Tonight could be the Magic's last game in Amway Arena.

Playoff Rule #5: The hardest game is the elimination game.

In Game 4, Monday at the TD Garden, Boston fell in overtime 96-92, failing to sweep the slumping Orlando Magic.

Tonight, on the road, at Amway Arena, in Orlando, FL, up three games to one, Boston will take another shot at knocking off the now emboldened Orlando Magic.

To win, Boston must match the energy and focus that Orlando played with in Game 4.  Boston came out soft in game 4, expecting an easy win, and they never quite recovered from the rocky start. Tonight,  Boston must start well in order to silence the Orlando crowd. The Magic fans should be out in full force, hyped and ready to cheer, considering that this could be the last Magic game the Amway Arena ever hosts. Next season, Orlando will be moving into a bigger and better stadium.

Strategically, Boston’s primary focus must be on limiting the effectiveness of the Magic pick-and-roll game. The Jameer Nelson- Dwight Howard combination had a field day in game 4 on the pick-and-roll: Nelson exploded for 23 points and 9 assists, while Dwight Howard added 32 points and 16 rebounds. Howard also had a series-high seven dunks in Game 4. In games 1-3 combined, Howard totaled just 5 dunks.

In order to stop the pick-and-roll offense of the Orlando Magic, Rajon Rondo, who suffered from muscle spasms in Game 4, and Kendrick Perkins, who is battling wrist and knee injuries, must return to form. Rajon Rondo struggled to stay in front of Nelson, and had just 9 points and 8 assists, while Perkins had just 3 points and 4 rebounds in 27 minutes. During most of the crunch-time minutes, Perkins was sitting on the bench, while Glen Davis played. Davis rotates and takes charges well defensively, but he doesn’t have the size to match up with Howard.

Limiting turnovers will be another key to the game. Boston is averaging 14 tpg– with just 9 turnovers in game 3–and, on the road, protecting the ball is paramount. If Boston can limit its turnovers–like it did in the game 3 blowout– then the offense should have little trouble scoring, as it has all series.

Paul Pierce has lead the Celtics scoring attack with 21.8 ppg. Look for Pierce to continue to score the ball because Vince Carter and Matt Barnes of the Orlando Magic have been unable to slow down Pierce thus far. For the Orlando Magic, Howard and Nelson have been the most effective, but reserve guard J.J. Redick has been the most reliable for coach Stan Van Gundy.

You can say he’s their most consistent player in this series,” Doc Rivers said. “He’s been phenomenal against us. We keep losing sight of him.”

Redick hit 3-5 three-pointers in game 4 and scored 10 straight points for the Magic during the middle of the fourth quarter. Redick finished the game with 12 points.

For the aging, injury-plagued Boston Celtics, the quick turnaround from Game 4 could be an issue. Boston and Orlando are playing their third game in six days, after having almost a week off in between game 1 and game 2, and between game 2 and game 3.

Notebook: Rajon Rondo was limited by muscle spasms in Game 4, but told reporters he is feeling better tonight…Rashard Lewis has been battling a stomach virus all series long, and will take intravenous fluids before Game 5…Magic coach Stan Van Gundy expects J.J. Redick to continue to contribute and play big minutes…Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau will likely be offered the head coaching job for the New Orleans Hornets sometime soon.

"We have GOT to keep our composure!!!!"

I was unable to sleep Monday night. I was busy thinking about the opportunity the Celts pissed away. Despite consuming double digit beers on my couch, I woke up this morning feeling much better than I thought I would.  I fully expected to turn on sports radio and hear all the schmucks in the area calling up, mentioning the Bruins, and how they choked, yada yada yada.

Well, Boston did not disappoint me.  The classic fans who were nowhere to be found when the Celts hit a rough stretch at the end of the season– finishing 27-27  in their last 54 games– suddenly became experts on this team, and how it’s going to fare moving forward.  I fully expected the negativity, but it still pissed me off.  Everyone needs to CALM THE F*CK DOWN!  Yes the Green lost last night. Yes, it sucked and it was painful–but for god’s sake, let’s not lose our minds here.

Orlando played out of their mind last night (outside of Vince “A-rod” Carter, who was once again absent in a big game).  They did everything they needed to do to keep this series going.  I’ll be honest, I was impressed when the game went into overtime, and the Magic answered.  I figured Dwight was ready to go back to doing movies (awesome trailor by the way for “Just Wright” staring Howard and Queen Latifah, seriously, looks like a classic).  I figured Matt Barnes was ready to go back to the slums and sling the crack rock, but no, they answered.

They hit a couple lucky shots in the overtime, and ended up on top.  That is not the point of this entry.  You will see all the highlights in the coming days of why the Celts will choke, and comparisons  to the Bruins, etc.  I am here to tell you that there is no way its going to happen.  Hockey is not basketball, and these C’s are not an overacheiving Bruins team that was running on fumes a little over a week ago.  Below are 10 reasons the Green will end this series Wednesday night in Orlando.

