Magic v. Celts Game One: Rust Should Be Slept Through

In the early going, the Magic show all of the signs of hideous rust, with no one -- not even leading scorer Vince Carter -- seeming to have a pulse. Finally with about half of the second quarter gone and the home team having gone 10 full minutes without a basket, Carter converted on a tipped ball to score uncontested, and it seemed to wake them up... but even then, the Celtics didn't lose much off a 15-point lead, even with backup center Marcin Gortat providing a real spark. Jameer Nelson seemed like he could get past Rajon Rondo, but the real story is that the Celtics didn't play all that well, either. If they had, this game would have been over in a big hurry. But that's what happens when a 3-point shooting team goes 0 for 9 in the first half, and when you don't get any of the loose balls. I realize that the Celtics can make a team look bad, but this was ridiculous. When a team can turn the ball over 10 times and shoot under 40% while leading by 9, that's just bad basketball.

In the third quarter, as Jeff van Gundy told the national audience not to watch the game -- interesting strategy from ABC there -- Nelson poured in eight quick points to cut the lead to five in a hurry as the home crowd woke up. Carter hit a jumper as the clock expired, but Paul Pierce answered with two makes, as Matt Barnes looked really not back for injury. But just as in the Cavs series, the Celtics would keep runs from happening with cheap buckets off makes or fouls on Howard to prevent dunks. A terrible call on a transition heave by Pierce lead to three quick points, and Howard's third foul came as Garnett fell, and a Rondo make, followed by an Allen three, made the lead 16, the largest of the game. Ah, poise. Doesn't seem to enter into the equation when the Celtics are playing...

After commerce, Howard continued to look awkward in the blocks against Perkins, and Pierce put the game closer to garbage time. As I wondered what Gortat said in the locker room and the Lemur started the eulogy on Howard's offensive career, Perkins picked up his fourth and fifth foul, but the Magic center shot free throws worse than you or I might, and a back door Rondo cut made the run 14-1. Sheed then spazzed out and got double technicals with Howard, and how the other player gets a technical when the other guys throws elbows while you stand there is beyond me. The Magic's 16th turnover involved Howard getting stuck in the lane, and the 17th involved steps as Sheed pulled the string on him, with the bonus being a delay of game call. Wow, this is ugly.

Carter is actually at 50% after a make, as I wonder if the Magic have a run in them. Not with Garnett beating them at both ends, as he does to push the lead to 20. The Lemur then decideds that I haven't been sick enough as Mark Jackson fellates Sheed. Unbelievable. The man has 6 points, 2 boards, a technical, and it must be his doing that they are up big. Wow.

Carter with a make on good hustle as Sheed continues to do things that would get players of lesser reputation locked up. Gortat finally returns, and Redick hits a three as Pierce flops against Carter, but the Truth then collects an inbounds pass, beats Vince off the dribble, and finishes with a Gortat foul to push his point total to 20. Once again, the Celtics have pushed the lead big in the third quarter and made their opponent look terrible. Nelson crosses Rondo for his firs foul -- hard to imagine that's his first -- and two makes cuts it to 14. Rondo somehow gets a layup despite only 7 seconds being on the clock, and that's inexcusable. The road team leads by 16 at the end of the third.

Sheed with a karate chop on Howard to start the fourth, and I'm amazed he's still got hands, let alone touch enough to make the free throws. Tony Allen misses at the cup, and Gortat can't get the loose ball. The Magic sure know how to defuse any run, and after a Sheed missed three, Howard hits Davis in the face as Big Baby goes down like a WWE jobber. Sheed hits a three as the clock expires, and that might be a dagger blow; it makes the lead 17 with 10 minutes left as the most overrated player in the NBA celebrates. That's tasty.

