The experience of the Boston Celtics showed in game 2 against the Orlando Magic as the Celtics were able to stay poised down the stretch. In the final minutes of the game, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo hit clutch shots and remained cool under pressure. With 34 seconds left in the game and the Celtics up by 1, Paul Pierce was fouled and calmly hit both free throws, whereas Vince Carter, who was fouled on the next play of the game, missed both key free throws, leaving the Magic down by 3. Garnett then missed a 20 foot jumper, J.J. Redick got possession of the ball, and the Magic had a chance to tie the game. Here is where a big mistake came into play: instead of calling a timeout immediately after Garnett's missed shot and having over 7 seconds to craft a play on the sideline, Redick took several dribbles and then called for a timeout. This left the Magic with only 3.5 seconds for the last shot of the game - a 60 foot jumper that missed the mark. Making smart basketball decisions and remaining calm under pressure is what experience brings to a team - something that the Magic lack. The Celtics experience has helped them secure a 2-0 lead with a chance to close out the series at home.
I agree that experience in the playoffs is an invaluable asset to a team. But I would argue that experience argument can't be used to justify the lack of execution at the end of game 2. The Magic were in the NBA finals last year, and Vince Carter is an NBA veteran with lots of regular season and playoff games under his belt. The end of that game came down to coaching, maybe over coaching the Van Gundy's case, and the individual clutchness of the players.
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