Steve Jones

The Celtics began the playoffs by knocking heads with the Bulls in a series which featured a record four overtime games, three of which Boston lost by margins of 2 points, 3 points, and 1 point. But, in the end, the Celtics prevailed in seven games over Chicago.

You would think coach Doc Rivers’ team would strive to make things easier on itself in the second round against the Orlando Magic.

Think again.

In the series opener in Boston on Monday, the home team came out flat, and stayed that way for quite a while. It did not execute, playing poorly on offense and defense. Early in the third quarter, the Boston deficit was 28 points. These were not your regular-season Celtics, and that combined with the fact that Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe are out injured, had some liking a lot the Magic’s chances of making the Eastern Conference finals.

Maybe some, but not me. Boston mounted a tremendous comeback, and while losing 95-90, showed that if it plays the other games in this series the way it played in the second half of Game 1 vs. Orlando, it will be Orlando that will be sent packing.

Forget the fatigue factor. It won’t come into play. Boston has plenty in the tank despite a high amount of fuel consumed in eliminating Chicago. If the Celtics were fatigued, we would have seen it in Game 1 against the Magic. They showed no signs of being tired, and Rivers has dismissed the notion they’ve lost their legs.

Boston’s come through some playoff scuffles, both last postseason, and now this one. But the Celtics believe in themselves. They’ve been down this road before and they know what it takes to survive it. The Celtics feel they can beat the Magic. They are confident of that.

There may be no Garnett to deal with Dwight Howard, but Boston has three players performing better than last season when they won the NBA championship: Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins.

If anyone gave the Celtics a shot in the arm in the first-round series against the Bulls, it was Davis, who is an aggressive player now. He doesn’t drop his head, he doesn’t lose his way, and he feels he can make consistent contributions to what the Celtics attempt to do on offense. He has improved his confidence as well as his jump shot and free throw shooting.

Rondo just has to stay aggressive and use his speed. He seemed to forget about doing that in the Game 1 loss. When Rondo uses his speed, other teams can’t help off him, and so double-teams on other Celtics aren’t sprouting up like dandelions in the spring.

Rondo’s never going to be a great shooter, and sometimes he loses his confidence. But he’s very aggressive on his drives, and he makes some pretty good decisions at the point. If he can just keep attacking, he’ll keep Orlando point guard Rafer Alston and his teammates on their heels.

Perkins has grown as a player, figuratively that is. And with no Garnett or Powe, the Celtics are depleted up front, so it’s imperative that in defending Howard, Perkins avoid foul trouble. Granted Howard is a handful, but Perkins doesn’t lack for discipline and smarts. He played 48 minutes in the Game 5 overtime win over the Bulls without committing a foul.

Despite missing Garnett, let’s not forget the Celtics have two great perimeter players in Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Both have to come up big in huge games, and both understand they must not only rely on their talent against Orlando, but also on their playoff experience as well.

Allen played very well in the first round, and the Celtics will need more of that against the Magic. He didn’t start well against Orlando, going 2-for-12, and finishing with nine points in Game 1. But he’s capable of being a very explosive, dynamic offensive player, who always is a threat to have a huge quarter. He knows what he does well, and doesn’t try to do more than that.

Boston likes to play a slow down, grind-it-out, physical series. In this way, the Celtics control the opportunities to run. Orlando, on the other hand, will be trying to force the tempo of the game every chance it gets. Orlando is primarily a jump shooting team that takes a ton of three-pointers.

Its style makes it difficult for it to put a quality opponent away. If Orlando is going to beat Boston, it will have to sprint its way to the next round, draining threes left and right. The Magic have to fly up and down the court, get bunches of easy shots, and be very effective from the perimeter.

For the Magic, it’s Howard down low surrounded by jump shooters. The Magic get hurt if they don’t take enough advantage of quick-hitting plays, and also don’t take enough advantage of the strength and quickness of Howard. They have to get something big from Howard on the inside game after game, especially given the absence of Garnett and Powe. If Howard does not take full advantage of his size, quickness, and ability to play above the rim, the Magic lose a tremendous weapon, and without a doubt lose the series.

Rivers has done a magnificent job in not only keeping his players confident, but in keeping them playing well. His message has been that the team is the defending NBA champion. It knows how to come through adversity. He would just prefer it not create so much adversity for itself. Regardless, the Magic aren’t’ taking out the Celtics unless Boston relapses to its flat play of the first half of Game 1. And the odds on that are long.

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