10.  The Green will not shoot that badly from 3-point land again – Yes, Ray Allen was money down the stretch and in overtime, but they still shot around 30 percent from 3 from the game, and nobody outside of Allen hit one all game.

9.  Rondo will return to form – Rondo had an off game last night.  He was not controlling the tempo, he did not play great defense, and he did not put pressure on the Orlando defense.  He is allowed one stinker in the last 10 playoff games because he has been our MVP, but mark my words, he will not throw up another 9 point, 8 assist game.  I would expect no less than 17 points and 13 assists next game (accompanied by him once again taking Jason Williams’  manhood).

8.  Perk will play better defense – I don’t know if  his knees are killing him or what, but Kendrick Perkins just wasn’t as effective on Howard last night. Glen Davis probably played the best D on Howard, and we barely even saw Perk in the 4th quarter.  He will come back to show everyone why he is the best post defender in the league.

7.  Jameer Nelson will not get to the paint that easily again – Nelson had his way with the Celtics on the perimeter, and knifed into the lane whenever he wanted.  Whether he was pulling up for bull shit 3′s (that bank 3 in overtime was just complete horseshit) or drving into the lane off balance and throwing the ball up in the air for Howard, Nelson dominated.  Rest assured, Doc will not let that happen again.  Look for Nelson to be bottled up by Tony Allen and Rondo, who will only give Nelson looks from the perimeter.

6.  Nobody Sweeps in David Stern’s Conference Finals – I’m typically not one of those guys that buys the rumor that the NBA is fixed, but last night got me thinking.  When Pierce got mauled more than 2 times going to the basket without a call in the 4th, and when Howard was not issued a technical after getting

in a skirmish with KG, you have to wonder.  Sterney doesn’t want to miss out on some precious revenue back in Orlando.

5.  Tony Allen will not revert back to 2006 TA again – Allen looked like he did back when the C’s were in the lottery last night.  Dribbling off his foot like an idiot, and commiting stupid fouls that sent Orlando to the line.  He needs to get back to bringing the energy and slicing to the basket.

4.  Orlando has Vince Carter - If anyone knows Vince Carter, they know he is miserable when the lights are at their brightest.  That’s why he has never taken a team to the Finals.  He is lazy, soft, and a selfish ball player.  He doesn’t do anything tough and disappears when his team needs him most.  Hell, J.J. Redick got more time than him last night…nuff said.

3.  Speaking of J.J. Redick, no way he keeps up this pace – Reddick has been the most consistent players for Orlando in this series.  He has knocked down open jumpers, gotten to the foul line, and played good defense.  Redick is a solid bench player in the NBA, no more, and he will not continue to hurt the Celts on the offensive end.  Plus when I was in college I used to work with a kid who went to Duke and said JJ loves banging fat chicks…..just a little tidbit.

2.  KG will not hit a wall again - KG started 5-5 from the field and looked great, but then he hit a wall.  He missed 8 of his last 9 shots and looked generally tired in the overtime.  This is probably because Perk was out for so long and Garnett got so worked up over his skirmish with Howard.  Anyway, he will get back to what he has done over the last 2 weeks.  A solid 16 point 9 rebound effort, and the best pick-and-roll defender in the league.

1.  Pierce is going to close this out – Pierce can’t be happy with how he finished last night.  Puking away that final possession in regulation, and missing 2 wide open 3′s in the overtime.  I know he had 32 points and kept us in this game, but knowing the captain, he is going to be dialed in and ready to give a big F*ck you to the Orlando faithful.

This one ain’t comin back to Boston.  On a side note, does anyone else want to shoot themselves when they hear Mark Jackson say “mama there goes that man.”  We get it buddy–you’re from New York and grew up playing at Rucker Park, but it gets old when you say it 10 times.

Notebook: Rajon Rondo was limited by muscle spasms in Game 4, but told reporters he is feeling better tonight…Rashard Lewis has been battling a stomach virus all series long, and will take intravenous fluids before Game 5…Magic coach Stan Van Gundy expects J.J. Redick to continue to contribute and play big minutes…Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau will likely be offered the head coaching job for the New Orleans Hornets sometime soon.

Superman got knocked down. Can he beat the 10-count tonight?

After losing Game 3 by 23 points, and putting themselves in an 0-3 hole that no NBA team has overcome, Orlando appears to be a drowning team.  Boston has come at Orlando in unrelenting waves of vocal defense, fluid offense, and total concentration.

Rajon Rondo’s now famous diving steal/ layup has become a microcosm of the series: Boston is outhustling and outworking a surprisigly blase Orlando Magic team.

This series has reminded me a lot of a boxing match. In Game 1, Boston punched the Magic in the collective mouth, sending them sprawling to the canvas. Orlando was not ready for Boston’s physicality, especially Dwight Howard who struggled with Kendrick Perkins’ physical defense and Rasheed Wallace’s judo-chops.

