An NBA Preseason Game In May? It Looked Like The C's Sure Enjoyed Their Trip To Disney World

 

    Nobody rolls over faster than an NBA team that's destined for the draft lottery (as Charles Barkley loves to say about tanking teams "1-2-3 Cancun!") with a few games remaining in their regular season. The Celtics (35-31 overall, 14-18 away) were a first-hand witness to that phenomenon tonight at the Amway Center as they destroyed the hapless Magic (21-45 overall, 11-24 home) 132-96. Point guard Kemba Walker tied his season-high with 32 points while swingman Jayson Tatum (27 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) played well with shooting guard Jaylen Brown sidelined with an ankle injury. This was never even close since Boston led by 12 points after the first quarter (39-27) and never looked back, outscoring Orlando by at least six points in each subsequent frame. 

    Shooting guard Evan Fournier (18 points, 2 steals) actually got a tribute video from the Magic (in his 1st game back) after he spent parts of six seasons there. Guard Marcus Smart (9 assists) was not suspended after he was ejected from Sunday's loss to Portland (37-29). After two days between games (a rarity in 2020-21), this game could not have turned out much better from Boston's perspective. Nobody on the Celts played more than Kemba's 31 minutes, all nine bench guys for Boston got to play for at least five minutes apiece and each player scored a minimum of two points. Everybody's favorite backup center/full-time giant human Tacko Fall (4 blocks) was able to partake in the fun. Rookie guard Payton Pritchard added 14 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Orlando had nine total players available for the game if you were wondering how seriously they were taking this farce of a matchup. 

    It might have been a textbook fake win but the Celtics will take it since the result put them in a tie with Miami (35-31) for sixth-place in the Eastern Conference. The Celts own the tiebreakers against the Heat so at the moment, they are just barely clear of the play-in tournament (No. 7-10 teams). On Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston), Boston goes to Chicago (26-39 overall, 12-20 home) to face a club that hasn't officially been eliminated from playoff contention but that formality will happen any day now. The Bulls have lost their last four games in a row so much like the Magic, this seems like a great time to face them at the United Center. I'm guessing that contest will be at least a little more competitive because you literally could not try less than Orlando did this evening but we shall see.

Evan Fournier & Mo Wagner Become Celtics While Daniel Theis, Jeff Teague & Javonte Green Are Out

 

    The NBA trade deadline came and went this afternoon with the Celtics (21-23) involved in two deals: they traded guard Jeff Teague and a pair of second-round draft picks to Orlando for French swingman Evan Fournier; they were also part of a three-way trade with center Daniel Theis and guard Javonte Green going to Chicago while power forward Mo Wagner (traded earlier in the day from Washington) and center Luke Kornet also came to Boston. Out of all these names, the only ones that really matter are Fournier and Theis. The rest are all guys that will either sit on various benches, be bought out or won't be in the league in a year or two.  

    Celts GM Danny Ainge was reportedly interested in Magic power forward Aaron Gordon but they lost out on him (of course) as he was sent to Denver in a separate deal so they settled for the consolation prize in Fournier. He was drafted by the Nuggets in 2012 (20th overall) and played there for two years before being traded to Orlando where he's played for the past seven seasons. I certainly have heard of him and have seen him plenty of times in games against the Celtics but with so few national TV games or playoff appearances, I'm not going to claim to be an expert on his game. 

    For his career, he has averaged 14.4 points per game, 37.6% on 3-pointers and 80.6% on free throws. He was obviously gunning for a big contract headed into free agency this summer as he is averaging the most points (19.7 per game) and the most assists (3.7 per game) in his career. At 6-foot-7 and a slim 205 pounds, he appears to slot in as a shooting guard or small forward depending on the lineup that Boston head coach Brad Stevens wants to employ. He's been a starter for basically the past six years with the Magic but then again, he's almost never been on a good team (not that the Celtics could be considered one either at the moment) so it'll be interesting to see what role he gets.

    It's sad to see Theis go, especially since his last moment as a Celtic was missing a game-winning 3-pointer last night against the Bucks (29-14). He will never be the biggest guy but as an undrafted free agent from Germany, he got better every year in his four seasons with Boston. He has averaged a career-best 9.5 points per game and 5.2 rebounds this season. He was a likable guy and easy to root for, hopefully he doesn't get lost in the shuffle with the Bulls (19-24) who have been rebuilding for years. For a guy that nobody knew a thing about when he signed with the C's, he had plenty of nice moments in big games including the playoffs. 

While You Watched March Madness Or Enjoyed A Beautiful Day, Jaylen Brown Hit 10 3-pointers

 

    I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I watched every minute of this afternoon's Celtics (21-21 overall, 13-7 home) game against the Magic (14-28 overall, 5-15 road) at the TD Garden, but honestly who did that isn't employed by either team? Boston rolled to a 112-96 victory behind another outstanding performance by shooting guard Jaylen Brown (game-high 34 points) who hit 10 3-pointers, a new career-high and only one behind Marcus Smart's franchise record that he set last season. Swingman Jayson Tatum (23 points) and Brown were so good that they didn't need much help from their teammates although it was a rarity to see all five Celtics starters score in double-figures in the same matchup. 

    The NBA Trade Deadline is on Thursday and you have to believe that Orlando will be looking to trade guys like power forward Aaron Gordon (12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) or shooting guard Evan Fournier (16 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists) who could both create a decent return. Magic center Nikolay Vucevic (22 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists) has always been underrated in my estimation but I'm sure if you want him, you have to pay a very high price. Small forward James Ennis III (18 points, 5 rebounds) was the final bright spot for Orlando. 

