For most of the series, Boston got the lucky bounces fall their way. They were the aggressors and the Magic knew it. The Magic won a hard fought overtime victory in Boston. Yet, the question was this: Could the Magic ride the euphoria and relief of Game 3 to victory in their friendly confines?
Tonight, the question was unequivocally an emphatic yes. For the first time, the Orlando three point shooting came back to life. They shot 13-25 from three point land as they shelled the Celtics with absolute authority. They outrebounded the Celtics 43-26 and were efficient from the Free throw line as they shot 80%. Incredibly, the Celtics injuries came one after another. First, it started with Glen Davis getting his bell rung after defending Dwight Howard. Then, Marquis Daniels suffering a concussion on the defensive side. Yikes.
Jameer Nelson scored 24 points and was instrumental in the third quarter. He scored 9 points as well as a rainbow three pointer in the third quarter and was 4-5 from downtown. Nelson dribbled into the lane at will for easy lay-ins and free throw opportunities. Since overtime of Game 3, it's been Nelson who has outplayed Rondo.
Dwight Howard was a beast as he frustrated Perkins, bullied Davis for lay-ins, hook shoots and poster dunks. He was an enforcer in the paint and ran roughshod on the Celtics after Perkins was thrown out with two technical fouls. This may be bad news for the Celtics because he may have to serve a one game suspension with 7 technical fouls. Yet, the second tech may be under review because he was walking away and still got thrown out. Strange?
Rashard Lewis came to life as he scored 14 points and showed on occasion that he is more than a 3pt. shooter by driving to the lane. He seemed to be on the mend after saying that he had been battling a virus during the entire series.
JJ Reddick was masterful as he spurred the Magic in the 2nd Quarter to a lead they would never relinquish. His shot was sublime and so was his passing. It's worth mentioning that every time Reddick is on the floor, the Magic are +20 points and -46 points when he is not. Hmmm....
As for the Celtics, they were flat and uninterested. Yet, they still had a chance to win the game. The Celtic big men were constantly bullied not just by Howard but by the refs. They never adjusted and it hurt them big time. They must deal with injuries to Marquis Daniels and Glen Davis who both suffered freak concussions. For the Celtics, their thin lineup just got a lot thinner.
Rondo's free throw shooting was a liability as he was Shaq-esque with his 5-11 free throw shooting. Pierce was perfect from the charity stripe but played a lot of minutes to compensate the for the suddenly shrinking Celtic frontline. Ray Allen was nearly invisible after the 1st Quarter. Rasheed Wallace nailed 3-5 three pointers but was in foul trouble throughout.
Heading into Friday, the Magic have an excellent chance to win Game 6 and do what 93 teams have never done before come back from a 3-0 deficit. It may be the greatest comeback in sports and another dagger to the hearts of Boston sports fans who recently were the recipient of 3-0 collapse with their NHL hockey club the Boston Bruins losing to the Philadelphia Flyers. I guess anything is possible!!
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