ESPN NBA

After the Lakers professionally dispatched with the upstart Rockets, the defending champion Celtics would doubtless like to do the same to the Magic. Something tells me it won't be as simple -- in these playoffs, nearly every time the Celtics play something desperate and exciting happens. Game time is 8 p.m. ET.

Henry Abbott: One of the great contests of this post-season: Who is going to completely lose his voice first? Doc Rivers or Stan Van Gundy? Rivers has the early lead, but Van Gundy is a formidable opponent. Also, for what it's worth, I thought Van Gundy's pre-game locker room talk was the most uplifting of the live look-ins we have seen today.

Henry Abbott: It is no small thing, in this moment, that Glen Davis won a game for the Celtics earlier in this series. He's the player most likely to have confidence problems, I say without evidence. But he knows he has played a big role. He has something for his self-confidence to fall back on.

Henry Abbott: SHOCKER: Dwight Howard misses in the post vs. Kendrick Perkins.

Henry Abbott: Oh wow. Rondo has some nerve dribbling out the shot clock, leaving himself a jumper. Minor miracle: He made it.

Henry Abbott: You don't need me to tell you that Orlando is playing really good defense in the early going.

Henry Abbott: Rafer Alston gets an A for three things: Some tough and active helping D, hitting his open 3, and just going for the absolute jugular on the fast break. He beat everyone, and made the right pass to get Howard a dunk. Getting the crowd quieted? Check.

Henry Abbott: If the Magic hadn't tried to post up Howard on the first play of the game, he'd be shooting 100%, with all dunks.

Henry Abbott: Theme of today's Game 7s, after 48 minutes of the first, and eight minutes of the second: Talent and size matter.
Henry Abbott: Courtney Lee and Eddie House checking in. A great chance to point out that John Hollinger recently called Lee "Stucco" because he's all over the House. (Did they change the rules? Are you now allowed to make jokes that corny even if you're not a dad?)

Henry Abbott: The Magic guards are running harder than the Celtics. Courtney Lee went to 11 chasing down Ray Allen.

Henry Abbott: Dwight Howard has a third of this game's rebounds so far. That's a tremendous rebound rate in the regular season. It's even better in the playoffs. And magnificent in a Game 7.

Henry Abbott: Orlando finally has a bad offensive possession. What's the chance it's Michael Pietrus? Excellent.

Henry Abbott: Rafer Alston and Dwight Howard win awards for being most comfortable in their skin in a Game 7. The Magic's primary identifiable flaw so far has been feeding Dwight Howard in the post twice, where he has not come close to scoring, which is consistent with the rest of this series.

Henry Abbott: A humbling start for Stephon Marbury -- an unassisted turnover.

Henry Abbott: Paul Pierce does not sweat the small stuff.

Henry Abbott: Huge lineup for the Magic, in part because Hedo Turkoglu is 6-10. Except ... when he joined the league he was listed as 6-9.

Henry Abbott: Dwight Howard's fourth catch in the post. Two misses, a pass out for another miss, and now a turnover as he steps on the baseline.

Henry Abbott: Dwight Howard is a tremendous part of the offense when the Magic get the defense to leave him, and then get him the ball. But when it's on him to deal with the defense? It's not championship basketball.

Henry Abbott: Boston worked a beautiful play ... but blew the layup. Marbury steps on the sidelines ... Boston could play more or less the same way and be a lot closer.

Henry Abbott: No fans are more convinced than Boston fans that the referees are screwing them. Well, actually, that's probably not true. How about this: No fans are louder than Boston fans at letting the referees know at all times that they should make more calls for the Celtics.

Henry Abbott: Stephon Marbury, so far pulling off a turnover for every two minutes played.

Henry Abbott: In the comments someone said that there is no need for J.J. Redick to be in the game if he's not going to shoot. But that is surely not true. Surprising though it may be, Redick has been a standout defender in this series.

Henry Abbott: Tonight's referees: #29 Steve Javie, #9 Derrick Stafford, #48 Scott Foster. Javie is often named the best NBA referee. The other two are highly regarded two, but Foster is best known for having to explain why he and Tim Donaghy called each other hundreds of times.

Henry Abbott: Pierce could have ELECTRIFIED the crowd with that runner. But he misses, then Alston hits a 3, and the air leaves the building a little, as it's suddenly clear Boston won't close the gap before halftime.

