Orlando at Boston

Cloudy Currently: Boston, MA
Temp: 45° F
  • Game info: 8:00 pm EDT Mon May 4, 2009
  • TV: TNT

By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer May 3, 2:54 pm EDT

Preview | Box Score | Recap | Series Breakdown
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BOSTON (AP)—Celtics coach Doc Rivers has a bed in Boston and a bed in Orlando and will get a chance to sleep in both in the second round of the NBA playoffs.

That’s if he gets any sleep at all.

The Celtics played a record seven overtime periods through six games of their first-round series against Chicago, and then beat the Bulls in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Magic. The defending champions had just one day off to rest up for Game 1 of the second round on Monday night at the new Boston Garden.

“And here we are again,” Celtics guard Ray Allen said, moments after the Game 7 victory over Chicago kept alive the team’s chances of an unprecedented 18th NBA title. “This is a great time of the year for the fans in Boston. There’s definitely more basketball, and it’s right here coming on Monday.”

Boston and Orlando split their four-game regular-season series, a record that is of little consolation for the Celtics because Kevin Garnett missed one and played 16 minutes in the other before aggravating the right knee injury that is expected to keep him out for the duration of the playoffs. He is expected to have surgery as soon as it’s clear he won’t be ready to help in the postseason.

“We didn’t win either game without Kevin,” said Rivers, a former Magic coach and still an offseason resident of Orlando. “And so we’re going to have to go and find out why.”

Confident of victory—or preparing, just in case—Rivers had his staff put a playbook for a possible Orlando series in the players’ cars when they arrived at the Garden for Game 7 on Saturday night. He gave the team the day off on Sunday to rest up, meaning the only time they’ll work specifically on Orlando would be Monday’s pregame shootaround.

“It’s similar to last year. I mean, we never got a break in the playoff series last year,” Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. “I’d rather keep playing anyway. I think you get three, four days off you kind of lose it a little bit. Hey, just like the regular season, you play every other day, let’s keep it going.”

The Magic wrapped up their series against Philadelphia in six games on Thursday, and apparently have time to spare: They watched film of Garnett on Sunday, skeptical of whether the injured star is really out for the playoffs as the Celtics maintain. (Rivers has compared reports of Garnett’s return to Bigfoot sightings.)

“I don’t have any idea if he’ll play, but we watched film on him,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Besides that, it’s not like you’re going to go, ‘Kevin Garnett? I never heard of him. What does he do?’ I think we can make that adjustment pretty quickly. I think we all have a pretty good idea of who Kevin Garnett is.”

The Magic have their own injuries.

Guard Courtney Lee is recovering from surgery on a fractured sinus that he injured in Game 5 against the 76ers. He has been cleared to play with a protective mask, but he is expected to miss at least the first two games of the Celtics series. J.J. Redick is expected to start in his place.

Lee was injured by teammate Dwight Howard, but another one of the Magic center’s wayward elbows almost proved more costly. He was suspended for Game 6 in the first round for hitting Philadelphia’s Samuel Dalembert, leaving Howard back at his hotel room blogging and Tweeting while his teammates finished off the Sixers.

When he was done rooting for his teammates, Howard took an interest in the Celtics and Bulls.

He got what he wanted.

“If you want to be the champs, you have to beat the champs,” he said, dismissing any notion of a Celtics mystique. “I believe in the Magic mystique; I never thought about that. They put on their pants just like we do. There’s two baskets on the floor, and seats.”

AP Sports Writer Antonio Gonzalez in Orlando, Fla., contributed to this story.

Updated May 3, 2:54 pm EDT
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Team Comparison

Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Orlando 59-23 1st Southeast / 3rd East 101.0 94.4 Road 27-14 Won 1 5-5
Boston 62-20 1st Atlantic / 2nd East 100.9 93.4 Home 35-6 Won 2 8-2

Notes

April 22 C Dwight Howard's previous playoff high was 29 points against the Raptors in the first round last year. He had 31 points and 16 rebounds in his 15th career playoff game. ... Central Florida resident and the Magic's most famous fan, Tiger Woods, was sitting at his courtside seat across from Philadelphia's bench. ... F Rashard Lewis had missed the last three games with right knee tendinitis. F Hedo Turkoglu had been sidelined for the last two games with a sprained left ankle.