A Sheed miss leads to early offense from Jason Williams to Gortat, but the points are waved off. Pietrus gets to the line on Tony Allen's fifth foul, and the Celtics will be in the penalty for 80% of the fourth quarter. Unforunately, they don't shoot them very well, and Pietrus only makes the second. Davis misses at the cup against Gortat, and Carter can't make a fallaway, leading to a Rondo break and Sheed free throws. Rondo's line is 8-3-7 at this point, lending value to the idea that Nelson is a tougher matchup for him, but the national narrative now is that if the Celtics are winning, it's his doing. Either that, or Sheed. Only six more weeks of this, right?

Howard is 1 of 6 for 9 points as the Lemur mocks him. Sheed makes both to make the lead 16; garbage time awaits, but Williams makes a three out of a Howard double team, and the worst possession of the day for the Celtics ensues. Pietrus nails a three, and just like that, the lead is 10. Interesting, but Pierce answers with a drive and feed to Davis, who makes and goes to the line. Back-breaker? A Davis miss helps, and Howard makes against Davis in the blocks to make it 10 again with 7 minutes left, but thirty seconds later the lead is 14 again, as he Celtics refuse to blink. 85-71 with 6:28 left.

Carter with penetration for his 20th point, and he's been their best player. Garnett misses, and Nelson follows after Redick gets blocked, and it's 10 again... but only until Ray Allen's dagger three. Reddick to the cup for a make, and he's played well enough to earn crunch time minutes. A bad Celtic possession is bailed out by Pierce's 8th board, and more clock runs until Lewis gives up a foul. Howard's going to get the lion's share of blame for this loss, but Lewis has been much worse.

Howard with a big block, but can't convert down low. Pierce with a turnover, and Nelson answers to whittle the lead down to 9 with 3:39 left. At least garbage time has been avoided.

Allen misses badly on a catch and shoot three as Reddick stays with him. Nelson gives up a layup for a Lewis three that misses, and Reddick fouls Perkins before Howard can spike his shot attempt. I wonder if Hack A Perk is warranted as he misses the first, and Carter collects the second miss. Nelson over dribbles, Lewis blows the board, but Reddick takes a dumb Rondo charge -- why the Cs don't run clock there, I have no idea. Carter gets to the line against Pierce, but the clock is getting to be a real problem. The UNC product makes both, and the lead is 7 with 2:10 left.

The Cs walk it up and bring in Sheed. Howard blocks Rondo's drive, and Reddick's floater goes in to make it a five point game with 101 seconds left. Reddick looks a lot less scared of the shot than Lewis, and honestly, if the Magic somehow pull this game off after sleeping for as long as they did, it could only be classified as theft.

Garnett misses, not that he has a history of such things in close games. Reddick misses a three that would have made it hugely interesting, and Allen dribbles it off his foot on the return transition, leading to a jump ball that Lewis collects. Nelson overdribbles and is lucky to not have a loose ball called against him. The refs go to review, and the call stands as the ball just missed his foot and shorts. Yeesh. 49.6 seconds left.

Lewis misses a three, and Carter's back tap saves the possession but burns a ton of clock. Nelson misses at the rim, but Howard gets the board and finishes, somehow without a foul being called. Three point game. Pierce calls time with 14.3 left and enough time on the clock to make a foul necessary. Carter obliges Pierce, who makes both, because that's just what he does, and that's the first Celtic points in 5.5 minutes. It's almost as if the Celtics need huge leads to win, because they always blow them. Carter drives, for some reason, and Garnett fouls him, which is also crazy. He makes the first, misses the second, and Nelson collects the miss and lays it in. Wow. Two point game. Ray Allen gets fouled in the open court, and he makes both, because that's just what he does. Dammit. 4 point game with 6.1 seconds left. Carter to Lewis, who misses, and that's that.

So the Celtics have home court, and the Magic can think that they might be OK if Game One was just rust. It isn't, of course, and we're three more of these away from the Celtics going to Finals. You know, just like they do in 1 out of every 3 years in the Association's history. I love this... not at all. Game Two is Tuesday.