In Game 2, Orlando came back, cuts healed, energy restored, ready to avenge their round 1 knockdown. Boston and Orlando exchanged punches all game long, but, at the end of the game,  Vince Carter missed two crucial free throws with Orlando down three and Kevin Garnett and Rondo proved to be too much .

After losing the second round–the second game– on points, Orlando came out for Game 3 and promptly took a 27-12 beating in the first quarter. All of the sudden, the cuts reopened, the Magic’s legs collectively wobbled and Rajon Rondo knocked Orlando down once again with what has become the highlight of the playoffs.

The Orlando Magic still haven’t gotten up off the mat. So what do I expect to happen in Game 4? I think Orlando will throw in the towel. Nothing the Magic have said or done since getting knocked down by Rondo suggests a miraculous comeback. The Magic appear to be a dead team– ready for golf, fishing, and the off season.

Notebook:

Rajon Rondo has turned his cell phone off for the entire playoffs so that he can focus 100% on basketball…Brian Scalabrine praises Tom Thibodeau and says he’d be a great fit in Chicago…Paul Pierce thinks the Orlando Magic miss Hedo Turkoglu…Dwight Howard told a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel that “there is no need for us to be down”

Van Gundy will have to do more than yelling if he hopes to win Game 2.

Game 2 is going to come down to which coach can push the correct buttons and make the right moves. I could talk about all the different match-ups at each position, but these teams know  each other well, and I believe the series will come down to who game-plans and executes the best from the sidelines.

In game 1, the Celtics executed their game plan to perfection.  You could tell from the start that their plan was to force Dwight Howard away from the basket (easier said than done) and maul him whenever he gets close , sending him to the line. In addition the green wanted to keep pressuring Rashard Lewis off the three point stripe, forcing him to make moves and beat them from off the dribble.  Lewis is a borderline all-star player, and he has shown at certain points in his career that he can make those plays from the dribble, but versus a great defensive unit like the C’s it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Matt Barnes was supposed to be the defensive stopper, but it looks as if back spasms are going to limit his play (he only played 22 minutes in the first game).  I  thought Barnes would be a problem, whether he  guarded Pierce or Allen to start.  Barnes started guarding Allen, and Allen showed that he can run even some of the best defensive players in the league ragged by piling up 25 points.  It will be interesting to see how Van Gundy adjusts to the Barnes injury, and how his team is affected from a defensive perspective.  While  Matt Barnes looks like he is much better suited to sell crack on Dorchester Ave in South Boston rather than be a reliable NBA player (sweet neck tattoos), when healthy he is a very serviceable defender.

Van Gundy failed to make the adjustments necessary to get his team over the hump in Game 1, and judging from how the game played out, I  wonder if Orlando can match up with Boston.  I know we have a long way to go in this series, but as Rasheed Wallace said after the game, “It looked like their butt holes tightened up.”  In order for the Magic to win, Magic studs Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson will have to lead the way in Game 2.  If the Magic plan to tie this series up, they will need to get  out of a half court game, and speed up the tempo, while getting Dwight involved with some easy buckets early.  Howard and Nelson are at their best when they feed off each other, and when Howard doesn’t get involved early, he has a tendency to disappear from games.

Rivers’ game plan is working true to form, and if they can make Howard beat them from the line, while keep Lewis and Carter in check, Boston will dominate the series. Surprisingly, the Celtics won game 1 without a significant contribution on the offensive end from Rajon Rondo or Kevin Garnett.  You have to believe– with the way those two have been playing– that won’t happen again.  KG was missing open looks, but Rondo really seemed to struggle with having the man with the tiniest head in the NBA (Dwight Howard) waiting for him whenever he beat Nelson off the dribble.  I am curious to see how Rivers devises some  creative ways to get Rondo more involved.

Regardless, Game 2 is as close to a must-win game for the Magic as possible. As good as the Green are playing, they cannot afford to go back to Boston down 2-0.  The key will be how Stan Van Gundy plans to get Howard more touches close to the basket.  If that happens, Howard gets going, the crowd gets going, Nelson gets going, and so go the Magic.

With the way Boston played in game 1 it seemed to me that they were fed up with all the crap going on with ESPN/ABC.  The Celtics were sick of seeing bullshit puppet commercials featuring Lebron and Kobe, sick of seeing stupid halftime segments of Dwight Howard interviewing himself as Superman. Boston is a blue collar team that is peaking at the right time, and if they play Howard the way they did in Game 1, they will be looking at a 2-0 series lead.  My prediction: 99-92 Celts……and maybe Matt Barnes gets caught with a crack rock in the locker room (seriously, you can’t tell me that guy doesn’t do some illegal shit, its a rule, more than one neck tattoo, you are a scumbag, see Delonte West).