    Sunday was a great day for The Others on the Celtics as center Daniel Theis (13 points, 11 rebounds) notched a double-double, point guard Kemba Walker added 14 points, five rebounds and two steals and Smart finished with 11 points and eight assists. The Celts shot 7.4% better from the field than the Magic (45.5%-38.1%), thanks to Jaylen they hit more than twice as many 3-pointers (23-11) and they had seven more assists (27-20) than the visitors. Did you realize that the #4-10th ranked teams in the Eastern Conference are only separated by a total of 2.5 games? That means that the final 30 games of the regular season for the Celts promise to be both very entertaining and hopefully unpredictable.

    This being the Celtics in 2021, you just knew that they would struggle in the first quarter of play after a brutal stretch of losses. Orlando led 31-27 after the first quarter but Boston recovered to head into halftime with a 56-48 advantage. The C's continued their strong play in the third quarter (outscoring the Magic 33-25). The two teams played to a stalemate in the fourth quarter (23-23). Up next, Boston has a four-game road trip that begins with a back-to-back since they'll be in Memphis (19-20 overall, 10-13 home) tomorrow night (9, NBC Sports Boston) followed by two games in Milwaukee (27-14) on Wednesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) and Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) then ending in Oklahoma City (18-24) on Sunday night (9, NBC Sports Boston).

After A Week Off (3 Postponed Games), Celts Return With Their Biggest Blowout Of The Season

 

    Starting last Saturday when we found out that Celtics (8-3 overall, 4-1 home) superstar Jayson Tatum had tested positive for Covid-19, the past week has been a bit of a mess for our favorite NBA team. You wouldn't know that based on how they performed tonight as they returned to action for their first game in a week by torching the Magic (6-6 overall, 3-3 road) 124-97 at TD Garden. The 27-point margin of victory was the largest of the season for the Celts who also won their fifth straight game. Did I mention that they have the best record in the Eastern Conference and second best in the entire league, trailing only the Lakers (11-3)? Tatum and center Robert Williams-who seemed to have caused the mini-outbreak on the Celtics-were both out but Boston managed to dress 12 healthy players who all scored at least two points apiece.

    I'm not sure what the excuse was for the Magic, they are relatively healthy (injury and Coronavirus-wise although they live in Florida so who knows) but that didn't stop them from getting outscored in every quarter this evening. Boston doubled them up in points in the paint (66-33) and led by as many as 28 points in this complete laugher. With no Tatum, shooting guard Jaylen Brown (game-high 21 points, career-high 8 assists) was the best player on the court and he showed that in only 25 minutes of action. Point guard Jeff Teague (17 points) got a rare start with a juggled lineup and guard Marcus Smart added 14 points. Really all that you need to know about this contest is that forward Semi Ojeleye (18 points, 6 rebounds) outscored everyone on Orlando in just 20 minutes of work. Rookie guard Payton Pritchard had 16 points off the bench and shooting guard Javonte Green notched 10 points.

    Things got extra weird in garbage time as cult icon Tacko Fall (6 points, 5 rebounds) banked in a three-pointer and later took the Magic off the dribble and drove to the basket for an exclamation point dunk. Who cares that he clearly walked, we all needed that little burst of joy in our lives. Tristan Thompson (11 rebounds) started in place of Daniel Theis (10 rebounds) at center but they each had basically the same output in 21 minutes and 20 minutes respectively. Orlando might as well have not showed up since power forward Aaron Gordon led them with a measly 17 points. Small forward Dwayne Bacon (8 rebounds), center Nikola Vucevic (6 rebounds) and rookie point guard Cole Anthony (6 rebounds) all scored 15 points while center Khem Birch (12 points, 12 rebounds) had a double-double off the bench. 

    This originally was supposed to be a two-game series in Boston but the first leg on Wednesday was cancelled because well you know, Covid-19. Orlando's last game was on Monday at home (a 121-99 loss to the Bucks) and tonight's latest beating gives them four losses in a row after they were one of the biggest surprises in the NBA the first few weeks. Haha just kidding, you still are completely irrelevant. If you expected a bit of a slow start by the Celtics, they showed no signs of rust as they got out to a 34-28 lead after the first quarter and 60-48 at halftime. Third quarters and protecting big advantages have been some of the only real struggles for the Celtics in 2020-21 but not this time as they outscored the Magic 28-24 in the third quarter and 36-25 in the fourth quarter. 

    It didn't matter how many times Orlando's grizzled old head coach Steve Clifford pulled down his mask (much to the chagrin of NBA commissioner Adam Silver who warned him this week to stop doing that) to scream at his team or keep calling useless timeouts, nothing made a difference as Boston simply ran them out of the Garden. The Celtics shot almost 11% better from the field (51.1%-40.4%), hit 10 more three-pointers (17-7), grabbed eight more defensive rebounds (39-31) and handed out 11 more assists (25-14). Assuming that they can please God all stay home tomorrow and avoid another outbreak, the good times should continue for the C's as they host the hapless Knicks (5-8) on Sunday afternoon (1, NBC Sports Boston). Former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau is in his first miserable year (and what a time for it!) as New York's latest revolving door head coach. Thibs obviously has no other interests besides coaching basketball or family that he actually cares about since who wants to be in charge of that joke of a team? Like Orlando, the Knicks got off to a nice start this season but true to form, they've lost their last five games after falling 106-103 tonight in Cleveland (6-7). The NFL playoff games don't start until later Sunday afternoon so you might as well tune in to Celtics-Knicks, what else do you have to do in mid-January during the pandemic?

