Denton: Magic Set For Final Regular Season Meeting With Celtics
By John Denton
February 7, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Before Orlando and Boston faced off earlier this season in Beantown, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said that the two teams were just simply trying to find themselves now with a much bigger purpose in mind.
``And there’s a feeling there that we could very well see each other again at the end of the season,’’ Rivers said confidently, referring to the Magic-Celtics’ epic seven-game series last spring, one won by Orlando.
Now, on the verge of today’s fourth and final meeting between the Magic (33-17) and the Celtics (32-16), clearly both teams are still trying to find themselves and find their playoff form from last spring. Mere percentage points separate the two teams and they both sit 6.5 games back of East leaders Cleveland, but they have hardly resembled powerhouses of late.
The Magic squandered a 21-point first-quarter lead and lost to the woeful Washington Wizards on Friday night when Caron Butler hit a 15-foot baseline shot with five-tenths of a seconds left. The lost ended a Magic upswing in which they had won seven of the past eight.
The Celtics beat the Magic on Christmas Day, but have been very much a mess since then. They are just 9-11 since Christmas Day, even losing three games in a row. Kevin Garnett (knee) and Paul Pierce (foot) have missed time with injuries and Rajon Rondo revealed recently that the Celtics have been plagued by in-fighting.
But the two teams always seem to bring out the best in one another. The Magic won 83-78 in Boston in November with a strong closing kick. Boston beat up the Magic in Orlando on Christmas Day, and the Magic had a fourth quarter for the ages when they topped the Celtics 96-94 in dramatic fashion a week ago. Rashard Lewis had the game-winner that night, driving around Garnett for the winning points in the closing seconds.
``We just beat those guys and we know they will be ready to put up a fight against us,’’ said Lewis, who appeared to have rescued the Magic with a go-ahead 3-pointer with four seconds left against Washington. ``We’ve just got to put this (Washington) loss behind us and get ready for a good Boston team.’’
Magic center Dwight Howard was as good against Boston last week as he’s been in the past two seasons. He battered Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace for 19 points and 10 rebounds with 11 of the points coming in the deciding fourth quarter. Howard has always said the way to beat the Celtics is to run to get easy baskets and in halfcourt sets to continue to move the ball and not settle for jump shots.
Howard felt like that’s what happened in Friday’s dismal second half against Washington, and he knows Orlando can do that again against Boston or today’s Super Bowl tune-up could turn ugly.
``Both games this year against Washington we had a pretty good lead and then starting settling for jump shots,’’ Howard said. ``You have to keep moving the ball against these teams and not just settle for the first jump shot. Swing the ball from side to side and play inside-out.’’
Rivers said last week that even though Howard hurt the Celtics, he will continue to cover him with one-one-one defense. Assuredly, Perkins, Wallace and Garnett will get turns on Howard in the low post today.
``We don’t mind Howard. Honestly, if Howard scored 40 one-on-one that means their other guys aren’t making threes,’’ Rivers said. ``We’ll take that.’’
And Rivers and the Magic would likely take another playoff rematch in the spring. Today’s game could go a long way in deciding the homecourt advantage. A Magic victory today would give them the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Celtics should the two teams finish the regular season tied.
``We know what kind of team the Celtics are and we expect them to be there again in the playoffs,’’ Lewis said recently. ``They have a rough, veteran team that knows how to win. But we do, too. So we could very well see them again (in the playoffs).’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
By John DentonFebruary 7, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Before Orlando and Boston faced off earlier this season in Beantown, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said that the two teams were just simply trying to find themselves now with a much bigger purpose in mind.
``And there’s a feeling there that we could very well see each other again at the end of the season,’’ Rivers said confidently, referring to the Magic-Celtics’ epic seven-game series last spring, one won by Orlando.
Now, on the verge of today’s fourth and final meeting between the Magic (33-17) and the Celtics (32-16), clearly both teams are still trying to find themselves and find their playoff form from last spring. Mere percentage points separate the two teams and they both sit 6.5 games back of East leaders Cleveland, but they have hardly resembled powerhouses of late.
The Magic squandered a 21-point first-quarter lead and lost to the woeful Washington Wizards on Friday night when Caron Butler hit a 15-foot baseline shot with five-tenths of a seconds left. The lost ended a Magic upswing in which they had won seven of the past eight.
The Celtics beat the Magic on Christmas Day, but have been very much a mess since then. They are just 9-11 since Christmas Day, even losing three games in a row. Kevin Garnett (knee) and Paul Pierce (foot) have missed time with injuries and Rajon Rondo revealed recently that the Celtics have been plagued by in-fighting.
But the two teams always seem to bring out the best in one another. The Magic won 83-78 in Boston in November with a strong closing kick. Boston beat up the Magic in Orlando on Christmas Day, and the Magic had a fourth quarter for the ages when they topped the Celtics 96-94 in dramatic fashion a week ago. Rashard Lewis had the game-winner that night, driving around Garnett for the winning points in the closing seconds.
``We just beat those guys and we know they will be ready to put up a fight against us,’’ said Lewis, who appeared to have rescued the Magic with a go-ahead 3-pointer with four seconds left against Washington. ``We’ve just got to put this (Washington) loss behind us and get ready for a good Boston team.’’
Magic center Dwight Howard was as good against Boston last week as he’s been in the past two seasons. He battered Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace for 19 points and 10 rebounds with 11 of the points coming in the deciding fourth quarter. Howard has always said the way to beat the Celtics is to run to get easy baskets and in halfcourt sets to continue to move the ball and not settle for jump shots.
Howard felt like that’s what happened in Friday’s dismal second half against Washington, and he knows Orlando can do that again against Boston or today’s Super Bowl tune-up could turn ugly.
``Both games this year against Washington we had a pretty good lead and then starting settling for jump shots,’’ Howard said. ``You have to keep moving the ball against these teams and not just settle for the first jump shot. Swing the ball from side to side and play inside-out.’’
Rivers said last week that even though Howard hurt the Celtics, he will continue to cover him with one-one-one defense. Assuredly, Perkins, Wallace and Garnett will get turns on Howard in the low post today.
``We don’t mind Howard. Honestly, if Howard scored 40 one-on-one that means their other guys aren’t making threes,’’ Rivers said. ``We’ll take that.’’
And Rivers and the Magic would likely take another playoff rematch in the spring. Today’s game could go a long way in deciding the homecourt advantage. A Magic victory today would give them the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Celtics should the two teams finish the regular season tied.
``We know what kind of team the Celtics are and we expect them to be there again in the playoffs,’’ Lewis said recently. ``They have a rough, veteran team that knows how to win. But we do, too. So we could very well see them again (in the playoffs).’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
