Celtics 92, Magic 88 (Celtics lead 1-0)

Did anyone else think they were going to blow it? Or did the Magic wake up too late to complete the comeback?

Holding a 20-point advantage in the third quarter, the Orlando Magic launched a massive assault at Boston, including a 6-point swing off Jason Williams and Mickael Pietrus 3-point bombs. While they were able to get the lead down to two off an acrobatic tip in by Jameer Nelson, the Magic were unable to revert the lead.

Story of the game was Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. They combined for 47 of Boston’s 92 points, and collectively shot 14-24 from the field. Rasheed Wallace provided big defensive help and an offensive spark with 13 points of his own. Rashard Lewis probably had his worst game of the postseason, going 2-10 from the field and 0-6 from 3.  He finished with 6 points. Vince Carter led the way with 23 points for the Magic.

This is a big win for a Boston team coming off an impressive upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semifinals. Game 2 tips off on Tuesday evening.

Couple of news and notes stemming from Game 1:

- Magic were on a 14-game winning streak, dating back to the regular season. Only a couple of teams in NBA history can say they swept their first two series in the playoffs. Unfortunately, not all were successful.

- Orlando was 2-4 from three-point range in the fourth quarter, including those back-to-back shots that had Boston fans (including myself) reaching for their heart medications. Beyond that, Magic shot 3-18 as a team. For a team known to kill you with the jumper, this really hurt their chances.

- I really liked Glen Davis’s play in the fourth quarter – especially taking on Dwight Howard in the paint and still producing points. He kept the Magic momentum in check with two big buckets around the 7 minute mark, halting the first Magic rally.

- Probably one of the best hustle plays I have seen all year was the Magic’s Jameer Nelson running from the three point line to collect and put back a layup off a foul shot. It looked like he came out of nowhere. I have to give props to that, and to his play all evening. He shot 8-18, 20 points, and picked up 9 rebounds. It also begs the question – why is the point guard second on the team in rebounds?

- There are two things I love about the Boston Celtics’ play -

1. They are ridiculous on defense and expend all energy to shut you down. They have currently held the Heat, Cavaliers, and Magic to 91.4 points a game. The Cavs and Magic averaged over 102 points per game during the regular season, while the Heat were scoring around 97 points. Kudos to the Celtics for shutting down the opposing forces – it truly is the reason why they have come so far. Until opposing offenses start throwing changes  in their gameplan to out-trick the Celtics defense, look for this trend (highlighted below) to continue.

2. You have no idea who is going to break out from game-to-game. Today it was Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, with a complimentary performance by Rasheed Wallace. Tomorrow is could be Glen Davis, KG, and Ray Allen. Or maybe Tony Allen and Shelden Williams break out. What I’m trying to say is this team gets it – they are finally all healthy and are playing team basketball.

-Commish