Unless We're Talking About Disney World, Orlando is Pretty Useless

If the Celtics don't get a top pick in June's NBA Draft, one of the first things we'll blame (other than the basketball Gods of course) is the Orlando Magic. Why? Well with Boston's (16-33 overall, 10-15 home) 96-89 win this afternoon at TD Garden, the Celts finished their season series with the Magic (13-36 overall, 3-22 away) 3-1, ugh.

The rare victory for the Celtics snapped a four-game losing streak. It might have been the product of playing another team doing everything they can not to win but Rajon Rondo (19 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals in only 27 minutes) looked way better than any of his other eight performances since returning Jan. 17 vs. Lakers. It was his first double-double of the season and most surprising, he was 9 of 11 from the field including a 3-pointer.

Nobody has ever debated whether Jared Sullinger (21 points, 12 rebounds) was better than Glen Davis (15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals) but this contest served as a further example of how much higher Sullinger's ceiling can be if only he stays healthy for a full season.

Brandon Bass, who was traded for Davis, also played better than the clown they call Big Baby with 19 points and nine rebounds. Avery Bradley (17 points) returned after missing the last five games with a sprained ankle.

Arron Afflalo led Orlando with 18 points, underrated Nikola Vucevic had a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds), Tobias Harris added 13 points and five rebounds while promising rookie Victor Oladipo notched 12 points and five assists even though he was bricktastic (3 for 16 from the field, woof!).

Boston has rarely won this season but even more strange to see is them leading from start to finish. The C's were up 27-19 after the first quarter, 54-45 at halftime and 71-64 heading into the fourth quarter. Thanks for playing, Magic.

The Celts shot 8.7% better from the field (50-41.3%), grabbed five more rebounds (44-39) and handed out six more assists (24-18) thanks to Rondo's re-emergence.

It seems like Boston has played a round-robin tournament lately with the other teams in the Eastern Conference trying to tank. After losing on a fantastic Evan Turner buzzer-beater for the Sixers on Wednesday, they go to Philadelphia (15-33 overall, 5th in Atlantic Division) this Wednesday (7, CSN & 98.5 FM).

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Celtics Win Their Fourth Game in a Row, Wait What?

We all know that it'll predictably end soon plus it is totally counterproductive to the main goal of tanking but I have to admit that the Celtics entertained me tonight. Boston (4-4 overall, 2-1 home) beat Orlando (3-5 overall, 0-4 away) 120-105 at TD Garden. The Celtics have won four straight games, something which many of us didn't think was possible this season by scoring a season-high in points.

All five starters for Boston scored in double figures and seven players overall hit double digits led by Avery Bradley (game-high 24 points and 3 steals) and Jordan Crawford (16 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds) who put up a double-double, seriously. I didn't love rookie Kelly Olynyk at Gonzaga but he is quickly proving me wrong: he had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Jeff Green checked in with 16 points and Brandon Bass added 10 points. Off the bench, Jared Sullinger put up 14 points, five rebounds and two blocks while Courtney Lee scored 12.

The Magic are doing everything in their power to get in the lottery next spring, it's tough to see them winning more than 30 games tops in 2013-14. Arron Afflalo had 18 points and seven assists, rookie Victor Oladipo scored 17 empty points. Nikola Vucevic had his customary double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals), Mo Harkless notched 12 points and five rebounds with Horace Grant wannabe (check out his glasses) Jason Maxiell had 10 points. Former Celtic E'Twaun Moore scored 11 points off the bench for Orlando.

The Celts outscored the Magic in every quarter: 31-25, 28-25, 28-24 and 33-31. I really didn't want to watch this game but there were few other viewing options with an awful Monday Night Football game on so I reluctantly tuned in. Did I mention that Boston shot 60% from the field, had 16 more fast break points (20-4) and scored 12 more points in the paint (50-38)?

This doesn't make any sense at all on many levels but like I said, let's enjoy it before they undoubtedly reel off an eight-game losing streak that makes us miserably pine for the ping pong balls. It promises to be a long season, the Celtics are just easing us into it. They host the Bobcats (3-4, 3rd in Southeast Division) on Wednesday (7:30, CSNE), the middle contest in a three-game homestand against some similarly bad teams.

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Celtics Win Their Third Straight Game Since Rondo Got Hurt, 97-84 Over Magic

The Celtics couldn't have picked two better teams to adjust to life without Rajon Rondo than bottom feeders Sacramento and Orlando. Tonight, Boston (23-23, 16-9 home) rolled to a 97-84 win over the Magic (14-32, 6-16 away) at TD Garden. Apparently the C's have won three straight games since Rondo went down (he was a last minute scratch against Miami on Sunday) although I'm not sure if beating Orlando at this juncture should count as a full victory.

Jeff Green led the Celts with 17 points and three blocks off the bench. More please! Kevin Garnett (14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Paul Pierce (14 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists) each had double-doubles while Courtney Lee added 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Isn't it amazing what happens when a team shares the basketball, rather than let one guy do everything offensively? Jason Terry (5 assists) and Leandro Barbosa both tossed in 12 points off the bench.

Everybody in the NBA has injuries but it's hard to imagine a team more rocked by them than the Magic: their top three players (and three of their top four scorers) all missed at least part of tonight's exhibition. Glen Davis is out for the season with a broken foot, Arron Afflalo has a strained calf so he sat out then Jameer Nelson left with an arm injury in the first half and never returned.

Oy vey, it's all up to you J.J. Redick (15 points, 5 assists, 2 steals). To say he doesn't currently have much help around him would be too kind: rookie Andrew Nicholson (14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Nikola Vucevic (14 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks) had double-doubles. Former Celtic E'Twaun Moore filled it up in garbage time, finishing with 14 points while rookie Kyle O'Quinn notched 11 points.

