Game Five Adjustments: Magic-Celtics

Sorry I did not get to write a whole lot last night. It was late, my voice was hoarse from the game and family was still in town (plus, I had to print out my ticket back to Chicago, sleep and get on a plane and such).

But here are some more thoughts on a game that is probably already being overanalyzed:

1) Take less 3-pointers: the Magic are built on 3-point shooting. But, admittedly, I have never been comfortable with this strategy. The threat of the 3-point shot is more deadly than the actual 3-pointers themselves.

This is the shot Boston wants to give up. And Sunday night the team was happy to give them up as Orlando shot a poor five of 27 from beyond the arc. Stan Van Gundy said he probably thought most of them were good looks -- and for the most part they were.

But, again, the Magic struggle most when they take too many 3-pointers and do not attack. I do not have the stats, but that seems to be what changed in the fourth quarter. Orlando attacked and erased Boston's lead.

Then when the Magic needed to execute down the stretch, they got their points by attacking the basket. They could have very easily taken the lead much earlier in the game, but a few missed threes and a few ill-advised shots from Hedo Turkoglu led to some consternation.

Orlando's 3-pointers need to come off extra passes and ball rotation. They cannot come early in the shot clock or contested. The Magic used it most effectively in Game Three, it simply cannot be the shot they settle for.

2) Force Pierce to the corners: Paul Pierce made a concerted effort to attack the basket in Game Three and his scoring output showed that. Pierce is the consummate attacker. He wants to get to the basket and if he cannot, he will pull up at the free throw line and take the short jumper. He is also really crafty at drawing fouls. This makes things very difficult for a defender.

Pierce is one of the top talents in the league. I think the best way to defend him -- and limit his options -- is to force him to the corners. More or less it is the strategy of keeping him from going middle. He is a pretty good passer and will get it to open defenders if doubled. But Orlando has to try and limit his field of vision and use the baseline as an extra defender.

Pierce is going to get his points. It is important to keep him from getting others involved.

3) Dwight Howard must be a superstar: Howard looked to be aggressive early in the game. He got hit with a foul in the first minute of the game and it deterred him from being as aggressive as he was in Games One and Three in the paint.

He certainly did not fold like he did in Game Two though. Howard was still very active. And give the Celtics credit for continuing to attack him defensively and passing it off underneath to Glenn Davis underneath (and he did a fantastic job finishing).

Offensively, Kendrick Perkins did a good job pushing Howard away from the basket. He never looked comfortable underneath. But he was still very aggressive in trying to score -- a pretty encouraging sign.

Howard has to continue to be aggressive and try to work toward the basket. The Celtics do a very good job keeping him from the basket -- and even were using two guys to box him out, definitely an opportunity there if Stan Van Gundy leans that way.

Part of this comes from the spacing created by making 3-pointers. But great to see Howard attacking throughout the game.