https://t.co/DwtvubWYgD pic.twitter.com/WOLqzN1sti
— Mason Williams (@mvsonwilliams) April 25, 2025
Beyond his shooting, Caldwell-Pope has found himself at the center of postgame narratives for other reasons. In Game 2, a collision with Al Horford sparked another wave of criticism from the Celtics veteran, who had already accused Caldwell-Pope of dirty play following a flagrant 1 foul in Game 1 that resulted in a wrist injury to Jayson Tatum. The Boston crowd booed Caldwell-Pope loudly throughout the night.
“I’ve had that before. Getting a little boos, I must be doing something right,” he said. “It was fun, a little bit more energy for me. I wish I had knocked down some shots, would’ve been a lot better. But I try to do everything possible to try to get the win for my team. If I’m not making shots, I do defend at a high level and that’s what all the focus was on.”
KCP stresses urgency as third-quarter issues continue to haunt Magic
Caldwell-Pope also emphasized the importance of correcting Orlando’s third-quarter struggles, which have plagued the team both during the regular season and now in the postseason. The Magic have averaged just 21 points in the third quarter against Boston, ranking last among all playoff teams. They’re shooting 41.5% from the field and just 23.1% from three in that stretch. Defensively, they’ve allowed the Celtics to score 30.5 third-quarter points on 48.9% shooting, including 40.9% from deep.
“It’s been a problem for us all season,” Caldwell-Pope said. “That’s one thing we truly have to fix, especially right now in these playoffs. We’ve got to come out with a little bit more focus, get out of the locker room, wrap up the film early, get shots up, go through things we reviewed in the locker room with one of the coaches—whatever it may be.”
Still, he remains confident the Magic can respond with urgency.
“Starting the third quarter is big in the playoffs,” he added. “For us, we come out a little bit slower than normal and then it picks back up. We’ve got to come out and start the third quarter how we start the games.”
Game 3 between the Magic and Celtics tips off Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET at the KIA Center, airing on ESPN.