Boston held Orlando to 35 points in the first half and 37.9% shooting from the field for the entire game. The Celtics had 11 more assists than the Magic (30-19) because true point guards are overrated.

Things figure to get much more exciting on Sunday (1 p.m., CSN) as the Clippers (34-14, 1st in Pacific Division) come to the Garden in a tasty pre-Super Bowl appetizer. MVP candidate Chris Paul has missed LA's last six games with a knee injury and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that they are not nearly the same team without him, for example: they suffered a season-worst 98-73 loss in Toronto tonight. Yes Toronto. Like the Kings earlier this week, the C's will be looking for more revenge after the Clippers embarrassed them 106-77 on December 27 in LA during the California road trip from hell.

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Celtics Survive Overtime In Orlando, 116-110

I'm not saying that it's right but it is at least understandable that the Celtics would have a letdown after their emotional win against the Thunder on Friday-their best victory of the young season. Luckily for them, tonight they played the Magic and not a better team that probably would have beaten them.

Boston (8-6, 4-3 away) needed overtime at the Amway Center but they outlasted Orlando (5-8, 4-3 home) 116-110. Kevin Garnett had a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 23 and Rajon Rondo just missed out on a triple-double with 15 points, 16 assists and nine rebounds.

Brandon Bass (13 points, 12 rebounds) added a double-double while Leandro Barbosa (15 points) and Jared Sullinger (11 points, 6 rebounds) were stellar off the bench for the Celts.

Some of the Magic took a time machine back to their college days as J.J. Redick had a team-high 21 points off the bench, Jameer Nelson scored 20 while Arron Afflalo had 15 points and seven assists and former Celtic Glen Davis added 15 points and seven rebounds. Josh McRoberts had 14 rebounds and former Celtic E'Twaun Moore notched eight points.

For once, Boston dominated inside-something which is very rare these days. They outscored Orlando 60-34 in the paint, grabbed nine more rebounds (51-42) and had eight more points off turnovers (23-15) thanks to Rondo's excellent performance.

The Celtics return home for a few days of practice followed by a rematch with the Nets (8-4, 2nd in Atlantic Division) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., CSN). It'll be basically two weeks (Thursday, November 15) since Brooklyn edged Boston 102-97. They are a quality team now and not the pushover they have been in recent years.

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Celtics Win The Atlantic Division, Clinch No. 4 Seed In The Eastern Conference

Tonight's Celtics-Magic game had a slight feel of a JV game since both teams were missing their best players (Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard respectively) but that didn't stop Boston from picking up a very meaningful win.

With their 102-98 triumph at TD Garden, the Celts (37-26, 22-9 home) clinched the Atlantic Division title (their 5th in a row) and also the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Woo homecourt advantage (for one round at least)!

The Celtics are 22-9 since the All-Star break.

Right now, Orlando (36-26, 16-14 away) is in sixth place, meaning that Boston would face No. 5 Atlanta (37-25) in the first round. There are still three games left for the C's and four for the Magic and Hawks to sort that out.

Paul Pierce (29 points, 14 assists) played point forward with Rondo sitting and he set a career-high in dimes in the process, not too shabby. Avery Bradley scored 23 points and Brandon Bass had 21 points. Kevin Garnett put up 15 points and nine rebounds.

Glen Davis (27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) played like this was the most meaningful game in his life and knowing him, it probably was. Jameer Nelson had 21 points and nine assists, J.J. Redick had 13 points, Ryan Anderson notched 12 points and nine rebounds while Jason Richardson scored 11 points.

The Celts are off until Friday when they travel to Atlanta for their final road game of the regular season. Doc Rivers should pull a Gregg Popovich and not even let the Big 4 travel with the team. Their work is done for the next week.

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Just Your Run Of The Mill 27-Point Comeback Win By The Celtics Over The Magic, In Orlando

You have to hand it to the Orlando Magic. Twice in the last four days they've made losing to the Boston Celtics an art form.

After scoring a franchise-low 56 points in a pathetic 87-56 loss at TD Garden on Monday, the Magic (12-6) topped themselves with a 91-83 loss to the Celtics (8-9) at Amway Center tonight that will be talked about for years to come.

Orlando was up 27 points (52-25) with 3:11 left in the first half but somehow, they squandered that insurmountable lead to Boston, who was missing Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Jermaine O'Neal.

It was the Celtics' third straight win and their second against a quality team (both vs. the Magic). Boston undoubtedly has their number, the third and final chapter in the regular season is not until April 18 back at the Garden.

As befitting a game as batshit crazy as this one, the Celts got unexpectedly great contributions from rookie guard E'Twaun Moore (career-high 16 points, 4 of 4 on 3s) and Chris Wilcox (4 points, 3 rebounds, steal), who gave them a spark off the bench when Kevin Garnett (12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals) needed a break.

Let's also not forget the spectacular all-around game by Paul Pierce (24 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds) and Mickael Pietrus' (12 points) fine performance in his former home arena. Brandon Bass added 10 points, two steals and two blocks against his old team as well.

Somehow when he faced only KG, Wilcox and Greg Stiemsma (4 fouls in 7 minutes), Dwight Howard managed only 16 points and 16 rebounds. I guess that's what happens when you shoot 50% from the floor (6 of 12) and 50% from the foul line (4-8).

Jason Richardson had 13 points, Ryan Anderson added 12 points, Jameer Nelson had 11 points and Hedo Turkoglu scored 10 but none of them could help Orlando avoid an eight-point fourth quarter. Really.

Glen Davis (3 for 11, 7 points) was horrible for the second time in a row against his old team; I'm shocked that such a mentally stable guy would psyche himself out like that.

