Magic coach complains about officiating after Game 4 Boston Celtics loss

ORLANDO — As the Celtics and Magic go deeper into their first-round series, naturally, there’s going to be a back-and-forth between the two teams. The Magic hit the Celtics with multiple flagrant fouls over the first three games, prompting Jaylen Brown to complain about the physicality and how it’s “it’s not even basketball” after a certain point.

After the Celtics beat the Magic 107-98 in Game 4, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley vented about the officiating postgame. He pointed out how previous comments, like Brown’s, could have impacted how the game was called Sunday.

“We were attacking the basket the exact same way,” Mosley said. “Now, we didn’t knock them down when we got there. We had to understand that the calls, the whistle was going to head in that direction after what’s been said. So we have to continue to just be smart there, hold our ground, get positioning earlier and make sure we show our hands.”

Mosley pointed to a few stats — specifically at the free throw disparity. The Celtics went 30-for-32 from the line, including a 14-for-14 showing for Jayson Tatum and 9-for-10 for Brown. The Magic were 14-for-20 from the charity stripe in comparison.

Now, the raw numbers don’t tell the whole story, and Mosley pointed that out. The Magic fouled down the stretch of the game to prolong it in hopes of an improbable comeback. So Mosley said the Celtics shot roughly 26 free throws before they started racking up the numbers intentionally. Mosley also said his team shot 34 field goals inside the paint compared to the Celtics’ 36 attempts, so the free throw numbers could’ve been more even.

It sounds like Mosley was also pointing out how the Celtics complained after Game 3. Brown called out both the Magic and the referees because he thought some of the calls were inconsistent based off the game’s physicality. The Magic have fouled the Celtics frequently, and they’re the ones who have had three flagrant fouls called on them this series.

Regardless, Mosley is also likely campaigning for calls for his team, too. The Magic face an elimination game next in Game 5, set for 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at TD Garden. The C’s snatched the 3-1 series lead to push the Magic to the brink; all Orlando can do is get ready for the next game.

“Understandably, we talk about physical play and that’s the way in which we play,” Mosley said. “You talk about the back-and-forth battle. And I always look at our ability to attack the rim. ... Them shooting, let’s just say, 26 free throws before the back stretch. You look at those margins and they’re very similar attacks, but it’s not the same foul count. Whether that’s the physicality part of it or not, it’s just something we look at.”

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