Guaranteeehd win game 2!

[spf211]

Problems with the "pressure" argument --

You're talking about a Celtic team that has played under all this "pressure" through the playoffs last year and through multiple overtimes in the first round this year. At this point, it's safe to say "pressure" isn't a factor in Boston's play -- every player in the rotation (save maybe Marbury) has dealt with higher "pressure" games than a Game 2 against Orlando.

Meanwhile -- what pressure situations have the Magic experienced? Has Dwight Howard even played in a Game 7 yet? The most playoff experience on the team resides in Anthony Johnson as a career back-up and Hedo Turkoglu -- a career choke artist.

[MyInsatiableOne]

^OK, so you're saying I'm wrong for saying it won't happen again...basically implying it will....

edit: in reference to transjerk above...

It can happen, thats all he said.

You just cant write this chance off. Orlando for me is the better team in this series.
If you can say the Celtics wont play that bad again, you aswell could say the Magic wont play that bad again like they did in the last ~18 Minutes.
Both teams played terrible basketball for a stretch, and Orlando won.

I understand it can happen...but by telling me I'm wrong in trying to predict it one way, and then predicting it the other way, is hypocritical, was all I was saying...

[floyd]

The Magic remind me of the Fakers last year. Great when everything is going their way, but when you hit them (figuratively) they don't respond well. I think if Boston plays well, we can win. The question is can Boston play well. I've seen them do that for an entire game only once since the playoffs started.

The good news is we saw the old Paul Pierce last night. They've got no one to guard him, so maybe we just ride the captain to victory. If that continues and Rondo gets his act together, I like our chances.

[NEXTSELECTION]

^OK, so you're saying I'm wrong for saying it won't happen again...basically implying it will....

edit: in reference to transjerk above...

It can happen, thats all he said.

You just cant write this chance off. Orlando for me is the better team in this series.
If you can say the Celtics wont play that bad again, you aswell could say the Magic wont play that bad again like they did in the last ~18 Minutes.
Both teams played terrible basketball for a stretch, and Orlando won.

I understand it can happen...but by telling me I'm wrong in trying to predict it one way, and then predicting it the other way, is hypocritical, was all I was saying...

He said, that nobody can predict how game 2 will go. It can repeat like game 1, it can be totally different. Nobody knows. And that is just right.

[Tricky Ricky]

You realize you went to a game 7 with a #7 seed. Your talking like its Boston giving the game away. Its Orlando getting out to these 25 and 30 point leads agaisnt you and the 6ers. Their problem is giving it back. If you say you got back in the gme then you have to say the 6ers did too because the same phenomenon is happening. If thats the case then your just equivalent to a 6 seeded team just barely etching out a 7 seed.

We are short a good guard but we really need to resolve why we go cold in these later 3 rd quarter stretches. Ther eis definitely a pattern there and it has nothng t do with who the magic play.

LOL Boston went to a game 7 with a #8 seed and won something Orlando never has won, A NBA CHAMPIONSHIP!

[Bad-Thoma]

If Rondo shows up for the whole game Orlando is in trouble. He doesn't have to hit his shots, he just has to be ultra aggressive like he was through most of the Bulls series and in the second half of game 1. Rafer will have a melt down if Rondo comes at him like that the whole game, offensively and defensively. Orlando fans comparing blowing 30 pts leads to the 76ers and last night is laughable, Orlando got 30 point leads on the 76ers because they are much better than the 76ers, they got a 28 point lead on us because we didn't show up till the second half. The furious comeback the C's mounted last night came with the worst shooting game I have seen in a long time as a team overall, and while the Magic will want to credit their defense a good portion of those misses were open looks. The Celtics attack and play Celtic defense, orlando is in trouble.

I may sound arrogant after the Magic stole one in Boston, but time will tell.

[sportsrock37]

Problems with the "pressure" argument --

You're talking about a Celtic team that has played under all this "pressure" through the playoffs last year and through multiple overtimes in the first round this year. At this point, it's safe to say "pressure" isn't a factor in Boston's play -- every player in the rotation (save maybe Marbury) has dealt with higher "pressure" games than a Game 2 against Orlando.

Meanwhile -- what pressure situations have the Magic experienced? Has Dwight Howard even played in a Game 7 yet? The most playoff experience on the team resides in Anthony Johnson as a career back-up and Hedo Turkoglu -- a career choke artist.

The thing is, Game 2 the Magic have ZERO pressure. It's similar to Game 6 in the Sixers series in which without Dwight and Courtney Lee where they just played very freely. I'm not expecting similar results to last night in building a big lead. Although the Magic have now played 3 games against the Celtics without KG and all 3 of them have the Magic building a large lead and just barely holding on. (2 in the Garden) It's not like it's just been a fluke that the Magic start off hot, they've done it all 3 games against the Celtics without KG and have won all 3. At some point it turns into a trend.

I still expect the Celtics to win Game 2 and then all the pressure goes to Orlando for Games 3 and 4 and if that happens we will see how the Magic respond to adversity. I think Boston takes Game 2, Orlando takes Game 3, then whoever takes Game 4 wins the series.

Not to mention you guys are saying that the Magic's offense was very good and we won't shoot that well again, we didn't have anyone over 18 points. That is likely to change in Game 2. We only shot 43%. The Magic can definitely improve their offense for Game 2.

[drsd]

Magic fan here:

Problems with the "pressure" argument --

Meanwhile -- what pressure situations have the Magic experienced? Has Dwight Howard even played in a Game 7 yet? The most playoff experience on the team resides in Anthony Johnson as a career back-up and Hedo Turkoglu -- a career choke artist.

Answers to the three questions:
1) The Philly series had two-high pressure games (games 2 and 4). Also, do not forget that Orlando has the best record of all teams against "Orlando, Boston, Cleveland, LA Lakers." Orlando can win big games.
2) You are correct that Howard has never played a game 7.
3) You are correct that Johnson has logged the most playoff games (87) and Turkoglu is second (65). The next cluster of players are all in the 30-40 range with Alston[40], Battie[35], and Lewis[33].

The Magic remind me of the Fakers last year. Great when everything is going their way, but when you hit them (figuratively) they don't respond well.

I do not agree. For me, Orlando is at its worst when playing games they are "supposed" to win. That Orlando would win game 1 is actually a surprise for me.