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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| CELTICS | 34 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 94 |
| MAGIC | 23 | 17 | 21 | 35 | 96 |
Recap:
ORLANDO (AP) -- Rashard Lewis made the go-ahead layup with 1.3 seconds remaining, and the Orlando Magic overcame a 16-point deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 96-94 on Thursday night.
Lewis took the ball after a broken play and sprinted down the baseline past Kevin Garnett for an uncontested layup. Rasheed Wallace missed 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Magic their second victory in three games against the Celtics this season.
Lewis led the Magic with 23 points, and Dwight Howard overcome early foul trouble to finish with 19 points and 10 rebounds, including 11 points in the fourth quarter.
Ray Allen had 20 points, and Wallace added 17 for the Celtics, who took a big lead on potent 3-point shooting but wilted from outside in the final period.
The Magic came back with a lineup that featured centers Howard and Marcin Gortat. The rare pairing paid off for Orlando.
They stifled Boston defensively and hooked up on a nifty alley-oop that Howard finished with a powerful dunk. Gortat even gave Orlando its first lead with a 17-foot jumper off the glass, making it 84-83 with 4:52 remaining.
The once punishing defensive game became a furious, frantic push to the buzzer with each team matching shot for shot.
Paul Pierce's 3-pointer from the wing put Boston back in front 92-91. Wallace then blocked a shot by Carter and later stole it from Orlando's shooting guard before Rajon Rondo hit a running layup to give Boston a 94-91 lead.
But Redick answered with a 3-pointer rolling off a screen to tie it, and he contested a 3-pointer by Allen to give Orlando the chance for the win in regulation.
On the final Magic possession, Redick tried to get the ball to Carter but was swarmed with defenders. Eventually Lewis took the ball in the corner and went past Garnett for the winner.
The bullying basketball Boston does best against the Magic completely disappeared.
Fouling and frustrating Orlando early, the Celtics smothers Howard defensively. The aggressive play paralyzed the Magic at the start.
Only a few minutes into the game, Pierce was called for a foul on Howard after a a hard hack to prevent him from an easy dunk. Matt Barnes took offense, said something to Pierce and the two went nose-to-nose at full pitch. Each was whistled for a technical foul.
The Celtics got Howard in foul trouble and built a 13-point lead in the second quarter with Orlando's big man on the bench. The Magic got within six before Brian Scalabrine made a 3-pointer, Allen hit two from beyond the arc before the half and then hit two straight shots - including another 3-pointer - to start the third quarter and stretch Boston's lead to 56-40.
NOTES: The Magic wore their vintage black pinstripe uniforms. ... Rondo, who was voted a reserve to his first All-Star game Thursday, said the biggest goal he made in the offseason was to make the first-team defense. Teammate Paul Pierce also made the All-Star team to join Garnett, who was voted an East starter by the fans. ... Carter started the game without his protective undershirt for his injured left shoulder. By the second quarter, he had the white undergear back on.
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POSTGAME HIGHLIGHTS:
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Preview:
(STATS) -- Since Kevin Garnett returned to the lineup, the Boston Celtics have turned in a pair of impressive defensive efforts, unsurprisingly resulting in a pair of victories.
Both of those things also happened when the Celtics visited Orlando on Christmas Day.
The Magic look to avenge their holiday loss as the Eastern Conference powers renew their rivalry Thursday night, with Boston set to begin a challenging two-day road trip.
The Celtics (29-13) lost six times during Garnett's 10-game absence due to a knee injury, with opponents averaging nearly 100 points and shooting 46.4 percent from the field.
The return of the 2007-08 NBA defensive player of the year has immediately helped the defense, with Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers both shooting under 39 percent in losses to the Celtics in the last week.
"I think I'm just talking," Garnett said of his defensive presence. "I'm trying to bring a continued awareness of defense, a continued awareness of energy."
The 95-89 win over the Clippers on Monday was sparked offensively by 22 points from Paul Pierce, who was 11 of 11 from the free throw line. Garnett had 17 points and Rajon Rondo finished with 16 points and 12 assists for his 19th double-double, already a career high.
