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NBA

Magic End Celtics Title Defense

Posted May 17, 2009 11:20PM By Tim Povtak (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Celtics, Magic

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Dwight HowardThis will go down as a defining moment in the still-budding career of Dwight Howard, the series in which he went from another well-hyped NBA star without a resume, to a legitimate leader who proved he could take a team deep into the playoffs.

It should be the beginning of a long run for the Orlando Magic, who will meet LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference final for the first of what might be many times in the next several years.

The guard has changed in the East. The Pistons are history, and the Celtics aren't far behind.

Howard, 24, and James, 24, will only get better as the cast of characters sprinkled around them improves, opening a long-running debate over who will rule in the East.

By hammering the Celtics, 101-82, Sunday night in Game 7, the Magic shattered a lot of myths. They won without the Big Game experience in which the Celtics excelled. They won by relying/thriving on the 3-point shot, something the critics kept saying would not work in the playoffs.

The Magic hit 13 of 20 from 3-point range, a reminder of what happens when Howard sucks in the opposing defense. Hedo Turkoglu led the way Sunday with 25 points and 12 assists, his biggest game of the series.

For the Magic, it is the first conference final since 1996, during the days of Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway when a very young, team of upstarts also destroyed some Celtic myths. That was the same Magic team that closed the old Boston Garden in 1995 by beating the Celtics in a first-round matchup that ended with the last basketball game ever played there.

The better team won this series, too.

Howard had 12 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots, dominating inside like he said he would, bringing the energy and intensity that he transferred to his teammates. He carried the Magic in the Game 6 victory. He made the Game 7 victory possible.

"It starts with me, and the others will follow,'' Howard said after the series. "When we step up like we did in the last two games, we believe we can go all the way.''

The Celtics were without Kevin Garnett, and they gritted their way through the Chicago Bull in the first round and into a Game 7 against the Magic. But it all came crashing down in a lopsided ending. Ray Allen finally came alive in Game 7 after sleep-walking through the first six games. He had 23 points.

But at the same time, his emergence coincided with the sudden disappearance of Paul Pierce, the third Boston star who went 30 minutes without scoring. There were times Sunday when you wondered if Pierce was even in uniform, a sad ending to their defense of a title.

Boston Celtics Photos

    BOSTON - MAY 17: Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics dribbles as J.J. Redick #7 of the Orlando Magic pursues in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ray Allen;J.J. Redick

    NBAE/Getty Images

    BOSTON - MAY 17: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics dribbles against Rashard Lewis #9 of the Orlando Magic in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rajon Rondo;Rashard Lewis

    NBAE/Getty Images

    BOSTON - MAY 17: Kedrick Perkins #43 of the Boston Celtics fights for position against Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kendrick Perkins;Dwight Howard

    NBAE/Getty Images

    BOSTON - MAY 17: Glen Davis #11 of the Boston Celtics dunks against the Orlando Magic in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Glen Davis

    NBAE/Getty Images

    BOSTON - MAY 17: Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics shoots against the Orlando Magic in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ray Allen

    NBAE/Getty Images

    BOSTON - MAY 17: Coach Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics calls a play against the Orlando Magic in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Doc Rivers

    NBAE/Getty Images

    BOSTON - MAY 17: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics shoots against Marcin Gortat #13 and Rafer Alston #1 of the Orlando Magic in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rajon Rondo;Marcin Gortat;Rafer Alston

    NBAE/Getty Images

    BOSTON - MAY 17: Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics dribbles as J.J. Redick #7 of the Orlando Magic defends in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ray Allen;J.J. Redick

    NBAE/Getty Images

    BOSTON - MAY 17: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics dunks against Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rajon Rondo;Dwight Howard

    NBAE/Getty Images

    Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo (R) dunks on Orlando Magic Dwight Howard during the third quarter of Game 7 of their NBA Eastern Conference basketball playoff series in Boston, Massachusetts May 17, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

    Reuters

Tags: Dwight+Howad, DwightHowad, Hedo+Turkoglu, HedoTurkoglu, LeBron+James, LebronJames, Paul+Pierce, PaulPierce, Ray+Allen, RayAllen

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