Celtics’ Al Horford Fires Shot At Magic Guard For Game 2 Fracas

The Boston Celtics have a new playoff villain and it is Orlando Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Caldwell-Pope has drawn the ire of Celtics early on in the first-round playoffs series. His flagrant foul in Game 1 led to Jayson Tatum’s hard fall and wrist injury — Tatum sat out Game 2 with a bone bruise.

Celtics veteran center Al Horford called out Caldwell-Pope for the foul, and that set the stage for the two getting into a scuffle in Boston’s Game 2 win over the Magic at TD Garden on Wednesday night.

The incident occurred in the second quarter after Horford successfully challenged a baseline jumper from Caldwell-Pope. Horford then made his way up the court, but Caldwell-Pope got in his way, tripping Horford and sending both of them sprawling to the floor. Horford was angered by the foul and quickly had to be held back by Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and teammate Jrue Holiday.

Caldwell-Pope’s trip looked intentional and Horford didn’t need any convincing of that.

“Yeah, it was,” Horford told The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn. “I was starting to run on the break and he got into me there and impeded my progress.”

The Celtics and Horford certainly got the better of the Magic and Caldwell-Pope to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Horford came close to posting a double-double by notching nine points and 10 rebounds to go along with a block. On the other hand, Caldwell-Pope struggled mightily, shooting 1-for-9 from the floor and finishing with just three points in 35 minutes.

Horford and Caldwell-Pope can continue their rivalry Friday when the series switches to Orlando.