‘I must be doing something right’: KCP reacts to getting booed in Boston originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Who had “Kentavious Caldwell-Pope becoming a villain” on their Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic bingo card?
The veteran Magic guard has emerged as an unexpected antagonist in the teams’ first-round playoff series after his hard foul on Jayson Tatum in Game 1 injured the Celtics star’s wrist. Caldwell-Pope was assessed a flagrant foul on the play, and Boston’s Al Horford accused KCP of crossing the line after the game.
“There was something extra,” Horford said. “It was about the second or third time they, especially KCP, went at him in that way.”
When Tatum was ruled out for Game 2, fans at TD Garden directed their ire toward Caldwell-Pope by booing him early in the contest — which caused Caldwell-Pope to give it right back to the crowd.
Ahead of Game 3 in Orlando, Caldwell-Pope laughed when asked how he felt about getting a hostile reaction at TD Garden.
“I’ve had that before,” Caldwell-Pope told reporters at Magic shootaround, via Sports Illustrated’s Mason Williams. “Getting a little boos, I must be doing something right.
“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 get the win for my team, and if I’m not making shots — I do defend at a high level, and that’s what I’ll be focusing on.”
Caldwell-Pope is a 12-year veteran who’s won two NBA championships, so he’s not one to be rattled by rowdy fans. That said, he endured a brutal shooting night in Game 2, going 1 for 9 from the floor and 0 for 6 from 3-point range to finish with three points. He has nine total points through two games on 3 for 14 shooting (2 for 10 from 3) and got on Horford’s bad side again in Game 2 by colliding with the Celtics big man in the second quarter.
The Magic are committed to playing very physical and “mucking it up” against the Celtics, to use Cole Anthony’s words. To their credit, they’ve played with energy and effort and haven’t backed down against a superior opponent in Boston.
But Orlando can’t knock off the reigning champs if it can’t score, and lack of offense is the primary reason why the Magic trail 2-0 in the series. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have accounted for more than 62 percent of Orlando’s points through two games, with no other player scoring more than 16 points in either contest.
The Magic need a lot more offense from their supporting cast — Caldwell-Pope included — if they want to extend this series. Their next chance comes Friday night in Orlando for Game 3, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
