Welcome to Game 5 …

ORLANDO, Fla. — Welcome to Amway Arena, where the Boston Celtics will take on the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at 8:30 p.m. (ESPN). The Celtics lead the best-of-seven series, 3-1.

What does momentum count for in a playoff series? I ask the question because it’s all over ESPN today in relation to the Lakers-Suns series. Are the Suns now in control of that series despite the homecourt disadvantage? By that same token, do the Magic have a better chance of winning Game 5 tonight because they won Game 4? Or does the team that’s already won three games in this series have the edge, considering they’ve proven they can win consistently on this stage? Or, if you don’t believe in momentum at all, is tonight’s game a singular item, unaffected by any game to come before it?

Media coverage tends to skew toward the philosophical during the playoffs. Whether it’s because the playoffs are philosophically different for the players involved — or because the media has too much time to fill between games — is up for debate.

For the sake of argument, let’s approach tonight’s game as a singular entity. The Celtics have proven they are as likely to win on the road as they are at home. And outside of the first quarter of Game 4, defense has not failed the Celtics this series. So it’s not unrealistic to expect a Boston win so long as the Celtics can do a better job containing Jameer Nelson’s penetration. Rajon Rondo will need to play better as well.

For Orlando, the status quo probably will not do. But if the Magic get what they got from Nelson and Dwight Howard in Game 4 and added a strong game from Vince Carter, that might be enough to get the win.

Magic forward Rashard Lewis, who has been playing with a stomach virus, is out on the court warming up right now. That’s a good sign for Magic fans, who could use a big performance from Lewis tonight. On the other end of the court, the little-used Marquis Daniels is warming for the Celtics. Ray Allen has already come and gone. And fans are starting to line up outside the arena in preparation for this one. It’s a big deal here to have another home game. Expect this place to be very, very loud.

A stat to ponder while waiting for the game to start: The Celtics are 5-2 on the road during these playoffs. The previous two postseasons combined, the Celtics were 5-13.