That Other Perfect Boston Team Falls

Despite wild rally and 53 percent shooting, Celtics lose to Magic

By Jesse Andrews

Posted Nov 18, 2007 10:25 PM CST

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That Other Perfect Boston Team Falls — Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett hangs his head after fouling out during the second half of their basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007. The Magic won 104-102. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) (Associated Press)

In a battle of Eastern Conference heavyweights, the Magic dealt the Celtics their first loss of the season, 104-102. Boston had rallied from a 20-point third-quarter deficit to take a slim lead in the fourth, but late miscues and clutch shooting from Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis sealed the deal for Orlando.

Lewis finished with 22 points; his frontcourt counterpart, Dwight Howard, had 24. Boston backup Tony Allen botched a wide-open layup with the game in the balance, and Paul Pierce missed a difficult jumper in the final seconds that would have caused overtime. James Posey and Kevin Garnett, two reliable late-game options for the Celts, had fouled out.

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