Maybe proud Celtics fans should stick out their chins, as well as their chests, in honor of Glen "Big Baby" Davis hitting the winning shot at the buzzer Sunday night to even the Eastern Conference semifinals.
After Davis took Paul Pierce's pass and buried a 21-footer from in front of the Orlando bench over a charging Rashard Lewis to give the Celtics a 95-94 victory, he raced down the court with his chin protruding like Popeye. Davis sticks his chin out every time he hits a big shot, but it was never more noticeable than on Sunday because it was the biggest shot of his career.
If Davis had missed, the defending NBA champions would have entered Game 5 at 8 tonight at the Garden trailing the best-of-seven series, 3-1, and Orlando needing only one more victory to clinch it. Teams have overcome 3-1 deficits only eight times.
Instead, the series is deadlocked at 2-2 and the Celtics have recaptured home-court advantage. Game 6 will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in Orlando. If a Game 7 is necessary, it will be played Sunday night at the Garden.
"I love our momentum going into the next game," Davis said Sunday. "We're going back home to a hostile (for the enemy) environment. Our fans, they have a lot to do with our success. The energy, the momentum that we have, it's unbelievable. So I'm looking forward to the next game."
It was fitting that Davis, who proudly answers to the nickname "Big Baby" and has a tattoo reading "Momma's Boy," hit the buzzer-beater on Mother's Day.
Davis took the last-second shot only because Pierce and Ray Allen were closely guarded, but he wasn't a bad third option. The 6-foot-9 forward is shooting 60 percent in the series, the best of any Boston starter, and is averaging 13.3 points.
"Every time I shoot," Davis said, "I see myself making game-winning shots all the time. You always have to see it. If you see it, you'll believe it."
The Magic players thought the Celtics celebrated too much after Davis hit his shot and didn't appreciate the Green waving at them and shouting, "Bye-bye!"
In Game 4, Ray Allen played 47 minutes, Rajon Rondo 42, and Kendrick Perkins 40, so the Celtics rested yesterday instead of practicing. They also skipped practice Saturday and looked much sharper on Sunday than they did during a 117-96 loss at Orlando in Game 3 on Friday.
The Celtics held Orlando to 40 percent shooting and the Magic made just 5 of 27 3-pointers in Game 4. Orlando's starting backcourt of J.J. Redick and Rafer Alston each made just 1 of 7 shots and combined to hit only 1 of 10 from beyond the arc.
The Celtics got blown out in Game 3 while Alston served a one-game suspension for slapping Eddie House in the head, but beat the Magic when Alston returned for Game 4.
House and the rest of the Celtics' subs made only 1 of 8 shots and scored just 2 points in Game 4. The starters shot 57.8 percent and scored 93 points with Davis leading the way down the stretch. He was the only Celtic to make a field goal in the final 7:21, and the only Celtic to score at all in the last 3:52. He finished with 21 points.
Allen has averaged only 12.8 points and shot just 34 percent in this series. From 3-point land, he's 0 for 10 the past two games and just 3 for 24 in the series.
The Magic are doing a great job of guarding Allen, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers said his team must be more patient waiting for him to get open.
Perkins didn't undergo an MRI yesterday and should be ready to play tonight, according to team spokesman Jeff Twiss, even though the Celtics' center strained his troublesome left shoulder in Game 4. Perkins strained the shoulder twice during the regular season, forcing him to miss six games, and underwent surgery on it last July and after the 2005-06 season.
Perkins doesn't expect it to feel better until the season ends.
Celtics vs. Magic
Game 5, 8 tonight at TD Banknorth Garden, TNT
