BOLT: Celtics Go Up 2-0 On The Road

This was a GREAT basketball game. It came down to three moments.

1. Jameer Nelson taking a defended 3 early in the shot clock with the Magic down 3. Nelson showed what his better move was the next time down the floor,w hen he drove strong for 2 off a good shot fake. If those back-to-back possessions are both productive, the game is back in the hands of the Magic.

2. Vince Carter's missed Free Throws. Not much to say about this. You have to hit your free throws late in important games. Carter is an 80+% shooter, and missed both free throws. That left the score 3 apart and gave the Celtics the ball with under a minute left.

3. Great defense by the Celtics on the final inbound play. For the second straight inbound play, the Celtics almost forced J.J. Reddick into a 5 second turnover. The second time, Reddick had to find Jameer Nelson coming toward him at half court. The vertically challenged Nelson had to move quickly to clear a shooting lane, coming up short with a running jumper from great distance. If the Celtics allow a bigger player or a player moving toward the basket to receive the ball, a different result could have been waiting.

-APT