Apr 19, 10:33 pm EDT

F Kevin Garnett spent the entire game on the bench, mostly standing. In the opener, he was there for the first half but stayed in the locker room after intermission. ... Red Sox pitchers Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Justin Masterson attended the game. Masterson was the winning pitcher in a 12-1 victory over Baltimore on Monday, allowing one run in 5 1-3 innings. ... Owner Wyc Grousbeck was at the game after finishing the Boston Marathon earlier Monday in 4:16:49. He sat next to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Apr 20, 11:42 pm EDT
NBA

125 Comments

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  1. French
    125. Posted by French Mon May 18 1:13am EDT

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    i know i cant say its luck, but bump that. IT WAS ALL LUCK!!!!!!!!!
  2. kenneth d
    124. Posted by kenneth d Wed May 6 9:52am EDT

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    Thats the key..... NO KG. Orlando's only chance in this series was to have the Celts without KG. How sad is that? KG has to be out for Orlando to have a chance. No team in the NBA can do what the Celtics are doing now. Sit LeBron, sit Kobe and see where those teams will be. Cavs and Lakers are 1 man teams. Celtics won't win championship this year but ONLY because of injuries.
  3. John
    123. Posted by John Tue May 5 5:02pm EDT

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    the celtics are done for the year sorry
  4. Alex D
    122. Posted by Alex D Tue May 5 4:48pm EDT

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    Stephon Marbury bangwagon anyone?
  5. David M
    121. Posted by David M Tue May 5 4:18pm EDT

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    DWB: We watch the games and listen to the commentary. The Celtics are quite capable of beating themselves. I just wonder why they need an opponent or fans to get that lame-a** job done.
    I can't wait to see the Celtic's best and no excuses.
  6. AmdmonkeyA
    120. Posted by AmdmonkeyA Tue May 5 4:15pm EDT

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    It is over Boston Celtic fans.

    How in hell this team ever won any championship last year is beyond reason but without your main man, your team sucks.

    if your man had not cheated and gotten away with it, the Celtics would have lost to the Bulls but now they are toast.

    Celtics suck.
  7. D.W.B.
    119. Posted by D.W.B. Tue May 5 3:46pm EDT

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    does anyone hating on the Celtics even watch the games or just watch sports center ? the celtics beat themselves, it was not the mgjic beating them .try watching if your gonna talk smack .last i checked TNT is free
  8. Derek M
    118. Posted by Derek M Tue May 5 3:40pm EDT

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    This series is far from over lol, some of the people on here sayin celtics dont even have a chance, u guys know nothing about basketball. After first game in bulls series, everyone on this page said" celtics are done i mean they lost a game". Well idiots a series is 7 games. I actually think the celtics will take it in 6.
  9. <i>tyler.scott57</i>
    117. Posted by tyler.scott57 Tue May 5 3:25pm EDT

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    when the celtics win I will have a party. p.s all other teams suck
  10. <i>p.young64</i>
    116. Posted by p.young64 Tue May 5 3:01pm EDT

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    It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win. Go Magic, 1 down 3 to go. The celtics looked worn-out in the first half and the magic couldn't get thier act together in the second half which made it a close game at the end. I think the magic will take the series in 6 games. And for all you that want to give the championship to the Cavs, the last time the magic played the Cavs they beat the stuffing out of them by 40 points, take that to the bank.
  11. David M
    115. Posted by David M Tue May 5 3:01pm EDT

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    Boston has so many excuses to not win that I'm sure they will take one of them. I wonder how Danny Ainge is going to re-tool the team once they get ELIMINATED. Who on this team is going to be traded?
  12. <i>dpmplew1</i>
    114. Posted by dpmplew1 Tue May 5 2:55pm EDT

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    great job my idol jj redick beasted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  13. Mister M
    113. Posted by Mister M Tue May 5 2:49pm EDT

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    funny how we [THE Celtics] can come all the way back from a huge deficit to nearly WIN the first game of the SERIES [underline series]. and we did all this WITHOUT k.g. & leon.
    REMINDER to all fairydust magic fans: we lost game one of the ATL series, too.
    and
    Boston Celtics own THE MOST N B A Championships. regardless.
    and
    we ARE the reigning champs.
    period.
  14. luvSportz
    112. Posted by luvSportz Tue May 5 2:37pm EDT

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    &&&&& 1 more thing Never underestimate the heart of a champion
  15. Bucs_fan_since_78
    111. Posted by Bucs_fan_since_78 Tue May 5 2:37pm EDT

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    If BS posts by fans counted as baskets, the Celtics would win in five.

