Celtics Rally, But Lose Heartbreaker

The Celtics erased a 16-point second-half deficit but ultimately fell to the Magic, 96-93, on Sunday afternoon.

Ray Allen hit a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 93-93 with 14.1 seconds remaining, but Hedo Turkoglu answered with a three of his own to help his Magic hold on for the win.

The Celtics also came up short, in large part, because they were short-handed; Kevin Garnett was out due to an abdominal strain he suffered against Minnesota on Friday night.

With Garnett forced to sit, Paul Pierce stepped up and scored 19 first-half points before finishing with a team-high 24.

Four Celtics scored in double figures, including James Posey, who shot 4-of-6 from three and contributed 16 points in the loss.

Rajon Rondo scored 15, first hitting a big bucket to keep the Celtics close, then making the steal that led to Allen's game-tying three.