Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Responds to Al Horford Comments on His Foul

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum is doubtful for Wednesday’s Game 2 with a bone bruise he suffered on a flagrant foul by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in Sunday’s Game 1.

While Jrue Holiday brushed it off as playoff basketball after the game, Al Horford raised an issue with it at Tuesday’s practice, saying there was something extra from Caldwell-Pope on the foul and he had committed at least one similar play earlier in the game. At Wednesday’s shootaround, while getting his midsection and knees iced, and getting his own shoulder and wrist pain looked at, Caldwell-Pope defended the play on Tatum.

“Just a foul. Playoff basketball. That’s all I gotta say on it,” he told CLNS Media. “I didn’t hear any comments (from Horford). I’m not worried about any comments. At the end of the day, this is how I play, this is how I’ve been playing in playoff basketball. A hard foul is a hard foul. I really don’t care what anybody says. I’m still gonna play how I play, how I’m supposed to play for my team at the end of the day.”

The play looked routine in the moment, but Horford pointed to Caldwell-Pope and said that was the third time he committed a hard foul in the game. Earlier, Tatum tumbled to the floor in similar fashion after Caldwell-Pope pulled him down inside. Kristaps Porziņģis took a hard hit from the Magic forward as well.

Tatum underwent an X-Ray after finishing the game that returned negative, but ESPN reported that an MRI revealed a bone bruise in his right wrist. Historically, that injury only held players out for an average of less than one game, and Shams Charania indicated that it’s more of a pain tolerance issue than one that’ll force him to miss time.

“I don’t know what happened,” Caldwell-Pope said. “For me, I’m going up to contest a shot. As a defender, I’m here to help stop the ball from going in the basket. Whether they thought it was a flagrant foul or a bad call or whatever it was, I just went up to block the ball.”

Franz Wagner agreed when he spoke to reporters at the shootaround. He saw Tatum rise for a dunk, two defenders contest it and he happened to get hurt. Wagner said the Magic don’t want anyone getting hurt, but they’re not going to let him dunk the ball. Head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters that the fall probably set off any frustrations on the Boston side rather than the foul, but said he didn’t see the flagrant. He did not speak to Caldwell-Pope about the play.

If Tatum misses Game 2 on Wednesday, it’ll mark the first missed playoff game of his career after 114 consecutive appearances. Caldwell-Pope said Orlando will continue to play physical, get up the floor fast and try to limit their turnovers to compete in Wednesday’s game. Cory Joseph also pointed toward the Magic playing faster.

“Honestly, I thought we just went for the ball,” Wagner said. “Sometimes stuff is going to happen, but I didn’t think any line was crossed, to be honest.”