(My Sportsbook) - The
Boston Celtics certainly don't mind walking the tightrope.
The defending NBA champions advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday by dispatching of the upstart Chicago Bulls in Game 7 of the most thrilling playoff series in years.
Waiting in the wings is Dwight Howard and a talented Orlando Magic team that dismissed the Celtics' Atlantic Division rival, the Philadelphia 76ers, in six games during the first round.
Sharp-shooter Ray Allen poured in 23 points in the C's 109-99 Game 7 win over the Bulls, ending their grueling seven-game quarterfinals series.
With the exception of Boston's 21-point victory in Game 3, every other contest until Saturday had been decided by three points or less with four of them going to overtime. The teams had played a total of seven extra sessions, including the incredible 128-127 Chicago win in triple-OT on Thursday.
The defending NBA champions also were pushed to seven games twice in the playoffs last year, including in the first-round against Atlanta.
Allen, coming off a career playoff-high 51-point performance, made 6-of-14 shots from the field and nailed all nine of his free throws.
"Tough, definitely the toughest one that I've been a part of," Allen said of the series. "They gave us everything that we could handle. I told (Rajon) Rondo after the game, I said that 'They were probably the toughest match up that we've had you know, if I go back to even last year, because they have guys that, one, two, three, are capable of scoring 40 a night and it definitely put a crunch on our defense.'"
The Celtics played the entire series without All-Star power forward Kevin Garnett, who is expected to be out for the remainder of the playoffs with a knee injury. The team also lost key reserve Leon Powe from the frontcourt during the series with a torn left ACL.
The Magic, meanwhile, advanced but weren't all that impressive against a limited Sixers team until a great performance in the Game 6 clincher without Howard on Thursday.
Rashard Lewis and Rafer Alston combined to score 50 points in that one with Howard serving a one-game suspension, as Orlando notched an impressive 114-89 series-clinching win.
Lewis totaled 29 and Alston 21 for the Magic, who took their first lead in the series with a pivotal Game 5 triumph in Orlando on Tuesday when Howard scored 24 points and pulled down a playoff career-high 24 rebounds in what amounted to a controversial win.
Howard was hit with a technical foul after throwing an elbow to the head of Philadelphia center Samuel Dalembert in the first quarter and the NBA handed down the suspension for the superstar.
"One of the best wins I've ever been a part of," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Amazing that this series -- that had three games go to the last shot -- would end with us having two starters out and winning on the road by 25."
Howard's elbow caused more problems for the Magic in Game 5 as starting shooting guard Courtney Lee took an inadvertent elbow to the head from his teammate and suffered a fractured sinus.
Lee had surgery earlier Thursday in Philadelphia and has been medically cleared to play but is not expected back anytime soon. Van Gundy said Saturday that if Lee plays at all in the second round, it will be a "bonus."
The Celtics and Magic split the four-game regular season series this year with each club winning once on the other team's home floor.
The teams have met in the playoffs just once with Orlando earning a 3-1 win in the 1995 Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
POINT GUARD: Everyone harps on the lack of a top-tier jump shot when talking about Rondo but the guy nearly averaged a triple-double against the Bulls and that's Oscar Robertson territory folks. The lightning-quick Rondo scored 19.4 ppg, dished out 11.6 assists and grabbed 9.3 rpg in the seven-game marathon against Chicago. During the regular season, Rondo led the Celtics in assists (8.2) and steals (1.9), but scored just 11.9 points and grabbed 5.2 rebounds per contest so he's clearly elevated his game.
His counterpart Rafer Alston wouldn't be with the Magic if it wasn't for All- Star guard Jameer Nelson going down with a shoulder injury. Nelson was injured back in February, forcing the Magic to acquire Alston from Houston in a three- team trade. The former playground legend is a poor man's Rondo, a streaky jump-shooter that uses his quickness to create havoc. In Game 6 against Philadelphia, Alston ate up the slower Andre Miller because the jumper was falling but Miller tortured Alston earlier in the series on the blocks.
If the consistent, even-keeled Nelson were around, Orlando would have the advantage but things have changed.
EDGE: CELTICS
SHOOTING GUARD: Don't underestimate the loss of Lee for Orlando. The rookie is no superstar but he has the quicks and athletic ability to chase and make things difficult for Allen. Mickael Pietrus should get the nod in his place but Van Gundy really has a problem with the way he plays the game and went with the one-dimensional J.J. Redick in Game 6 against Philly.