    As it is theough baskets not posts count, and the Magic will prevail.

    I said before the series that if we went up to Boston and took them the first game in their house, it would mean a lot in this series. What's done is done. Boston is in a hole.
  16. luvSportz
    110. Posted by luvSportz Tue May 5 2:37pm EDT

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    oh yeah and I cant believe they lost at home....and can somebody tell me what te hell is wrong with Rajon!! i think we should start Stephon for a while he exploeded in the 1st half ...Doc your one of my fav. 5 coaches soooooo watcha gonna do?
  17. luvSportz
    109. Posted by luvSportz Tue May 5 2:34pm EDT

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    So the Celtics Lost but they almost came back but paul missed the three..Proud of of D'wight 22 rebounds..............Boston and Magic are kinda missed matched .........but Congrats to Lebron Even tho i wanted D. WaD3 to get it but Lebron worked hard 2 ............... This season wasnt what i expected but the Playoffs are okay.......we miss u KG and Leon Powe.Badly
  18. Nick W
    108. Posted by Nick W Tue May 5 1:44pm EDT

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    I know the boston celtics will comback when kevin gets better. The celtics will never give up. They will win in orlando to get this game back. This series will go to 7 games. Boston will advance.
  19. <i>beancounter477</i>
    107. Posted by beancounter477 Tue May 5 1:43pm EDT

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    sooooooooo should we just cancel the rest of the playoffs and just hand Lebron the Championship trophy now or? I luv how every 1 is counting the C's out, probably the same people who said the bulls would win after the C's lost game 1 in that series...
    thats what makes us fans in boston different, we never give up on our teams no matter what the situation.
  20. Bernie Carbo
    106. Posted by Bernie Carbo Tue May 5 1:27pm EDT

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    Its only one game. I believe you have to win 4 to advance. The celtics obviously were flat after grueling through the last series but the Magic did blow a monster lead. The Magic will fade and Boston will take on the Cavs. Its in the cards. But right after last nights game I @#$% out a foot long king snake with a bloody red trailer on the end. After splash down I topped it off with a pint of brown sea foam. It was sweet!
  21. blackvenom
    105. Posted by blackvenom Tue May 5 12:48pm EDT

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    I think magic has the edge in this round...4-2 in favor of orlando...although im a celtics fan but without kevin theres no way u can stop the superman...ciao!
  22. pats 4 life
    104. Posted by pats 4 life Tue May 5 12:34pm EDT

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    ray allen needs to step up, the c's cant win with him shooting 2-12 from the field, and rondo needs to do what he did in the 2nd half and drive to the basket, when he drives to the basket it leaves our shooters open b/c he draws the double, the need to cut it out with getting pp the ball at half court, let rondo set up the offense then dish to pp or ray ray when he drives
  23. TR
    103. Posted by TR Tue May 5 12:28pm EDT

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    The Houston Rockets may be the only team left that can match up with the magic...BUT , the Magic
    has the answer two that if they do what I said last month, That is ti spread out their offense on the
    floor and wait for good open shots, but dont wait too long... because the Magic has Superman under
    the goal for rebounds... amd the magics should drive hard to the basket at an angle the way jordan
    used to .. and they cant get charged with fouling... if they do this then no team can beat them.
  24. Riggsby
    102. Posted by Riggsby Tue May 5 12:25pm EDT

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    Well I don't think the Celtics are done, but after seeing the Bulls series and this game, it clearly proves what I've said all along about KG being the Celtics MVP, and not the self proclaimed best player in the NBA Paul Pierce. Celtics are not a Championship calibur team without KG
  25. hq2315elc
    101. Posted by hq2315elc Tue May 5 12:21pm EDT

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    Hahaha!!! celtics thats what you get. and you paul pierce..ugh!!! he is the biggest cry baby their is. he always wants a foul everytime he shoots the ball or drives to the rim. haha!!

    magic in 6!!!
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