What this victory meant for the Celtics and their fans is that despite many things going against them, this squad has an abundance of heart and resolve. They had every excuse to pack it in tonight, especially when they went down big right away but they kept plugging away and eventually the Magic cracked/the Celtics executed.

Orlando led 32-16 after the first quarter and 58-37 at halftime-they scored more in the first half then they did on Monday! Boston came alive in the third (27-17) and sealed it in the fourth (27-8).

After starting out ice cold, the Celtics finished with a very respectable 46.6% shooting percentage to 38.0% for the Magic. Boston hit five more 3s (10-5) but Orlando hit five more free throws (18-13). The Magic had nine more rebounds (46-37) but the Celts had seven more assists (23-16). Orlando had four more steals (10-6) but Boston had eight more blocks (11-3) which is insane when you think about it. The Magic owned the paint (38-22) and converted way more off turnovers (25-15).

With a game tomorrow night against the Pacers at TD Garden, a team that has already beaten them twice, I will give the C's a pass for what almost certainly will be a loss. Tonight's win showed that with improved health and a few shrewd moves, they could make some noise in the Eastern Conference after all this season.

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Orlando Celebrates Big Baby & Von Wafer's Return to Boston By Scoring A Franchise-Low 56 Points

The Boston Celtics only had 10 players available tonight as they hosted the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. A whopping five (Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Mickael Pietrus, Keyon Dooling and Chris Wilcox) Celtics missed the game due to various injuries.

The Magic (11-5) came in as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conferences and an early surprise in the NBA. In Glen Davis and more importantly Von Wafer's return to Boston, the Celts (7-9) won 87-56 as the Magic did their best to spit on James Naismith's grave.

It was Boston's first win against a .500 team plus it was in the second night of a back-to-back, truly one of the most surprising results in recent Boston sports history.

Orlando set a new franchise record for fewest points in a game, worst shooting percentage (24.6%), fewest points in a half (20 in the 2nd) and total field goals (16). Dwight Howard (18 points, 14 rebounds) was 4 of 15 from the floor and 10 of 18 from the foul line. As far as I can tell, he still hasn't developed any kind of post game that doesn't involve dunks or awkward spin moves that don't work. Well at least he's cleaned up his free throws, oh wait.

Big Baby got a video montage dedicated to him and he proceeded to have a horrid game: six points (2 of 9 shooting) and 11 rebounds off the bench. Wafer had five points off the bench.

Avery Bradley and Sasha Pavlovic (9 points) will be able to tell their grandkids that not only did they start a game for the Celts but they also helped to beat one of the most overrated teams in not only the NBA but professional sports. Orlando hasn't changed their style at all the last few years: surround Howard with a bunch of one-dimensional 3-point shooters. The issue is that when those 3s aren't falling (4 of 16), they have nobody that can drive and get to the line (or in Howard's case, make free throws).

Paul Pierce had another solid game with 19 points and seven assists. Kevin Garnett added 14 points, 10 rebounds and five steals while Jermaine O'Neal had nine rebounds and took three charges. Ex-Magic forward Brandon Bass had 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench while Marquis Daniels finally looked like himself with eight points and five assists.

Boston shot 42.3% from the field and hit all 19 of its free throws. The Celts grabbed two more rebounds (46-44), had nine more assists (21-12), eight more steals (13-5), three more blocks (9-6) and eight less turnovers (23-15). The C's owned fast break points (11-4), points in the paint (34-16) and points off turnovers (24-6).

In a weird scheduling quirk, these same teams meet again on Thursday in Orlando. I'm going to guess that the Magic will score a few more points the second time around. There is absolutely no way that Orlando can play worse so I'll be impressed if Boston can beat them again in the second of three meetings this season.

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Glen Davis Traded For His More Muscular, Slightly Older & More Mentally Stable Equivalent

In a lot of ways, it is amazing that Glen Davis lasted four seasons in Boston with the Celtics. The goofy big man always seemed in the middle of controversy (punching his friend and breaking his hand, crying on the bench), mostly of his own doing.

After threatening to leave in free agency but having no teams appear to be very interested, the Celts took matters into their own hands today by dealing Big Baby and Von Wafer to the Orlando Magic. It's a sign and trade deal for fellow LSU product Brandon Bass.

Like most people, I enjoyed Davis while he was here but with a guy so up and down like that, you had to wonder how much longer he was going to be effective given all his issues. It also didn't help that he seemed to believe he was an NBA first-team caliber player.

Davis won an NBA title in 2008 during his rookie season, since then he's been a capable fill-in starter and a great player (scoring and rebounding plus drawing charges) off the bench. His weight (6-foot-9, 289 pounds) and fitness will always be an issue while Bass is a much more sculpted 6-foot-8, 240 pounds.

The similarities between him and Bass are endless. Not only did they both go to LSU, play the same position but they're both natives of Louisiana, second round picks (Bass in 2005 and Davis in 2007) with eerily similar numbers and ages (Davis turns 26 on New Year's Day, Bass is 27 in late April).

Last season, Bass started 51 games and averaged a career-high 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds over 26.1 minutes. Davis averaged a career-high 11.7 points and 5.4 rebounds over 29.5 minutes.

Bass signed a four-year, $16 million contract with Orlando in July 2009. He is due to make $4 million this season with a player option for the same amount next year.

For his career (two in New Orleans, two in Dallas and the last two in Orlando), Bass has averaged 7.7 points and 4.1 rebounds. He has shot 49.8% from the field and 83% from the free throw line.

Best of all, Bass has only had three career technical fouls and he's never been ejected. That demonstrates his maturity and professionalism, two things which Davis sorely lacks. In conclusion, this is a solid move for the Celtics. Good work Danny Ainge.