Redick can certainly shoot the ball and delivered against the Sixers, nailing a number of wide open threes. But, Philadelphia was the worst perimeter defensive team in the playoffs and Redick won't get those types of looks versus the Celtics.
You can bet Doc Rivers will target Redick at the defensive end and expect Allen to get any look he wants, any time he wants it when J.J. is on the floor.
Allen is as one of the purest shooters to ever play the game and the veteran guard has thrived with Boston and averaged 18.2 points per game this season, knocking sown 48.0 percent of his shots this season, including a 41.0 clip from three-point range. The sweet-stroking Allen, improved that to 23.4 ppg against Chicago, including his monstrous 51-point game.
EDGE: CELTICS
CENTER: Big problem here for the Celtics. You know you are going to get outplayed by Howard going in, but you need fouls to use on the front line and force him to the free throw line. Without Garnett and Powe, that's 12 frontcourt fouls, Rivers won't have at his disposal.
You can bet Howard will be ready to go after sitting out his suspension. He finished the regular season leading the league in both rebounding and blocked shots, and was the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. The double-double monster gave Philly fits inside, averaging 24.0 points, 15.8 rebounds and nearly three blocks per contest.
Kendrick Perkins had a decent 2008-09 campaign by averaging 8.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. The durable Perkins finished the regular season strong and will be relied on more against Howard with Garnett still nursing his bad right knee.
Perkins will get help from other spots, but needs to stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court as long as possible, a daunting prospect against Howard. The 6-foot-10 former first-round pick posted 13.3 points and 11.6 rebounds against the Bulls. Similar numbers against Howard would be cause for celebration.
EDGE: MAGIC
SMALL FORWARD The sharp-shooting Hedo Turkoglu was bothered by an ankle sprain toward the end of the regular season and it continued to hamper him against the Sixers. Turkoglu averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team-leading 4.9 assists per contest during the season but that fell to just 11.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 3.3 apg against Philadelphia. A lack of explosion and lift really affected Turkoglu early in the series versus the Sixers, but he started to come around late and his last second three in Game 4 turned the set around.
It's hard not to give Boston the advantage at small forward when Paul Pierce is on the floor. The 2008 NBA Finals MVP averaged 20.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this season and improved those numbers in the first round, netting 23.1 ppg and 6.9 rpg. "The Truth" is also one of the game's best finishers and a very underrated defender.
EDGE: CELTICS
POWER FORWARD Magic forward Rashard Lewis enjoyed another stellar season with the Magic, his second with the club, by averaging 17.7 points and 5.7 rebounds. Lewis, a three-point specialist, was battling a nagging right knee problem early in the series versus the Sixers but now looks healthy and tortured Thaddeus Young in the final two games. The All-Star Lewis has one of the best strokes in the game but put that in his pocket against Philadelphia and took abused Young down on the blocks. The former SuperSonics star averaged 19.2 ppg and 6.0 rebounds in the first round and should be able to put up even better numbers now that he is healthy.
If Garnett was on the floor, Boston would be a serious title contender. Without him, most observers have overlooked the C's. Glen "Big Baby" Davis did a great job offensively against the Bulls, averaging 18.1 points, and has turned into quite the finisher around the rim. But, Davis offers nowhere near the defensive presence or the rebounding prowess of a player like Garnett.
EDGE: MAGIC
BENCH Both benches have talent but have be hurt by the injuries. Moving Redick into the starting lineup takes away the designated sharp-shooter from Van Gundy's bench while Rivers has lost Davis from his bench and Powe completely.
Orlando still has Pietrus, big men Tony Battie and Marcin Gortat along with veteran point Anthony Johnson. Boston goes with sharp-shooting guard Eddie House, swingman Tony Allen, big man Brian Scalabrine and the enigmatic Stephon Marbury.
Expect the bench play to vary from evening to evening. If Eddie House is hot the C's might bury you. If Pietrus is on or Gortat offers solid minutes, the Magic will flourish.
EDGE: EVEN
PREDICTION: As strange as it sounds the Celtics match-up better with a 59-win Orlando team than Chicago. The Bulls had far more athletes to throw at Boston's aging scorers. On paper, the Magic, especially with Lee sidelined and Pietrus being in Van Gundy's doghouse, don't have the perimeter quickness to make things difficult for Ray Allen and Pierce.
That said, Boston doesn't have the bodies in the frontcourt to fend off Howard and is a team coming off a grueling seven-game series.
Experience wins out in this one...
CELTICS in 7.