"We have to be consistent with what we do," Garnett told the NBA's official Web site. "We can't come out here and do it against the Clippers and then show up in Orlando and do something else."
The Celtics certainly brought their best defensive effort Dec. 25 in Orlando, holding the Magic to a season-worst 33.3 percent shooting in an 86-77 win. Orlando center Dwight Howard scored a season-low five points and was 1 of 7 from the field.
"It wasn't the prettiest ball," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "It was ugly ball. I don't necessarily think it was bad basketball, but two teams playing extremely hard and great defense."
The victory was the Celtics' first over Orlando since the Magic eliminated a Garnett-less Boston team in seven games in last season's East semifinals. Orlando beat the Celtics 83-78 on Nov. 20 in another defensive struggle won by the road team.
The Magic (29-16) had won three straight before a 99-94 defeat at Memphis on Monday, a loss that came despite 27 points, 15 rebounds and six blocked shots from Howard. The reigning defensive player of the year has 13 blocks and 35 rebounds in his last two games.
There are lingering concerns offensively for Orlando, which has shot worse than 44 percent nine times during a 5-8 stretch. Vince Carter is shooting 31.1 percent in that stretch surrounding a three-game absence due to a shoulder problem.
The problems from the field have been exacerbated by a troubling trend of turnovers. The Magic had 19 at Memphis, their fourth time in the last seven games with at least that many.
"The turnovers are creeping up, and it's every game," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "It's tough because we're putting so much pressure on ourselves at the offensive end, and we're not shooting the ball great."
While Orlando is 16-4 at home, the Celtics have the NBA's best road record at 16-6 as they begin a difficult trip, which concludes at Atlanta on Friday. Boston has lost all three meetings with the Hawks, who lead Orlando in the Southeast Division.
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Live Baseline Blog:
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Game Notes:
Jan. 28 vs. Boston: Orlando is 38-43 all-time vs. Boston in regular season action (27-14 at home, 11-29 on the road), including 1-1 this season (see recaps below)…The Magic went 2-2 last season against the Celtics...The Magic are 7-4 vs. the Celtics in the playoffs (1-1 at home, 2-0 on the road, 1995 first round series; 2-1 at home, 2-2 on the road, 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals)...The Magic have won 11 of the last 17 regular season matchups with the Celtics overall…Orlando has won seven of the last nine meetings at home and split the last eight matchups in Boston…Orlando defeated Boston in the last game ever played at the Boston Garden, 95-92, on May 5, 1995...Assistant Coach Steve Clifford coached at Boston University for four years…For last season’s stats and Magic career numbers vs. Boston, see p. 238 of the media guide…Nov. 20 @ Boston – Magic 83, Celtics 78: Vince Carter poured in a game-high 26 points, as Orlando defeated Boston, 83-78, at TD Garden. It was the fourth straight victory for the Magic. Rashard Lewis tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando, while Mickael Pietrus added 14 points. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 21 points. Orlando shot just 41.4 percent and committed 21 turnovers. However, they held Boston to just 34.5 percent shooting from the floor, including 2-of-19 from three-point range. Orlando led 29-13 after the first quarter, but the Celtics fought back and trailed 43-40 at halftime. Rasheed Wallace’s short jumper with 2:54 remaining tied the score at 78. However, Carter responded with a short fadeaway on the next possession to give the Magic the lead for good…Dec. 25 vs. Boston – Celtics 86, Magic 77: Rajon Rondo tallied 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, as Boston defeated Orlando, 86-77, at a sold-out Amway Arena on Christmas Day. The loss snapped the Magic’s six-game home win streak. Ray Allen led the Celtics with 18 points. Vince Carter led the Magic and all scorers with 27 points, while Dwight Howard pulled down 20 rebounds for the third time in four games. Orlando shot a season-low 33.3 percent from the floor, including 5-of-26 from three-point range. The Magic set a franchise-low by scoring just eight points during the second quarter. They were outscored during the frame, 20-8. Orlando also dished out a franchise-low seven assists in the game.
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. CELTICS: 44 pts., Tracy McGrady (@ Orlando, 1-16-04)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 46 pts., Larry Bird (@ Orlando, 3-16-90)
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