Comeback falls short, Celtics lose Game 1 to Magic
You can almost call it a comeback.
Down 28 points with 8:36 left in the third quarter, the Celtics mounted a furious charge to close within four points with less than two minutes left in the game but could not get all the way back, losing to the Orlando Magic, 95-90, in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series at TD Banknorth Garden. Game 2 is Wednesday night in Boston.
Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo combined to go 2 of 14 in the first half and helped dig the Celtics into a deep hole. The Magic used a 24-6 run in the final five minutes of the second quarter to take a commanding lead at the break.
But being a game of runs, the Celtics made a couple of their own to get back into it. The Celtics trimmed 12 points off the lead by the end of the third quarter, and they started the fourth quarter with a 9-3 run to get back within 10. They waited a little too long to make their final run of the game, however, and ultimately came up short.
Paul Pierce nailed a three at the 2:42 mark of the fourth quarter, piggybacking off a Brian Scalabrine three on the previous possession to bring the Celtics to within 89-83. It got to 91-87 on two free throws by Pierce, but the Magic were able to hold on.
The Garden crowd was lifeless in the first half as the Celtics failed to earn a single trip to the free throw line, but the home team gave the crowd something to cheer about by fixing that problem in the second half. Rondo got to the line himself 12 times in the third quarter, while Pierce got there four times.
Rashard Lewis had 14 points in the first half and finished as Orlando’s leading scorer with 18. Dwight Howard had 16 points and 22 rebounds for the Magic.
The Celtics were plagued by foul trouble all night. Pierce picked up his third foul at the 4:05 mark in the second quarter and had to be replaced, while Glen Davis picked up his fifth foul with 0.4 seconds remaining in the third. Davis fouled out in the final minute of the game. Pierce led the Celtics with 23 points, while Rondo had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists.
We’ll be back with news and notes from both locker rooms.
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