Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics, Game 5 (series tied 2-2) :WagerWeb Entertainment

Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics, Game 5 (series tied 2-2)

12 May 2009 257 views No Comment

Since the Boston Celtics are 17-3 at home in Game 7s of playoff series (including 1-0 this season), if the Orlando Magic want to win this Eastern Conference semifinal series, they better pull out tonight’s Game 5 and then finish it off Thursday night in Orlando.

But Boston is a 2-point WagerWeb.com favorite for tonight’s game, with an over/under 192 ½. The Celtics, however, have dropped two games at home in this postseason (and are just 2-4 against the spread in Boston), including Game 1 to the Magic.

The Celtics need to get Ray Allen on track. Allen, who was tremendous in the Bulls’ series other than Game 1, is just fifth on the team in scoring this series and hitting 34 percent from the field and a lousy 12.5 percent (3 of 22) from 3-point range. In the past two games, which Boston split in Orlando, he was 0 for 10 from 3-point range and took only two free throws.

Coach Doc Rivers has said that his big men need to set better screens for Allen.

“Defensively, early, they are just taking me out of the game,” Allen said. “I’ve got to develop my rhythm early.”

The Magic, coming off that crushing loss in Game 4 thanks to Glen Davis’ buzzer-beater, are expected to return rookie Courtney Lee to the starting lineup tonight. J.J. Redick, who has supplanted Lee in the lineup when Lee went down injured against the Sixers, had just 2 points on 1-of-7 shooting Sunday night. Lee had 8 points in 23 minutes off the bench and played tremendous defense on Boston’s Eddie House, holding him scoreless.

Orlando point guard Rafer Alston has been the weak link in this series, and he had just 5 points in Game 4 and is shooting just 8 percent from the 3-point line Rajon Rondo has dominated Alston to the tune of 16.3 ppg, 8.8 apg, 10.0 rpg, so the Magic probably will give backup Anthony Johnson more than the 11 minutes he played in Game 4.