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Celtics square off with Magic in Orlando

Nov 25, 2012 - 3:40 PM (Sports Network) - The Boston Celtics make a brief road trip to central Florida on Sunday to take on the Orlando Magic.

The Celtics played their last two at TD Bank Garden and will play their next two after Sunday in Beantown. Boston is 1-2 in its last three after a solid win on Friday night against the reigning Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

"We just need to play right." said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "It's great to beat Oklahoma, they're the team to beat in the west, but it's more how we played. We played with great force tonight. I thought that was the difference."

Boston beat the Thunder 108-100, spurred by 27 points from Paul Pierce.

Three other Celtics scored in double-figures and Rajon Rondo handed out 16 assists to extend his streak of 10-plus assist games to 36. If he manages to get double-digits in helpers on Sunday, he will match John Stockton for the second-longest streak in NBA history. The only run ahead of Rondo would be Magic Johnson's streak of 46 consecutive games.

The Celtics are 3-3 on the road so far this season.

The Magic have won two in a row, both at home. They took out the Cleveland Cavaliers, 108-104, on Friday night and ran their record to 4-2 this season at the Amway Center.

Against the Cavs, five Magic players scored in double-figures, led by 22 from Jameer Nelson. Orlando shot over 50 percent from the 3-point line on Friday and 50 percent on the button from the field.

Balance has been the key for the Magic this season. Six players average double-figures in points, but Orlando, as a team, ranks second-to-last in the NBA in scoring.

Not coincidentally, the Magic have broken the 100-point plateau just four times this season. The four times it happened, Orlando won those games.

This is the third of a five-game homestand and a victory on Sunday would secure a winning record. After a game with the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 30, the Magic go on a five-game western trip, so this is an important stretch for Orlando.

"I haven't looked that far down the line," head coach Jacque Vaughn said after practice on Saturday. "For us, we're just trying to deal with this homestand. We started out 2-0, so try and get another one."

The Celtics have won five in a row against the Magic, but are 3-9 in their last 12 in Orlando.