Henry Abbott: For a coach, I have to believe getting a 24-second violation against the coach who has just called a timeout ... that's kind of a showy move.

Henry Abbott: Ray Allen's five of ten for 13 first-half points. He's done a masterful job of lowering expectations thus far, so this seems like superhero work. But it's more of a regular game for him.

Henry Abbott: Courtney Lee only played nine minutes in the first half. Not sure what that's about.

Henry Abbott: The Magic seem to be a little worried about the referees. Need to let that go.

Henry Abbott: Rashard Lewis has had several nice plays in sequence. If he's playing his A game, I like Orlando's chances.

Henry Abbott: Great camera angle to expose Rajon Rondo's shove to the hip of a shooting Rafer Alston. That's the kind of foul that never occurs in my pickup game -- because the shooter gets to call his own foul and there's no one to fool.

Henry Abbott: If you were Doc Rivers, would you let Stephon Marbury back into this game in the second half? BTW, do you know which Celtic has the best +/- right now? That's right ... Stephon Marbury. That stat can lead, or mislead.

Henry Abbott: Celtics have missed a lot of shots at the rim.

Henry Abbott: And now the Magic remember how well things go when they pass the ball freely.

Henry Abbott: You'd have to consider giving J.J. Redick the game ball if Orlando wins. He's working so hard. And he's playing more and bigger minutes than he has all season. He could barely get into a game against the Sixers in the first round.

Henry Abbott: It appeared to me that Kendrick Perkins was in the paint for about ten seconds in a row there.

Henry Abbott: I have no dog in this fight, but for the next couple of minutes I'm rooting for Boston -- because the basketball gods owe us one of thosefourth quarters with ten lead changes and three overtimes.

Henry Abbott: If Ray Allen didn't feel "hot," what are the chances he would have taken that last shot?

Henry Abbott: Biggest play of Courtney Lee's young life gives the Magic a eleven-point lead. Then Pietrus nails a jumper. Where are my lead changes?

Henry Abbott: Following up my point about Ray Allen deciding he's hot and forcing up a tough shot? How about Rafer Alston? He started hot, and is now 5 of 14.

Henry Abbott: Hedo Turkoglu has taken ten shots, and has 18 points.

Henry Abbott: Turkoglu also has 9 assists to just two turnover.

Henry Abbott: The Magic give up leads, remember. They have been doing it all playoffs. 17 with 8:48 left ... too much?

Hen
ry Abbott: Paul Pierce deserves an Oscar for embellishing that.

Henry Abbott: I'm going to get ahead of this now: At some point, I promise someone is going to say "well, the Celtics can't afford to just trade baskets." This is, to my mind, a goofy thing to say. If you're scoring every time, your offense is on fire, and that's perfect. If, at the same time, you're letting them score every time, play better D. Trading baskets isn't the problem. Letting them score every time is the problem.

Henry Abbott: Just for the record, only one Magic player has a negative +/- right now. Marcin Gortat, Dwight Howard's backup. Who is now in for Howard.

Henry Abbott: One thing to watch: Usually, when you watch team's play Boston, you are constantly aware of Rajon Rondo's defense. He's everywhere! But less so, tonight. I wonder if Orlando is intentionally spacing things to make it harder for him to help.

Henry Abbott: 12 points, 4 and a quarter minutes left. Wholly doable. Unlikely, but possible.

Henry Abbott: For the record, Hedo Turkoglu will be thinking about those last two makes as he falls asleep tonight. And he will smile. He has been a gunner at times in this series, but he has been hitting all those shots tonight. He now has 25 points on 12 shots, and the Magic are +25 when he's on the floor -- best in the game.

Henry Abbott: Is this the best game of Hedo Turkoglu's career?

Henry Abbott: Wow. The major Celtics come out of the game. It is really hard to believe that this team -- that has defined NBA dominance for the last two seasons -- is done. Maybe health brings them right back next year, but you never want to assume anything. The bits and pieces will change. And the NBA will change with them, because this team has defined things since Kevin Garnett arrived.

Henry Abbott: This is a major blow to my mom's chances to win the Stat Geek Smackdown.

Henry Abbott: The Magic have given the Cavaliers more trouble than anyone. We ought to now have entertaining series in both Conference Finals.

Henry Abbott: Orlando, having missed oodles of 3s all series, finishes up 62% for the game from downtown. Very tough to beat a team like that. Hats off to the Magic.