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There is absolutely no reason to fear the Orlando Magic

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers and his team have crafted the perfect way to shutdown the Orlando Magic: let Dwight Howard have a big day and try to make the rest of their one-dimensional players beat you.

That was the story yesterday afternoon as the Celts (38-12) won one of their most impressive games of the season, 91-80 over the Magic (32-20) at the TD Garden.

Howard had a game-high 28 points and 13 rebounds but the Cs held him to six second-half points. Even more pathetic or funny (depending on your allegiances) was the fact that Orlando went 3-for-24 as a team on 3-pointers.

Obviously, they are a great 3-point shooting team and that number is a season-low and an anomaly but it shows how they only know one way to win: dump it into Howard and if that doesn't work, bomb threes.

The Magic have a bunch of decent role players but nobody that can take over if Howard ever struggles. Ryan Anderson had 12 points and seven rebounds while Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson scored 10 points apiece.

One of the most scary incidents I can remember in all the years I've watched the Celtics occurred early in the second quarter as swingman Marquis Daniels went down with a neck injury. He wasn't moving and was transported to New England Baptist Hospital. He has had neck issues in the past so it was a very serious issue and somber scene.

Credit to Boston for being able to rally from that emotionally taxing moment. Rajon Rondo was the star as he repeatedly drove to the hoop for a team-high 26 points and seven assists.

Paul Pierce added 18 points, Kevin Garnett scored 16 points and Ray Allen had 11 (he needs three more 3-pointers to tie Reggie Miller's all-time NBA record). Kendrick Perkins did his best Ben Wallace impression with 0 points and 13 rebounds while Glen Davis had 11 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Orlando got out to a 22-17 lead in the first quarter as Boston started off very slow in the Super Bowl matinee. The Celts took a 46-43 lead and never looked back from there. They took the defensive second half, 24-18 in the third and 21-19 in the fourth.

For the game, the Cs shot 47.6% to the Magic's 34.4%. The Celtics made 15 more free throws (28-13) while Orlando pulled down five more rebounds (46-41). Boston had eight more assists (21-13) and three more blocks (4-1).

As I always say with this team, back-to-backs are never easy, no matter who they face. Still, the Celtics completely own the Charlotte Bobcats (11 of their last 12) and even though the game is in North Carolina tonight, they should win.

KG is back and all is right in my sports world (minus the Patriots obviously)

For the last week when it looked like Kevin Garnett was returning to the Boston Celtics' lineup when they hosted the Orlando Magic on Martin Luther King day, I was conflicted.

I was excited because I had tickets to the game but I was genuinely worried because KG's health seems so fragile these days and the team that is a bonafide title contender with him, becomes an Eastern Conference also-ran without him.

It's only one night but it looked like the same old KG as he totaled 19 points and eight rebounds in a regular season instant classic, a 109-106 Celtics win.

These two teams have built a nice rivalry over the last few seasons with two straight playoff meetings and back-to-back contests on Christmas.

It's an intriguing matchup, Dwight Howard (33 points, 13 rebounds) and the Magic (26-15) with their array of shooters vs. the teammwork of the Celts (31-9) and balanced scoring.

Like they have so many times over the last four seasons, the Cs made the plays down the stretch. Most notably a three-point play by Paul Pierce (14 points) and a steal by KG as the clock ran out.

Ray Allen notched 26 points, Rajon Rondo added 10 points and 13 assists while Shaquille O'Neal had 12 points. Coming off the bench, Glen Davis like always found his game with 15 points.

Jason Richardson had 14 points, Brandon Bass notched 13 points, Hedo Turkoglu put up 11 points and seven assists while Ryan Anderson put up 16 points off the bench.

When you add this win to the Bruins' earlier rampage, yesterday was exactly what New England sports fans needed to get over the Patriots. In the Celtics and Bruins (yes, I said it before lightning strikes me), we have two teams that can go deep in the postseason this spring. Add in Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon sitting courtside and chugging a beer when he was shown on the jumbotron and it was a good day to be a fan of the other three teams.

Boston was up 27-22 after the first quarter and 55-54 at halftime. Orlando tied it up after three quarters at 81 and the fourth was when the Celts did just enough (28-25) to send Ray Allen's mom home happy.

As a team, Boston shot a lights out 60.0% to Orlando's 45.9%. As expected, the Magic owned 3-pointers (10-3) and also made five more free throws (27-22). Orlando had four more rebounds (34-30) but the Celts had six more assists (25-19), seven more steals (10-3) and four more blocks (6-2). Boston had eight more fast break points (12-4) and most amazingly, double the amount of points in the paint (52-26).

The Celtics host the Detroit Pistons tomorrow night. Detroit has won three in a row and they also beat Boston the last time the teams met (on Dec. 29 in Motown when KG injured his calf).

The Orlando Magic still do not scare me

We all enjoyed the Boston Celtics' 14-game win streak but it came to a crashing halt yesterday afternoon as they went ice cold in the fourth quarter and lost 86-78 to the new-look Orlando Magic at the Amway Center.

At least it happened on Christmas so you either didn't watch, didn't really pay attention or were too drunk on egg nog and gift giving to care.

As bad as both teams played for most of this game, this was one that the Celtics (23-5) let get away. Other than going down 13-0 in the first quarter (which they quickly answered with a 13-0) spurt of their own, they led for almost the entire game until they couldn't hit a shot or make a play in the fourth quarter and the Magic (18-12) suddenly couldn't miss.

