A
AALARD
Guest
NBA: Boston 96, Orlando 84
BOSTON, May 28 (UPI) -- Paul Pierce scored 29 points and Nate Robinson provided a spark Friday in sending Boston into the NBA Finals with a 96-84 victory over Orlando.
The Celtics overcame a roughhouse style of play by the Magic to win the Eastern Conference crown in six games and set up a chance for their second league championship in three years.
Boston had seen its 3-0 advantage in the conference finals reduced to 3-2 and the Celtics faced the possibility of becoming the first team in league history to be eliminated from the playoffs after winning the first three games of a series.
The Celtics, however, closed out the first quarter on a 16-5 run to take a 30-19 lead and they never let the Magic back in the game. Boston will now face either the Los Angeles Lakers or Phoenix Suns for the NBA title.
Pierce added 13 rebounds and five assists while making 9-of-15 shots from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
Ray Allen scored 20 for the Celtics and Robinson produced all 13 of his points in the second quarter while filling in for Rajon Rondo.
Rondo stayed on the bench for most of the second period after being on the receiving end of a hard fall that left him with a sore back. He scored only two of his 14 points in the second half, but Pierce and Allen carried the Celtics during the final two periods.
Dwight Howard scored 28 points for Orlando and Vince Carter had 17. The Magic won their first eight games in this year's playoffs before suffering the three straight losses to open the series against Boston.
BOSTON, May 28 (UPI) -- Paul Pierce scored 29 points and Nate Robinson provided a spark Friday in sending Boston into the NBA Finals with a 96-84 victory over Orlando.
The Celtics overcame a roughhouse style of play by the Magic to win the Eastern Conference crown in six games and set up a chance for their second league championship in three years.
Boston had seen its 3-0 advantage in the conference finals reduced to 3-2 and the Celtics faced the possibility of becoming the first team in league history to be eliminated from the playoffs after winning the first three games of a series.
The Celtics, however, closed out the first quarter on a 16-5 run to take a 30-19 lead and they never let the Magic back in the game. Boston will now face either the Los Angeles Lakers or Phoenix Suns for the NBA title.
Pierce added 13 rebounds and five assists while making 9-of-15 shots from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
Ray Allen scored 20 for the Celtics and Robinson produced all 13 of his points in the second quarter while filling in for Rajon Rondo.
Rondo stayed on the bench for most of the second period after being on the receiving end of a hard fall that left him with a sore back. He scored only two of his 14 points in the second half, but Pierce and Allen carried the Celtics during the final two periods.
Dwight Howard scored 28 points for Orlando and Vince Carter had 17. The Magic won their first eight games in this year's playoffs before suffering the three straight losses to open the series against Boston.
