The Orlando Magic had plenty of fight in them this time — even on their own bench.
Anthony Johnson, subbing for the suspended Rafer Alston, threw an elbow into Stan Van Gundy as the starting point guard and the coach jawed after Johnson committed a turnover.
Yes, this thing is getting physical.
Van Gundy and Johnson could both laugh about the bumping incident after the Magic recovered from an embarrassing loss to pound the Boston Celtics 117-96 in Game 3 of the second-round series Friday. Two days after a pitiful 112-94 loss to the reigning champs in Boston, the Magic stood their ground to take a 2-1 lead with an aggressiveness that carried through the team.
"That wasn't an animated discussion. A.J. was upset and I was upset," Van Gundy said, chuckling.
"It was in the heart of battle. I said something to him first. I have tremendous respect for A.J. He got us off to a great start."
Johnson said, "It was the heat of the moment. It was 100 percent my fault."
He said he had heard the doubters dismiss the Magic after Alston was suspended Thursday for slapping Celtics shooting guard Eddie House in the head late in Game 2.
"I've been considered an underdog, considered not good enough to lead. I had heard we had no chance," Johnson said.
"I enjoy proving people wrong."
Johnson finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and three assists. He set the tone with a dunk that belied his 34 years for the Magic's second basket.
He was a perfect 3-of-3 in the first quarter as the club shot 58.8 percent — just a warm-up for the franchise playoff-record 59.1 percent they would shoot against the vaunted Celtics' defense.
Before Van Gundy could put Johnson back in after their rhubarb at the end of the third quarter, the Magic were rolling with Hedo Turkoglu, who was playing the point and teaming with Rashard Lewis to put the finishing touches on the rout.
Johnson sat the entire fourth quarter, but Van Gundy said keeping A.J. on the bench had nothing to do with their dust-up — and everything to do with the Magic closing the door on the Celtics with the patchwork of point guards on the floor.
Shooting guards J.J. Redick and Courtney Lee — returning after missing three playoffs games because of sinus surgery — handled the ball.
Turkoglu, posing as a 6-foot-10 playmaker, scored 11 of his 24 points in the final period, hitting all three of his shots to turn back a typical Celtics' comeback.
Boston had whittled a 20-point third-quarter deficit to seven early in the fourth.
But then Turkoglu and Lewis combined for 22 points in Orlando's 29-16 run to go ahead by 20 again at 107-87 with three minutes, 50 seconds left, forcing Celtics Coach (and former Magic coach) Doc Rivers to send in his subs.
The Magic had to find some different ways to win this one — even outside Alston's absence.
They had to play most of the fourth quarter without foul-plagued Dwight Howard (17 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks).
He dominated most of the game but played just under 10 minutes of the second half — and only two minutes of the final quarter.
Lee, wearing a protective mask, had an impact, scoring 11 points and adding four rebounds.
The Magic held the Celtics to 43 percent shooting and shoved back. It looked like a hockey game broke out in the third when Magic shooting guard Mickael Pietrus was elbowed in the face by Kendrick Perkins. Perkins received a Flagrant One foul.
Eddie House started barking with various Magic players as tempers flared, bringing Van Gundy and Rivers onto the floor to act as peacemakers.
"We had one bad game, and as far as having any fight in us," Johnson said,
"I think we showed that we're in a position to put a stranglehold on the series."
Anthony Johnson, subbing for the suspended Rafer Alston, threw an elbow into Stan Van Gundy as the starting point guard and the coach jawed after Johnson committed a turnover.
Yes, this thing is getting physical.
Van Gundy and Johnson could both laugh about the bumping incident after the Magic recovered from an embarrassing loss to pound the Boston Celtics 117-96 in Game 3 of the second-round series Friday. Two days after a pitiful 112-94 loss to the reigning champs in Boston, the Magic stood their ground to take a 2-1 lead with an aggressiveness that carried through the team.
"That wasn't an animated discussion. A.J. was upset and I was upset," Van Gundy said, chuckling.
"It was in the heart of battle. I said something to him first. I have tremendous respect for A.J. He got us off to a great start."
Johnson said, "It was the heat of the moment. It was 100 percent my fault."
He said he had heard the doubters dismiss the Magic after Alston was suspended Thursday for slapping Celtics shooting guard Eddie House in the head late in Game 2.
"I've been considered an underdog, considered not good enough to lead. I had heard we had no chance," Johnson said.
"I enjoy proving people wrong."
Johnson finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and three assists. He set the tone with a dunk that belied his 34 years for the Magic's second basket.
He was a perfect 3-of-3 in the first quarter as the club shot 58.8 percent — just a warm-up for the franchise playoff-record 59.1 percent they would shoot against the vaunted Celtics' defense.
Before Van Gundy could put Johnson back in after their rhubarb at the end of the third quarter, the Magic were rolling with Hedo Turkoglu, who was playing the point and teaming with Rashard Lewis to put the finishing touches on the rout.
Johnson sat the entire fourth quarter, but Van Gundy said keeping A.J. on the bench had nothing to do with their dust-up — and everything to do with the Magic closing the door on the Celtics with the patchwork of point guards on the floor.
Shooting guards J.J. Redick and Courtney Lee — returning after missing three playoffs games because of sinus surgery — handled the ball.
Turkoglu, posing as a 6-foot-10 playmaker, scored 11 of his 24 points in the final period, hitting all three of his shots to turn back a typical Celtics' comeback.
Boston had whittled a 20-point third-quarter deficit to seven early in the fourth.
But then Turkoglu and Lewis combined for 22 points in Orlando's 29-16 run to go ahead by 20 again at 107-87 with three minutes, 50 seconds left, forcing Celtics Coach (and former Magic coach) Doc Rivers to send in his subs.
The Magic had to find some different ways to win this one — even outside Alston's absence.
They had to play most of the fourth quarter without foul-plagued Dwight Howard (17 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks).
He dominated most of the game but played just under 10 minutes of the second half — and only two minutes of the final quarter.
Lee, wearing a protective mask, had an impact, scoring 11 points and adding four rebounds.
The Magic held the Celtics to 43 percent shooting and shoved back. It looked like a hockey game broke out in the third when Magic shooting guard Mickael Pietrus was elbowed in the face by Kendrick Perkins. Perkins received a Flagrant One foul.
Eddie House started barking with various Magic players as tempers flared, bringing Van Gundy and Rivers onto the floor to act as peacemakers.
"We had one bad game, and as far as having any fight in us," Johnson said,
"I think we showed that we're in a position to put a stranglehold on the series."
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