The reason I don't fear the Magic is that we beat them in the Eastern Conference Finals last season and that was with a severly limited Kevin Garnett (22 points). Everything that Orlando does is built around Dwight Howard (6 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks) but he still is in his infancy as far as post moves and his offensive game (outside of dunks) is concerned. Shaq fouled out in 13 minutes yesterday and zombie Jermaine O'Neal returned and we still completely shut him down.

Paul Pierce added 18 points and Glen Davis had 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

For the Magic, Brandon Bass (21 points, 9 rebounds) was the spark for them when Howard was in foul trouble and generally couldn't get anything done offensively. Hedo Turkoglu had 16 points and Jameer Nelson added 12 points.

Off the bench, J.J. Redick (11 points) and Ryan Anderson (10 points) did a solid job.

In all the games that Rajon Rondo has missed, it is easy to point to this one as the game in which they missed him the most. Nate Robinson (7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 of 15 shooting) was miserable and without Delonte West, the Celts offense was out of whack.

Boston led 20-19 after the first quarter and 46-36 at halftime. The Celts were up 63-57 after three quarters before they fell apart in the fourth (29-15 Orlando).

The Magic shot 39.4% which is normally grimy but it was more than enough yesterday. Boston shot a pitiful 34.6% and even worse, the Magic hit seven more 3-pointers (11-4). Orlando had six more rebounds (45-39) and six more blocks (9-3).

The Cs will try to start a new win streak on Tuesday when they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers.

Oh my, not again

For a team up 3-1, with another chance to close out and get to the NBA Finals (for the second time in three years), it's hard to imagine a more batshit crazy game than last night's Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic.

When the dust had settled on a wacky and shady contest, the Magic had won 113-92 at Amway Arena, sending the game back to Boston for basically a must-win Game 6 tomorrow night at the TD Garden.

Things are complicated by the fact that Glen Davis and Marquis Daniels both sustained concussions last night, Rasheed Wallace fouled out but then left the bench with back spasms and Kendrick Perkins was tossed for two technical fouls. Since Perk has seven, he could have been suspended for Game 6 but the NBA wisely rescinded one of the two pathetic calls.

Got all that?

The refs were a joke and did nothing to dissuade anyone from saying that the NBA is rigged. Still, Orlando dominated this game physically and found their game (going 13-for-25 on 3-pointers).

I'm doing my best not to make a Bruins reference but the similarities are eerie. The team down 3-0 wins Game 4 in OT then in a Game 5 blowout. Yikes. And for a playoff schedule that is ridiculously long, it figures that the Celts have no time to rest as their bodies pile up on the sidelines.

For the second game in a row, Jameer Nelson (24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and Dwight Howard (21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks) were the two best players on the floor. Rashard Lewis even found a way to brave his stomach virus and was effective with 14 points and seven assists. J.J. Redick continued to outplay Vince Carter, adding 14 points.

Sheed actually led Boston with 21 points in just 18 minutes. Rajon Rondo (19 points, 6 assists) and Paul Pierce (18 points) but they shot a combined 12-for-29 from the field. Kevin Garnett (10 points) and Ray Allen (9 points) were non-factors.

This was a game that the Magic owned from start to finish; they led 31-27 after one quarter and 57-49 at the half. The C's were able to cut it to six a couple times in the second half but with their lack of healthy, in rhythm players, they were cooked.

Orlando owned all the numbers: shooting 52.2% to Boston's 43.1%. The Magic made six more threes and five more free throws with 17 more rebounds.

The fact that Shelden Williams and Brian Scalabrine could see minutes in the most important game of the season is horrifying but here we are. Big Baby said after the game that he'll play but after losing a tooth and stumbling around the court last night after being elbowed by Howard, he clearly was messed up.

Magic lose for the first time since April 2

Remember when nobody gave the Celtics a chance heading into the 2010 playoffs? It seems like a long time ago since they knocked out the Cavs and yesterday beat Orlando 92-88 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Amway Arena.

Boston played great for the first three quarters, leading by as much as 20 and although the Magic cut it to two points with eight seconds left, the Celts hit their free throws to ice it.

It was shockingly easy against a team that had won all eight of its playoff games and 14 overall. They hadn't lost since April 2 and it's clear that they didn't know how to react to getting their ass kicked.

Ray Allen led the Celts with 25 points and seven rebounds while Paul Pierce notched 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Rasheed Wallace scored 13 off the bench, Kevin Garnett had eight points and 11 rebounds, Rajon Rondo added eight points and eight assists while Tony Allen and Glen Davis had six points off the bench.

Vince Carter (23 points) and Jameer Nelson (20 points, 9 rebounds) were the only Magic players to show up. Dwight Howard (13 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks) still looks like a guy that can't solve the defense of Perk, Sheed and Big Baby.

Boston led 22-14 after the first quarter and 41-32 at the end of the ugly first half. The Celts were able to take the third quarter (33-26) which let them hang on in the fourth (30-18 for Orlando).

Orlando is the best 3-point shooting team in the NBA but they looked nothing like that team yesterday, shooting 5-for-22. They had seven more rebounds (45-38) but the C's did a much better job spreading it around (21-10 assists).

Is it too early to call Game 2 a must-win for the Magic? I don't think so; no doubt they'll play ten times better than yesterday but if the Celtics can pull out another road win, this series could be over quickly.

The Celtics can't beat good teams, simple as that

Remember when the Celtics consistently beat the NBA's best teams? On the road, at home, back-to-back, it didn't matter.

Times have changed as the Celts are still a good team but right now, nobody can say that they're great.

Thanks to a coma in the third quarter (36-11), Boston (32-17) choked away an 11-point halftime lead and lost to the Orlando Magic (34-17) 96-89 yesterday afternoon at the TD Garden.

