Halftime in Boston: Magic 45, Celtics 38

Thanks to solid ball movement and hot outside shooting, the Orlando Magic have taken a 45-38 lead over the Boston Celtics into the locker room at TD Banknorth Garden. Rafer Alston and Hedo Turkoglu lead the Magic with 10 first-half points apiece, while Ray Allen--who has clearly snapped out of his shooting funk--leads Boston with 13 points.

Despite the lead, there are three causes of concern for the Magic. First, Dwight Howard and Turkoglu are in foul trouble, with 3 fouls each. They need to stay on the floor for most of the second half if Orlando is to hold on. Second, Allen has gotten hot, as I mentioned earlier. If the Celtics continue to give him the ball, it won't matter whom Stan Van Gundy assigns to guard him. Third, the Magic's poor ballhandling has undermined their great shooting. Orlando would have a much bigger lead were it not for some silly turnovers. If their shooting touch leaves them, they may have to buckle down even harder defensively.