Magic Try to Take Advantage of Banged Up Celtics in Game 6

The Boston Celtics found themselves with what seemed to be an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Championships just 4 days ago. How things can change! After being absolutely humiliated in game 3 in Boston, the Orlando Magic have put together the type of performances that most NBA experts had expected all along with back to back wins.

Dwight Howard has played well all series long, but not to the level that was expected of him coming into game 4. Howard finally took advantage of his size and athleticism as he scored 32 points and snatched 16 rebounds in a 96-92 overtime win in Boston. His game 5 performance was equally as impressive as he scored 21 points with 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots that set the tone for the entire game. The key for the Magic has been the contributions of Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson. Lewis had been a non-factor over the first 3 games as he averaged just 7 points per game and was ineffective from the perimeter. In games 4 and 5, Lewis has come to life with 13 and 14 point performances that have helped the Magic gain the respect of the Celtics from the outside.

Boston is going to have to get their swagger back while dealing with injuries. Glen Davis suffered a concussion in game 5 after he received an inadvertent elbow from Dwight Howard in the second half. Kendrick Perkins received 2 technical fouls that resulted in an ejection from the game Wednesday night. However, the league has since reviewed the fouls and taken 1 of them away. This saves the Celtics from having to bench Perkins for game 6 as the NBA has a policy that 7 technical fouls in the playoffs equal a 1 game suspension. As if things couldn’t get worse, guard Tony Allen re-injured an ankle during game 5.

Now that Orlando has momentum, it looks as though this series is up for grabs. The Magic know what it takes to beat the Celtics, and have already done so in Boston. If they can find a way to escape Bean Town with a win Friday night, it would set the table for perhaps the first comeback from an 0-3 deficit in NBA history.

Prior to this series starting, most basketball handicappers had made the Magic the odds on favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Despite going down 0-3 to the Celtics, the Magic still have the opportunity to make this a reality. Tune in Friday night as the Magic look to even the series with a game 6 win in Boston.

Related posts:

1. Celtics Look to Closeout Magic in Orlando
2. Celtics Look to Sweep the Magic Monday Night
3. Celtics Look to Retain Home Court Advantage in Game 3
4. Magic look to even the Series against Boston in Game 2
5. Lakers and Celtics Go To Battle in Game 1 of NBA Finals

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