Final Score: Celtics 92, Magic 88

The Orlando Magic hadn't lost a game in over a month coming into the Eastern Conference Finals' Game 1 at home.

The way they've been winning has been centered around 2 things: Three-point shooting, and Dwight Howard's dominance.

On Sunday afternoon, the road warrior Boston Celtics, who had the best regular-season road record in the East, were able to shut down both of Orlando's strengths on their way to a 92-88 victory in Game 1.

The Magic, who have made an NBA all-time record 895 three-pointers this season (including the playoffs), made just 5 of 22 shots from behind the arc on Sunday. Orlando shoots 37.5% from deep on the season, good for 3rd in the league, but converted on just 22% of their threes in this one.

Meanwhile, Dwight Howard was able to stay out of foul trouble and on the floor, but could not get into an offensive rhythm in the game. "Superman" had just 13 points on 3 of 10 shooting, with a 7-for-12 performance from the free throw line. Howard missed 5 field goal attempts in the ENTIRE last series against Atlanta (27 for 32), but he missed 7 shots on Sunday.

Howard had 12 rebounds and 5 blocks, but also had a costly 7 turnovers.

When the Magic can't hit their threes and can't get Howard going offensively, they can still usually pull out victories with their balanced offensive attack and strong team defense. But they didn't win those battles, either. Orlando shot just 41% from the field, and allowed Boston to shoot 44%. They had just three players score in double figures, and could not get the dynamic offensive attack going.

The Boston Celtics continued their strong play of late with a strong performance in this one. This time, it was not Rajon Rondo who propelled the victory, but it was the veteran wing players who had their way.

Ray Allen scored a game-high 25 points on 8 of 16 shooting, including 2 for 5 from deep and a perfect 7 for 7 from the free throw line. Allen had a very efficient effort in 40 strong minutes and proved that he still has much gas left in the tank as he continues his pursuit of another ring for the veteran Celtics.

Paul Pierce might have been the best overall player on the floor, though, in Game 1. Pierce had 22 points on just 8 field goal attempts, and added 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Pierce shot 6 for 8 from the field, 2 for 3 from three, and 8 for 10 from the foul line. He scored 13 of his 22 points in a third quarter stretch that saw Boston's lead increase from 3 to 18 in a matter of 8 minutes.

Pierce's effectiveness shows that the Celtics may have a matchup advantage at the position. While the C's big men are focused on frustrating Dwight Howard on both ends of the floor, their Big 4 scorers all have matchups that they can exploit. Pierce was able to take Vince Carter to the basket on many occasions, and he pulled up for jump shots with the shorter Matt Barnes guarding him.

Kevin Garnett has a huge advantage on the offensive end in his matchup with Rashard Lewis. Boston went to Garnett time and time again, getting him 14 shots from the field. He hit just 4 of his shots and finished with 8 points, but expect more from Garnett going forward. He also added 11 rebounds and 5 assists in this game.

Another huge key to Boston's victory was Rasheed Wallace's contribution off the bench. Wallace, who had a very disappointing regular season for Boston, is getting it done in the playoffs. He seemed very confident and comfortable with his role in this one. He did everything he could to frustrate Dwight Howard on the defensive end, using up 4 personal fouls and 1 technical in his pursuit of containing Superman. Then on the offensive end, Wallace stretched the floor and became a useful piece of the Celtics offense from the perimeter. He had 13 points and 2 three-pointers, finishing as the third leading scorer for Boston.

So Boston must be happy with their effort in Game 1. They have taken a road game in the Eastern Conference Finals and now essentially have stolen home court advantage in the series. They squandered a 20-point lead and barely hung on for a 4-point victory in this one, but the point is that they survived and came out with a road win in Game 1. They shut down Orlando's strengths, caused 18 turnovers, and should feel very confident going forward.

But here's the bad news for Boston. The Magic played an AWFUL Game 1, had just 10 assists to 18 turnovers, shot just 41%, scored a shockingly low 88 points, hit a season-low 5 three-pointers, and did not get a good game from Dwight Howard. Yet they still only lost by 4, and were a late three-point miss away from tying the game.

Boston has been plagued by an inability to close out games, and they have been dominated in many 4th quarters. This one was no different, as Orlando won the last period 30-18.

With a 20 point lead late in the 3rd quarter, Boston should not be having to sweat out a close win and pray for late-game misses from their opponents. They seem to get away from their game in the last period, and it's not a good sign. If Orlando played even decently in Game 1 in the first 3 quarters, they would have won the game.

The way the Celtics played tonight through 3 quarters, they are the best team in the league and can win another NBA championship. But they must focus on finishing games and keeping up their intensity in the 4th quarter, or else they will see their great play go to waste.

Going forward, it's going to be a great series. This one should go 6 or 7 games. Orlando must regroup and find a way to play better offensively, as they were thoroughly dominated for most of Game 1. Meanwhile, Boston needs to continue to play the way they did in the opener, while also figuring out how to get Rajon Rondo going in the open floor and continuing to focus on shutting down Howard and the perimeter shooters.

One thing is for sure: Orlando does not want to lose Game 2 and be down 0-2 going back to Boston. The Magic are going to come out hungry and play like it's a must-win on Tuesday night.

We've got an intense, long series in the making, and be ready for more close action in Game 2.