TURKEY BOUND – Howard & Co in 0-2 hole against Celtics; Diamantidis shines

ORLANDO (NBA) - The Orlando Magic and their Team USA center Dwight Howard are staring at an 0-2 deficit in the NBA's Eastern Conference finals after losing 95-92 at home on Tuesday night to the Boston Celtics.
 
Magic fans will be fretting because in their long, illustrious history, the Celtics are have never lost a seven-game series after winning the first two games.
 
What’s impressive about this year's Boston team is that for the first time ever, the outfit has won the first two games of a play-off series on the road.
 
Paul Pierce had 28 points and Rajon Rondo 25 for Boston, who overcame a 30-point, eight-rebound performance from Howard.
 
Boston coach Doc Rivers' strategy of challenging the Orlando jump shooters worked to perfection, with the Magic just 28 of 71 from the floor overall.
 
Howard, a big part of the United States squad that won the Olympic gold medal in 2008, said: "I won't stop believing.
 
"And I won't let my teammates stop believing."
 
The teams meet in Game 3 on Saturday night in Boston.
 
Pierce, who also had five points and five rebounds, said: "Our fans won't let us relax.
 
"We're going to try and close it out in four games."
 
France sharpshooter Mickael Pietrus played just 15:34 for Orlando and scored five points.
 
The Los Angeles Lakers lead Phoenix 1-0 in the Western Conference finals.
 
Game 2 in that series is on Wednesday night at the Staples Center in LA.
 
Diamantidis leads Panathinaikos
 
Dimitris Diamantidis, who missed last summer’s EuroBasket for Greece to recover from off-season surgery, is primed for a return to the squad for the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.
 
He had 13 points and nine rebounds as Panathinaikos won 75-73 at Panellinios in Game 2 of the Greek domestic play-off semi-finals.
 
A Devin Smith three-pointer had put Ilias Zouros’ team in position for a famous win in front of their own fans, but Panathinaikos got a game-winning three-ball from Drew Nicholas with two seconds to play.
 
Panathinaikos will advance to the title series with a victory at home in Game 3.
 
Red hot Gecevicius
 
Martynas Gecevicius did his chances of representing Lithuania this summer no harm with 18 points in Lietuvos Rytas’ 89-75 Game 5 win over Zalgiris in the LKL play-off finals.
 
The sharpshooter, who has been named in Lithuania coach Kestutis Kemzura’s preliminary squad for the FIBA World Championship, made four of five shots from long range on his way to 18 points.
 
Another player named in the preliminary squad, Martynas Pocius of Zalgiris, finished with 21 points.
 
Milestone for English
 
Canada international Carl English of Caja Laboral will play in his 100th ACB game when he enters Friday night’s play-off clash against Asefa Estudiantes.
 
English joined the Vitoria outfit last summer, having spent the previous three campaigns with Gran Canaria.
 
FIBA