Magic inflict the first defeat of season on Celtics
NEW YORK: The Orlando Magic became the first team to defeat the Celtics this season, bringing an end to Boston’s eight-game winning streak with a 104-102 home victory on Sunday.
Orlando (9-2) got off to a fast start before holding off a furious late comeback bid by the last remaining NBA team with a perfect record.
“They couldn’t stop us in the first half, we couldn’t stop them in the second half,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters.
Dwight Howard scored 24 points and Rashard Lewis had 22 for the winners while Paul Pierce led Boston with 28 points but missed a three-pointer with a second remaining that would have won the contest.
“I thought I had a good look at a three,” Pierce said. “I saw about one or two seconds left (on the clock) and I could have drove and tied the game up but I went with my instincts.”
Orlando had enjoyed a 20-point lead on Lewis’s jumper in the second quarter but Boston battled back to lead 88-87 with 6:03 left in the game on back-to-back three-pointers by Eddie House and James Posey.
Orlando then ran off six straight points, capped by Hedo Turkoglu’s three-pointer at 4:51. The Magic moved into a 103-99 lead on two Lewis free throws with 15 seconds remaining, but Ray Allen hit a three-pointer with seven seconds on the clock to pull Boston within 103-102.
A Lewis free throw then accounted for the game’s final point after a foul by Pierce.
“Great game, they played great we didn’t compete until the second half,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. Jameer Nelson added 18 points for the Magic and Turkoglu
contributed 16.
Allen finished with 19 for Boston with Rajon Rondo scoring 18. Kevin Garnett added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Kobe Bryant scored 18 points and the Los Angeles Lakers won their third straight game with a 106-78 home victory over the Chicago Bulls. Ben Gordon topped the Bulls with 20 points.
Beno Udrih’s 23 points sparked the Sacramento Kings to a 105-95 home win over the Detroit Pistons. Tayshaun Prince scored 19 points and Rasheed Wallace had 17 points and 12 rebounds for Detroit.
