The Celtic defense continued to make the Magic look like a college team.

Boston once again showed us what a team committed to playing together can do.

Kevin Garnett scored 10, Paul Pierce 15, Rajon Rondo 11, Ray Allen 14, Glen Davis 17, Rasheed Wallace 10.  And, oh yeah, the Celtics won 94-71 to push their seemingly insurmountable lead up to 3-0.

There was evidence early in the contest that the Magic didn’t bring it.  On one possession, Ray Allen blew past Dwight Howard, who was covering him on the perimeter.  No Orlando players rotated back to help in the paint, and Allen – after starting his penetration from outside the three-point arc – sailed in for an uncontested dunk.

Dwight Howard didn't have much to smile about with only 7 points and 7 rebounds tonight.

But if there was one play that was symbolic of the pulse of this game, it happened with 8:38 remaining in the second quarter.  Rondo and Jason Williams were both chasing a loose ball in the Magic backcourt – a chase in which Williams looked to win.  But Rondo abruptly dove to the floor, somehow recovered the ball and flipped a running floater off the glass that went in.  At the time of ‘the dive’, his Celtics were leading 34-17.

What does this tell us?

Letting a team that is dominating the series outhustle you means that you have thrown in the towel.  Not only were the Magic getting dominated by losing the first two games, but they were also blitzed early in this game.  The 23-point loss should be very embarrassing for a team who was down 0-2 entering the contest.

What an enigma the Orlando Magic are.  This team played the game its way in the first two rounds.  Howard controlled the paint.  He commanded double-teams.  Open shooters knocked down shots.  They played great team defense.

They’re doing none of that now.

The Magic are flat out scared of the Celtics.