The battle began again at the Amway Arena. Blue and green were as much a part of the game as the players themselves.
Boos and awws were uttered as both teams took the court for the pregame warm up. The Magic’s loss to the Celtics on Sunday did not discourage the fans. Once again a packed house brought the excitement and motivation needed for Game 2.
—But it wasn’t enough.
The Celtics beat the Magic 95-92 after an intense fourth quarter and now they take the lead back to their hometown of Boston for Game 3.
Tip off already had the Magic scrambling to find their footing. Carter fouls right off the bat and Barnes takes advantage, creating a lead for the Celtics and leaving the Magic in the dust.
After a block by Pierce, Howard doesn’t forgive and receives his first foul of the game landing on top of reporters on the first row with a smile on his face.
It’s all good superman, we still believe.
The referees do not believe in Magic in the first quarter. Rashard Lewis fouls on a block shot and the Celtics are ahead 12-19. The Celtics take advantage of a travel by Howard and land another three points.
—It’s time for a comeback
JJ Redick goes in. Carter goes out. With a beautiful jump shot from behind the three point line he ties the game for the first time with 1:25 left on the clock.
After a tough few minutes of who’s going to get the ball, JJ Redick gets the final touch and lands another three points. The Magic lead for the first time in the game 28-25. The crowd goes wild. Somebody should invent blue beer.
The Celtics don’t take too kindly to that…
The second quarter starts with a nice lay up by Ray Allen and once again the Celtics take the lead. Williams with a jump shot tries to get three points down but misses. Don’t you worry; Howard is there with the rebound to dunk. Magic lead 30-29.
The Celtics take advantage of the messy way in which the Magic are passing the ball and leaving the paint open. Too many physical fouls on the second quarter gets the teams ticked off. The crowd wants blood…. It works for now. It’s all tied 49-49.
—intense ball play in the third quarter.
The Magic get the ball but can’t shoot for the life of them. The Celtics came back full force with Kevin Garret and Paul Pierce hitting almost anything outside and inside the paint. The lead is now 10 points with 4:32 left on the third quarter.
The Magic seem tired and lacking in the defense department. The Celtics are getting in the paint and scoring with ease. What do we have to do to get back in this game?
–70-78 green team. Fourth Quarter is do or die.
The Celtics lead 81-73 but now Orlando hits two three-pointers in a roll with Williams and Pietrus taking command of the ship. But as they realize the clock is against them, they rush, creating confusion and bad plays.
Is it possible? Not likely if you think about the way the Magic keep wasting free throws…
Travel by the Celtics in the paint with 3:52 left. Magic get the ball. You can cut the tension with a knife. Score on a jump shot by Superman and the Magic lead 90-89. What now???
Intense 2 minutes. Celtics land a three shot by Ray Allen. Nelson misses his and the score is now 92-90. Magic on defense gets the rebound and are off to the offense. Howard scores on a left hook.
48 seconds… 92-93. Vince Carter where are you?
Carter gets fouled. The chance for a come back is in his hands. Miss and miss with 30 seconds left. Van Gundy shakes his head and the fans watch in disbelief.
—Celtics win Game 2.
So what happened? It’s the first time the Magic lost two consecutive games in a row since last season during the finals against the Lakers.
Dwight Howard had 30 points, and Vince Carter and JJ Redick scored 16 apiece for the Magic, who overcame an 11-point deficit. But they couldn’t hold it.
“I don’t take losses well,” said Carter. “For me to step up there and miss two free throws, regardless, this doesn’t sit well with me.”
The Celtics, under scrutiny by many for being too old for another title, are not letting the win make them too comfortable.
“The feeling of the team right now is just focus. Only thing we did was win two games,” said Pierce who scored 28 points. “Our fans won’t let us relax. We’re going to try and close it out in four games.”
Game 3 is in Boston this Saturday.
Here are the stats for the game…
Magic
* 18 Assists
* 14 Turnovers
* 9 Steals
* 2 Blocks
* Lead by 3 points
Celtics
* 20 Assists
* 13 Turnovers
* 7 Steals
* 6 Blocks
* Lead by 11 points
Fernanda Barros reporting for West Orlando News Online
Great Work Fernanda! I love this piece!