The script was flipped from Game 1 to Game 2.
The Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics virtually reversed roles.
Only difference was that the Magic didn't have a Celtics-style comeback in them. They barely had a pulse on Wednesday night, falling to the Celtics 112-94 at TD Banknorth Garden in the second-round playoff series.
The Magic played like a team satisfied it is coming home with a split for Game 3 on Friday night.
They were the team that came out listless and fell behind early by a large margin — mirroring the Celtics' listless effort in the opener Monday night.
But the defending champs at least found enough gumption and heart to storm back to cut a 28-point third-quarter deficit to three points, hitting shots and making stops. The Magic never made a semblance of a run after the Celtics rushed to a 61-46 halftime lead.
"I think about how when they got down the first night. We didn't react the same way," shooting guard J.J. Redick said. "We've been down by margins of 15, 16 points this year. We've been a mentally tough team, but tonight we weren't, for whatever reason."
If that wasn't enough, point guard Rafer Alston lost his cool, slapping Celtics shooting guard Eddie House in the back of the head with the rout in full bloom in the third period.
House burned the Magic for a game-high 31 points off the bench, but Alston said House elbowed him while celebrating another of his baskets.
Alston received only a technical foul. He said House "deliberately" elbowed him.
Dwight Howard was suspended one game in the Philadelphia series for elbowing Samuel Dalembert in the head, although Alston's open-handed slap wasn't a punch or an elbow.
Asked if he thought the league might suspend him for the next game, "Yeah, I'm concerned. You know, the NBA is cool. They'll look at the play at its entirety and they'll see he threw the elbow first, at my stomach.
"I have no prior incidents. Any human being would have reacted liked that."
But if the NBA suspends Alston for Game 3, the Magic would have to start Anthony Johnson at point guard and use Tyronn Lue or Hedo Turkoglu to relieve him.
Redick was the only bright spot on a wholly embarrassing night for the Magic, finishing with 15 points.
He hit 5-of-8 shots, but fouled out and joined the frustration by being ejected with about five minutes left after commenting on a ref's officiating.
"That's the first time in a really long time, especially in the playoffs, that we've gotten our butts kicked and we did not handle it well," Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said.
Howard finished with just 12 points and 12 rebounds, shooting just 5-of-13 and losing confidence with each miss.Rashard Lewis didn't find the range until it was way too late, scoring 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting.
Turkoglu scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, but never took over the game.
Alston certainly didn't, either, stalking off with just seven points.
Mickael Pietrus had 17 points, but it was all window dressing.With Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo coming back from poor Game 1 efforts, the Celtics shot 51 percent and pounded the Magic 40-24 in the paint. And to think foul-plagued Paul Pierce had just three points.
Redick called the Magic's defense "terrible." One play summed up the night: Rondo steamed down the lane for a layup, and neither Howard nor Lewis moved a muscle to stop him.
It was one of the most uninspired efforts of a 59-win season for Orlando, which has been one of the best road teams in the NBA the past two seasons.
"That's the worst game we have played this season,'" Pietrus said.
"When we don't make shots, we have a tendency to get frustrated. But it's just 1-1 right now."
The Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics virtually reversed roles.
Only difference was that the Magic didn't have a Celtics-style comeback in them. They barely had a pulse on Wednesday night, falling to the Celtics 112-94 at TD Banknorth Garden in the second-round playoff series.
The Magic played like a team satisfied it is coming home with a split for Game 3 on Friday night.
They were the team that came out listless and fell behind early by a large margin — mirroring the Celtics' listless effort in the opener Monday night.
But the defending champs at least found enough gumption and heart to storm back to cut a 28-point third-quarter deficit to three points, hitting shots and making stops. The Magic never made a semblance of a run after the Celtics rushed to a 61-46 halftime lead.
"I think about how when they got down the first night. We didn't react the same way," shooting guard J.J. Redick said. "We've been down by margins of 15, 16 points this year. We've been a mentally tough team, but tonight we weren't, for whatever reason."
If that wasn't enough, point guard Rafer Alston lost his cool, slapping Celtics shooting guard Eddie House in the back of the head with the rout in full bloom in the third period.
House burned the Magic for a game-high 31 points off the bench, but Alston said House elbowed him while celebrating another of his baskets.
Alston received only a technical foul. He said House "deliberately" elbowed him.
Dwight Howard was suspended one game in the Philadelphia series for elbowing Samuel Dalembert in the head, although Alston's open-handed slap wasn't a punch or an elbow.
Asked if he thought the league might suspend him for the next game, "Yeah, I'm concerned. You know, the NBA is cool. They'll look at the play at its entirety and they'll see he threw the elbow first, at my stomach.
"I have no prior incidents. Any human being would have reacted liked that."
But if the NBA suspends Alston for Game 3, the Magic would have to start Anthony Johnson at point guard and use Tyronn Lue or Hedo Turkoglu to relieve him.
Redick was the only bright spot on a wholly embarrassing night for the Magic, finishing with 15 points.
He hit 5-of-8 shots, but fouled out and joined the frustration by being ejected with about five minutes left after commenting on a ref's officiating.
"That's the first time in a really long time, especially in the playoffs, that we've gotten our butts kicked and we did not handle it well," Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said.
Howard finished with just 12 points and 12 rebounds, shooting just 5-of-13 and losing confidence with each miss.Rashard Lewis didn't find the range until it was way too late, scoring 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting.
Turkoglu scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, but never took over the game.
Alston certainly didn't, either, stalking off with just seven points.
Mickael Pietrus had 17 points, but it was all window dressing.With Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo coming back from poor Game 1 efforts, the Celtics shot 51 percent and pounded the Magic 40-24 in the paint. And to think foul-plagued Paul Pierce had just three points.
Redick called the Magic's defense "terrible." One play summed up the night: Rondo steamed down the lane for a layup, and neither Howard nor Lewis moved a muscle to stop him.
It was one of the most uninspired efforts of a 59-win season for Orlando, which has been one of the best road teams in the NBA the past two seasons.
"That's the worst game we have played this season,'" Pietrus said.
"When we don't make shots, we have a tendency to get frustrated. But it's just 1-1 right now."
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