That wrapped up the season series with the Magic taking it 3-1. Overall, the Celtics are 1-7 against Orlando and Atlanta this season, two teams they are very likely to see in the playoffs.

Vince Carter led Orlando with 20 points and Dwight Howard battled foul trouble but still managed 16 points and 13 rebounds. Jameer Nelson had 15 points, Rashard Lewis scored 14 points and Matt Barnes added 11 points.

Rajon Rondo nearly had a triple double with 17 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Ray Allen added 14 points, Kevin Garnett had 13 points and nine rebounds while Paul Pierce scored 13 after missing the last two games.

Key reserve Marquis Daniels after missing just over two months of action and scored eight points off the bench.

Boston led 24-23 after the first quarter and 51-40 at halftime in one of their best halves of the season. Of course, they juxtaposed this with their usual third quarter/second half meltdown.

The C's outscored the Magic 27-20 in the fourth and cut it down to five points but it was too late. A 19-0 Orlando run in the third quarter, thanks to some great outside shooting, put them in control for the rest of the contest.

Boston has one more game before the All-Star break as they travel to New Orleans (good timing) on Wednesday night to play the Hornets minus star point guard Chris Paul.

You can't just walk into Amway Arena expecting to win

The Celtics' three-game cage match started last night in Orlando and things looked great as Boston built a 16-point lead on the Magic.

Sadly this was just a prelude for an epic choke job in the fourth quarter that was capped off by Rashard Lewis' (game-high 23 points) layup with 1.3 seconds remaining.

Boston (29-14) had a great look at the buzzer but Rasheed Wallace (17 points) airballed a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Orlando (30-16) held on for the 96-94 win that the C's completely pissed away.

On the night that they were named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, Paul Pierce (12 points) and Rajon Rondo (11 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) didn't submit their best games by any means.

Spurred by Rasheed and 10 points from Eddie House, Boston's bench scored a season-high 41 points but it still wasn't enough to make up for subpar games from Kevin Garnett (6 points, 7 rebounds) and Kendrick Perkins (4 points, 3 rebounds).

Ray Allen was the only Celtic with what could be termed a nice stat line of 20 points on 8 of 12 shooting.

Dwight Howard had 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for the Magic while Jameer Nelson scored 12 and J.J. Redick had 11 off the bench (including a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter).

It should not have come to that since Boston led 34-23 after the first quarter and 51-40 at the half. They still held the 11-point lead going into the fourth (62-51).

After it was over, Inside the NBA, which is by far the best NBA coverage, said that the Big Three had been 86-0 in games that they went into the fourth quarter with double-digit leads. So there is that.

The numbers indicated a close game since the C's made six more threes (12-6) but the Magic converted many more free throws (26-12). Orlando was also beastly on the boards (47-32), which is particularly surprising since Howard didn't go crazy and finally Boston was much more unselfish (22-8 assists).

I'd love to see the Celtics put it behind them and play great in Atlanta tonight but as I've said earlier in the season, nobody in the NBA has the Celtics' number or matches up with them as well as the Hawks. In the ATL on the second night of a back-to-back against Eastern Conference contenders makes the challenge that much tougher.

So this is how it ends?

I guess we were all just lying to ourselves when we thought the Boston Celtics (minus KG and Leon Powe) could actually advance to the Eastern Conference finals, where LeBron and the Cavs surely would have wiped the floor with them.

Reality was a bitter pill to swallow last night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the Garden as the Orlando Magic stomped the Celtics, 101-82.

The defending NBA champions are out and when you think about it, how did they even make it this far?

Playing an eight-man rotation, the C's outlasted Chicago in seven games then had a 3-2 series lead vs. Orlando before losing the last two.

It's a testament to Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Ray Allen, Glen Davis, Eddie House, Doc Rivers, etc. that Boston made that much noise.

Whether it was being a homer or just not believing in the Magic, I really thought the C's would win going into last night but they simply ran out of gas.

The Magic were also 13-of-21 on 3-pointers and Boston could not get enough stops on defense, coupled with hoops.

Hedo Turkoglu led Orlando with a game-high 25 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Rashard Lewis added 19 points and Mickael Pietrus once again dominated off the bench with 17 points. Is he really that good? Boston made him look like an All-Star in the series.

Rafer Alston had 15 points and Dwight Howard notched 12 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks.

After an awful series individually, Ray Allen was the only Celtic to show up last night offensively. Allen had a team-high 23 points. Pierce only managed 16 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Davis added 13 points, Rondo went for 10 points, 10 assists and six boards while Perk added eight points and 15 boards.

Orlando started off on a roll and led 27-17 after the first quarter. Boston cut it to 45-38 at the half.

The C's had one last gasp as they outscored the Magic 23-21 in the third but Orlando had a 13-1 run in the fourth that sent the Garden crowd to the exits.

Orlando meets the Cavs while the Lakers (who blew out the Rockets in a Game 7) host the Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.

More than anything, the finality of last night is the most painful thing. Once we knew KG wasn't coming back this postseason, we were resigned to our fate of not winning another title this June. Still, with triple-headers (Celts, Bruins and Red Sox) filling our weeks for the past month, it's crazy that now we don't have anything except the Red Sox for the next few months until Pats training camp and preseason heats up.

Nobody will cry for Boston fans since we've been spoiled for the past decade but it is still a rough patch for what had been an awesome spring.

With the Big Three returning and healthy (fingers crossed), the C's have another great shot at a title next season. Rondo and Perk made so much progress in one season, it's almost hard to believe. The biggest offseason questions revolve around whether to resign Big Baby (YES!) and Powe (depends on how his knee looks). This team has another run in them, I think that was proven by their heart this postseason.