You’ve not seen the gladiators fight in the Colosseum hundreds of years ago. But you’ve watched the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic in action on Wednesday. That Game 3 matchup at TD Garden was nothing less than a gladiator battle. A fierce fight, blood, and drama offered the perfect entertainment to the audience. However, at the end of the game, despite Jayson Tatum’s absence, Joe Mazzulla’s boys emerged gloriously with a 109-100 win; thus leading the series 2-0 against the Magic.

It was hot from the first touch, the C’s were out for a no-nonsense game. TD Garden turned into a battleground after the Magic made good on their promise to stir chaos. KCP, already under fire for sidelining Tatum in Game 1, sparked more fury by tangling with Al Horford after a sneaky trip. But this wasn’t all. Goga Bitadze’s elbow to Porzingis left him all blood on the floor. Amidst the chaos stood Joe Mazzulla with his feelings clear and his mind focused.

Joe Mazzulla talks emotions in locker room revelation after a Jayson Tatum-less game

The reporters wanted to know from the Boston Celtics head coach about their huddle early in the game. Was Mazzulla giving his boys the secret code to deal with the fouls? Moreover, how did he try to respond, or hoped to see the team respond, to those fouls and heated moments early in the series? “We’re not responding to anything. We’re just playing the game. You know? I mean, every game is different,” Joe Mazzulla cleared his stance.

Well, it’s true, isn’t it? Game 2 was to differ from Game 1, with players expected to change the pace and adjust the fouls. So, Jayson Tatum‘s head coach continued: “There’s no, like, response. It’s just, ‘hey, you know, be aware of your environment and what the environment needs and do it.’ Do it as a team. What’s the most important thing? Focus on the margins, the details, the execution, the toughness, all those things.” In the wake of JT’s absence, Jaylen Brown rose to the occasion, chipping in 36 points and 10 rebounds. And it wasn’t just JB who felt the urgency; everyone, including a bloodied Kristaps Porzingis, did their tasks.

“So it’s not really what we’re not responding to anything. We’re out there playing. We’re in and we’re reading the environment, and then we’re just taking what the environment gives us and going from there,” the head coach added. Meanwhile, Mazzulla openly addressed Orlando’s defense in the first two playoff games. They were pushing the Celtics to elevate offensively; so, how has Joe embraced that challenge and responded?

“I mean, good, but we could always do better, which we did. You know?” the 36-year-old responded. “There are moments in both games where we have to be better offensively because of their physicality. And, so for the most part, we’re handling it pretty well, but we know we have to be better, especially now that we know we’re going to their place.” The Celtics grabbed 46 rebounds to Orlando’s 34, but Joe Mazzulla said they can do better.

Now, shifting his focus to Kristaps Porzingis, the Boston Celtics head coach looked pumped up with his performance. Despite enjoying the blood on his face, Mazzulla couldn’t deny how important KP was to the team on the floor on Wednesday.

Amidst injury, Kristaps Porzingis shines with a double-double

With 1:04 left in the third quarter, Kristaps Porzingis was bloodied after Goga Bitadze’s flailing elbow caught him in the forehead while going for a rebound. As Porzingis collapsed to the TD Garden floor, a large gash bled heavily. They quickly assisted the Celtics’ center off the court to clean up. Bitadze, initially called for a loose ball foul, saw the call upgraded to a Flagrant Foul 1 after officials deemed the contact to Porzingis’ head both intentional and impactful. The C’s led 77-66 at the time, but the incident shifted the game’s intensity.

Addressing the matter and KP’s comeback after the injury, Mazzulla said, “I didn’t see anything. I just knew he had to shoot the free throws in order to come back in the game, and then he came back and helped us finish it off. So appreciate his toughness.” Porzingis returned with a smile and an X-shaped bandage. Blood still marked his face. He stepped up to shoot free throws. He sank one, then headed to the locker room. A miss would have kept him out for good. Yet with 7:15 left in the fourth and Boston up 90-82, he reemerged—five stitches later, ready to battle again.

“Like I said, a lot of stuff that he’s doing tonight, I think, you know, showed up on the box score. It was 20 points and 10 rebounds, but he’s bringing a physical dimension for us on both ends of the floor. That’s important,” the head coach concluded.

Without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics fought like warriors—bloodied, bruised, but unbreakable. Kristaps Porzingis, stitched up and still standing tall, delivered a double-double with fearless force. Meanwhile, Joe Mazzulla had his squad locked in, preaching poise, precision, and pride. With a 2-0 lead in hand, they now storm into Orlando, battle-tested and hungry for more.