Orlando Magic 96, Boston Celtics 89: The Morning After

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes that Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is pleased with his team's performance yesterday.

Stan Van Gundy now has coached the Orlando Magic for 215 regular-season games and another 34 playoff games, and in all that time, he says he's never seen his team play a better quarter than it did in the third period Sunday afternoon against the Boston Celtics.

Jessica Camerato of WEEI elaborates on Orlando's third-quarter dominance.

Ray Allen, Kendrick Perkins, and Paul Pierce went scoreless in the third, while Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, and Rashard Lewis combined for 26.

Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston writes that one Celtic player said after the game that he thinks Boston is better than Orlando, a sentiment which Celtics coach Doc Rivers called "a bunch of crap."

UPDATE (this bullet only): Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don't Lie is effusive in his praise of Orlando, although he doesn't like their throwback uniforms.

Boston looks old. Orlando looks stacked.

It's not that simple, of course, but how could you not consider the latter end of that take as Jameer Nelson showed flashes of 2008-09's All-Star turn, even if he missed a series of open shots and turned the ball over more times than he was credited with an assist? Or with Dwight Howard overcoming early foul trouble to contribute 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in only 32 minutes? How could you not see the glory when Orlando was hitting on half of its 22 three-point attempts on the road?

Van Gundy tells John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com why he decided to leave Dwight Howard in the game after he picked up his 4th foul midway through the third quarter...

... while Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com explains why that was he right move.

Philip Rossman-Reich of Orlando Magic Daily came away impressed with the Magic's defense and with Vince Carter's play, but is worried that Orlando's 17-point lead didn't last long.

For comparison, last year in the regular season the Celtics shot 45.8 percent from the floor (holding the Magic to 40.3 percent) and scored 89.5 points per game. In the postseason, Boston averaged 91.7 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting.

This year, Orlando put the clamps on them, holding them to 86.8 points per game and 41.3 percent shooting. Against any team that is good. Against an elite team like Boston, it is downright scary.

Robbins transcribed this optimistic quote from Carter.

It's been a long time coming," Carter said in the Magic locker room after the game. "I told the guys coming into this month. I said, 'It's a new me.' "

Zach Lowe of Celtics Hub implores Celtics fans to recognize the role Howard played in Boston's defeat.

BigMck of Red's Army is incensed with Rivers for not calling more timeouts when his team started losing control of the game in the third quarter.

"Aaaaarrrrrrrrggggghhhhh" was all CelticsBlog's Jeff Clark could muster after the game.

Brian Robb of Celtics Hub lists this game as another instance of the Celtics "not responding well, or even at all to adversity" this season

Denton dishes on Magic GM Otis Smith's travel itinerary.

Magic general manger Otis Smith said he will be in Dallas next weekend, but he will be there to attend the NBA’s Competition Committee meetings rather than to hold trade talks. ``Trade talk is every day; you don’t need to be there for that,’’ Smith said. ``But I don’t have anybody on my roster that I want to trade.’’