Orlando Magic on What It’s Like to Face Boston

Well, it’s certainly different than going up against Charlotte or Atlanta. To say the least. From the Boston Herald: “The Magic were outplayed, outmanned and outhustled as the Celtics made one thing clear: Things aren’t going to be so easy in this series. ‘You can’t expect to beat a team like Boston without playing hard, and we didn’t play with a sense of urgency until the fourth quarter,” said Orlando guard J.J. Redick as the Magic trailed by 20 points late in the third quarter before a late rally brought them within two in the final minute of the opening game in the Eastern Conference finals. ‘You’ve gotta be more focused than we were.’ … ‘The game most definitely felt different,’ said Magic forward Rashard Lewis, who scored a playoffs-low six points. ‘Going against the Atlanta Hawks and now to the Boston Celtics, the Celtics are a good team, a veteran team, a championship team.’ Those are the same Celtics who frustrated two of the game’s premier players – Dwyane Wade and LeBron James – in the first two rounds. Now, it’s the Celtics’ chance to frustrate Orlando’s collection of stars. ‘They’re relentless,’ Magic guard Vince Carter said. ‘They’re very aggressive. They work on their strengths. They play well together. They do a great job of contesting, especially when you’re in the paint. And it took us a while to figure that out.”’