NBA: Magic stay alive in the East

ORLANDO, Fla. - Not ready to go home just yet, the only place the Orlando Magic are headed is back to Boston.

Halfway to history.

Taking another step toward overcoming an improbable three-games-to-none series deficit, the Magic got 21 points and 10 rebounds from Dwight Howard in a 113-92 win over the Celtics on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals at Amway Arena.

"We just all believe," said guard Jameer Nelson, the former St. Joseph's star. "We all believe. We know we can do it, one game at a time."

A series that looked like a sweep a few days ago now has the Celtics taking a slim 3-2 lead into Game 6 in Boston on Friday night. The Celtics are facing the possibility of playing it without Kendrick Perkins after their starting center picked up his seventh technical foul of the playoffs - a mandatory suspension unless it is overturned.

A potential Game 7 would be in Orlando.

No NBA team has won a series after losing the first three games.

The Magic, seemingly lifeless after a blowout defeat in Game 3, suddenly have hope to be the first. They broke out of their series-long shooting slump, making 13 of 25 three-pointers.

Nelson scored 24 points, and J.J. Redick had 14 to help the Magic set a frenetic pace that the Celtics couldn't sustain.

Former Simon Gratz High star Rasheed Wallace scored 21 points, and Ray Allen added 19 for a Boston team that once seemed on its way to another NBA Finals.

Howard's elbow inadvertently came down on Glen "Big Baby" Davis' face in the third quarter, giving the Celtics forward a concussion.

Davis tried to get up as play continued on the other end, wobbling his way to midcourt, almost falling flat as referee Joey Crawford kept him from tumbling to the hardwood.

Davis did not return. Reserve Marquis Daniels also was hit by a similar inadvertent elbow from Howard, leaving him dizzy, and Wallace "tweaked" his back.