NBA Martin Luther King Jr Day Showcase: Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic Preview
The Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic have had some great battles over the past few seasons, meeting in the last two playoffs and on the past two Christmas Days.
This has become one of the league's better rivalries and these two teams do not like each other. The Magic won the Christmas Day game and have played very well since they made a huge blockbuster trade, re-acquiring Hedo Turkoglu and receiving Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas.
The Magic are still chasing the Miami Heat in the division, but this game is still very important.
The Celtics have been battling many injuries to important players, but will probably be getting Kevin Garnett back on Monday to face the Magic.
Center Kendrick Perkins has missed the entire season recovering from an ACL tear he suffered vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of last year's NBA Finals.
Perkins has started to practice, but has not yet been cleared for game action. With Perkins and Shaq roaming the paint, the Celtics will be well equipped to beat the Magic and their superstar center Dwight Howard.
The Magic are still finding their identity with all the new faces in their lineup, but head coach Stan Van Gundy has done a great job getting the most from his new players.
He is one of the most underrated coaches in the NBA and is well respected by players across the league.
The key to this game will be the Magic's ability to hit three-pointers. Orlando takes and makes more three-pointers than any team in the league, and if they are hitting these shots, they are extremely difficult to beat.
The Celtics must get Dwight Howard in foul trouble and Paul Pierce needs to play big. Pierce is the heartbeat of the team, and his energy will give the Celtics an emotional edge.
The Celtics need to keep winning with Miami's recent losing streak, and if Rondo and Pierce play well, the Celtics will beat the Magic in a close one.
