The key is to pick something up along the way at every stop. LeBron James got to an NBA Finals he couldn't win back in 2007 and has been driven to get back by that failure ever since.

Unless Orlando shocks the world and wins its next two series, falling short will soon serve as a valuable learning tool for Van Gundy, Howard and the rest of the group.

That will be more than acceptable. Losing to the Celtics wouldn't have been.

Orlando was so much better than depleted Boston that it held fourth-quarter leads in six of the seven games. Had the Magic failed in their Game 7 mission, they would've been eliminated in exactly the same place they were tripped up a year ago, when Detroit rose up again to impede their progress.

Under Van Gundy, the Magic have grown up a lot in a very short time. The version that lost to the Pistons would've again been victimized by a veteran team in Game 7. They would've never been able to overcome the loss of Jameer Nelson. They would've never won in Philadelphia without Howard in Game 6 of round 1.

They've now graduated to overcoming a self-induced firestorm of criticism and finger-pointing to notch consecutive wins and end a 32-series streak of Celtic success once up 3-2. By 19 points. In a game they never trailed.

Van Gundy and Howard got through a massive blowout, coming out stronger for it. Their relationship will be essential to winning a championship, more than likely later than sooner. Those bonds typically take longer than two seasons to build, not to mention a few more rollercoaster rides.

Whatever happens for Orlando from here on out this postseason is gravy. Even if we're calling them idiots and bums on Wednesday, the Magic have guaranteed themselves progress.

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Jim Rogash / Getty Images

Not in his house

Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 85-75 in Game 7 on Saturday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

CSN: Rondo's big-game DNA shines  |  Highlights

CSN: You may not see it from start to finish, but when the game — or in this case, postseason life — is on the line, you see just how good Rajon Rondo can be.

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