Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semis wasn't supposed to be easy for the Celtics. Exhausted from over 370 minutes of basketball against the Bulls, the C's were supposed to have a hangover in Game 1. Which they did. For the first half, at least.
But the Celtics showed a lot of depth, a lot of character, and a lot of willpower in their Game 1 loss. The Magic, on the other hand, showed a great deal of vulnerability, and absolutely no killer instinct. They gave the Celtics endless opportunities to come back and win, and the C's actually missed a few of them.
Ray Allen had an off night, which is understandable after the Bulls series, especially for a shooter. Rondo could have been better. Pierce was fine with 23 points.
I would have liked to see Marbury get more than 9 minutes. He had a solid outing, contributing 8 points.
The last time the Magic beat the Celtics, I said that Orlando didn't scare me. They still don't. They have talent, but they lack all the pieces to win in a gutsy series. The Celtics may be spent, and might not win. But they have more character in their fingers than Orlando has on its entire roster.
Celtics in 7.
Source:
ESPN.com
Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa
No comments:
Post a Comment