May 19
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “It’s up to the Orlando Magic now to bring back another game of basketball — not to mention their NBA championship dream — to Amway Arena. The Magic will leave the place for new digs next season, and it looked as if the Boston Celtics are swinging the wrecking ball …
May 19
Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images BOX SCORE “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.” Former head coach Rudy Tomjanovich said those memorable words after the Houston Rockets swept the Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals, and that statement could — in theory — best describe the Boston Celtics as they defeated the Magic …
May 18
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “[Orlando] Magic coach Stan Van Gundy decided before the series that he would use [Vince] Carter to defend Paul Pierce and [Matt] Barnes to defend Allen — the opposite of how the Magic began games against the Celtics during the regular season. Pierce scored 22 points, and Van Gundy said Monday that …
May 17
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “The worst thing that was required from the last playoff perfect team on Sunday was that they were forced to play perfect. The Orlando Magic were so far behind that a late comeback needed to be error-free, every shot had to fall and every stop defended. Even the beer vendor …
May 16
Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images Via ESPN Stats and Information: Boston’s starting five of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins destroyed opponents this season, posting the highest +/- of any 5-player combination in the regular season (+298). Against [the Orlando Magic], however, this lineup was far from dominant. …