The Official Site of JJ Redick

Wed, May 6th 2009, 20:43

J.J. SCORES 15, BUT MAGIC ROUTED BY CELTICS IN GAME 2

BOSTON — J.J. Redick did his best to keep Orlando in the game early on Wednesday, but ultimately the Magic were no match for a Boston Celtics team that played with more aggression and hunger.

Redick hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 of his 15 points in the first quarter, but the Magic ultimately wilted under a hail of Celtics jump shots in a 112-94 Boston victory in Game 2.

A Magic team that built a lead as large as 28 points in Game 1 and had to hold on for dear life for a five-point victory was hardly competitive after the first quarter on Wednesday. Boston did as it wanted offensively, outscoring the Magic by 17 points in the second and third periods combined. Frustration was evident throughout as the Magic had no answers for a Boston team filled with confidence and momentum again.

``We got frustrated to easily. You think about how they reacted in Game 1 being down by a lot in the second half and we didn’t react the same way,’’ J.J. said. ``I’m not sure why we didn’t react that way, but that’s something we have to figure out over the next two days.’’

The Magic rallied to shoot 44.3 percent, but it was their defense that was to blame for this lopsided loss. Reserve shooting guard Eddie House burned the Magic for 31 points on 11 of 14 shooting, Rajon Rondo had a triple-double (15 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds) and Ray Allen bounced back from a poor Game 1 with 22 points.

``Our defense was terrible and they pretty much got whatever they wanted,’’ J.J. said. ``We got frustrated because we didn’t take away anything on the pick-and-roll or anything on the catch-and-shoot. And Eddie House had one of the greatest shooting performances I’ve ever seen.’’

J.J. made five of eight shots and tied his playoff career high of 15 points set last week in Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

``We were moving the ball decently in the first quarter, but you just can’t rely on your offense to win a game at this point in the year,’’ J.J. said. ``Up until this point our defense had been great the last four games.’’

J.J. was plagued by foul trouble throughout the game and was ejected from the game with 4:45 to play after being whistled for his sixth foul. He was ejected for patting veteran referee Bennett Salvatore on the back. Said J.J.: ``I immediately regretted it as soon as I did it.’‘

The best-of-seven series now shifts back to Orlando where the Magic will host Game 3 on Friday night. Game 4 will also be at Amway Arena on Sunday.

The Magic were repeatedly gashed in the first half, giving up 61 points, 32 of which came alarmingly in the paint. And when the Celtics weren’t burning Orlando for four 3-pointers, they were getting layups and dunks off blown pick-and-roll coverages.

J.J. almost single-handedly kept the Magic in the game early on, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring 11 first-quarter points. Boston went to a small lineup to help close off the driving lanes for Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu and J.J. made the Celtics pay for leaving him open. His second 3-pointer came some 3 feet behind the line and his final one of the third quarter ruined a defensive stand where the Celtics forced the Magic to run the shot clock down to zero.

But eventually the lead ballooned to as much as 26 points, and shockingly the Magic never made a legitimate run at threatening the Celtics.

``There have been times when we had those margins – 15 points, 16 points to start the fourth in Miami and we won – we’ve been a mentally tough team all year and we’ve responded to adversity well. Tonight we didn’t for whatever reason, and we have to figure out why.’’