Behind Nelson, Howard, Orlando Magic Stave Off Celtics, Keep Season Alive
Jameer Nelson , a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, watched his Philadelphia Flyers fall behind 3-0 in their series against the Boston Bruins.
As his Orlando Magic took care of the Cleveland Cavaliers in their second round matchup, he witnessed those same Flyers, a team that made the postseason only because they won a shootout on the regular season’s final day, climb back in the series, taking Games four, five, six, and then seven.
He presumably couldn’t even imagine Orlando falling into that deep of a hole, but once they did, losing three straight to the Boston Celtics in humiliating fashion, he looked back at the Flyers improbable comeback. Why not do the same?
The Magic took the first step in their effort to do so, and it was Nelson as well as Dwight Howard fueling a season-saving win.
According to ESPN analyst Mike Wilbon, Nelson, who is generously listed at six feet tall, was the last Magic player to exit the gym Monday, then, after practice, stressed he had to be more aggressive in the lane and run the pick and roll with Howard and the other big men crisper. He did both and much more.
He was at his best late in the fourth quarter. With both teams struggling to score, he helped end a scoring drought of more than three minutes by the Magic by drawing the defense and lobbing the ball near the rim. Howard flushed the oop, tying a hard-fought game at 76.
On their next possession, Nelson leaped to corral an offensive rebound, dribbled back out, drained some clock, sized up his defender, and canned a three-pointer to give Orlando a three-point advantage that proceeded to swell.
Following three free-throws by the previously M.I.A. Rashard Lewis and a pair of anemic offensive sets by the Celtics, Nelson found Howard once more off the pick and roll. He lobbed near the rim again, and Howard snatched it, possessed impeccable patience, took a hack by Glen Davis , finished by banking in a layup, then drained the free-throw to complete the three-point play.
The Magic led by seven with nearly two minutes remaining in the fourth. But the lead would slowly evaporate. Celtics forward Paul Pierce drove into the lane and succeeding in upstaging Howard’s dunk with a powerful one-handed jam.
After an empty possession by Orlando, Matt Barnes inexplicably left Ray Allen on the perimeter to double team Davis in the post. Allen made him pay, receiving a pass from Davis and swishing an uncovered three.
Pierce, after Nelson split a pair from the stripe, drove on the right baseline, scored a tough layup, took a minor shove from Nelson, and made the free-throw. Tie game, just like that.
Orlando had taken every Boston run in stride up to that point, and this time it would be no different. Behind three games to none, they would not back down. They were determined to send the series back home. Not surprisingly, good defense to end the fourth, which didn’t allow the Celtics to even get up a shot in the closing seconds, forced the first overtime of the playoffs.
It was tied, but it certainly wasn’t even. Orlando had outplayed Boston throughout. Rajon Rondo particularly struggled for the Celtics, as he was considerably outplayed by Nelson. The matchup would continue to favor Nelson in the extra session. And with a little help from the basketball gods.
No one scored until Nelson ended the drought with a little under three minutes left in the luckiest of fashions. Dribbling hard to his left beyond the three-point line in his attempt to shed his defender, he did so and launched. His jumper looked well off the mark, but kissed off the glass and rattled through. He didn’t call bank, but it worked all the same.
He was far more accurate the next time he looked to score. Following a miss by Allen at the end of the Celtics shot-clock, Nelson hoisted from the left wing and swished a deep three, silencing the Boston Garden and making for a quiet Celtics team during the timeout that ensued.
Boston head coach Doc Rivers implored his team to keep their heads up. After all, though it was a six-point deficit they would need to overcome, they had plenty of time do so. Just under two minutes remained, and they had Allen on their side. And that was nearly enough.
Barnes left Allen again on the Celtics' play out of the timeout, and Allen once more hit a three-pointer. Boston was now only down three, but the margin soon increased to five, as Howard recovered from having his shot-blocked by Davis and connected on a pivotal layup. He missed the free-throw that followed, so another three-pointer by Allen dwindled the deficit to two.
One minute and 13 seconds remained once Allen’s long jumper slithered its way through the basket, but those three points would be the last Boston would score as cold-shooting from deep concluded an overtime period in which they made just two of 10 field goal attempts.
The Magic played far from their best basketball, too, but the 32 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks posted by Howard and the equally important 23 points and nine assists from Nelson were enough to keep Orlando living for another day. The Flyers, as Nelson knows, were in this position at one point.
And, judging by the heart and determination the Magic played with, they will do their best to follow their point guard’s lead and continue to play with the same confidence his Philadelphia Flyers did. If they do that, let the chips fall where they may.
