The secret to beating the Orlando Magic is no secret at all.

If you have good interior defenders, you single-cover Dwight Howard as much as possible and ask your other defenders to crowd perimeter shooters to take away 3-point shots.

The Boston Celtics did that when they eliminated the Magic during the 2010 Eastern Conference finals. The Atlanta Hawks followed a similar script when they knocked the Magic out of last year’s first round. And the Celtics did it again Monday night, limiting the Magic to single-game franchise lows of 56 points and 24.6 percent shooting.

“We have trouble scoring against them,” Magic guardJ.J. Redicksaid. “That’s not a secret. They’re a great defense, and we’ve had so many battles with them that they’ve kind of figured us out.”

Another battle against the stingy Celtics looms Thursday at Amway Center.

Stan Van Gundy resorted to a coach’s cliché when he was asked how important this latest matchup will be. Win or lose, he said, the result will only count once in the standings.

Van Gundy is factually correct.

But, at some point, the Magic probably will have to solve the Celtics’ defensive scheme. If Orlando does not face Boston this postseason, then Orlando may face Atlanta. If Orlando does not play Atlanta, perhaps the Chicago Bulls — who are coached by former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau — will employ the same defensive game plan as the Celtics’ and the Hawks’ game plans.

Thursday, the Magic can start overcoming the obstacles.

“It’s not another game,” said the Magic’s Glen Davis. “We want to beat them. We want to beat them bad because we didn’t show them who we really are. They played a good game.”

Davis understands the challenges better than most. In both the 2009 playoffs and again in the 2010 playoffs, he was one of the big men who would guard Howard one-on-one.

Davis said a key for Orlando now — and something the team failed to do Monday — is to move the ball.

Van Gundy, Redick and Ryan Anderson also emphasized the importance of ball movement and, if necessary, running a second and third pick-and-roll each possession.

“I think the answer for us is we’ve got to somehow get their bodies off of us or try to get ‘em to put two guys on the ball,” Van Gundy said. “A lot of that is going to be screening and ball movement. And the pace of the game has to be very quick. I don’t mean necessarily it’s got to be up-and-down.”

This is largely what point guard Jameer Nelson meant when he said the Magic were “selfish” in their defeat Monday night. When Howard encountered problems down low, Orlando players too often tried to beat their defenders one-on-one. That’s a recipe for disaster for Orlando, because the team lacks players who can create their own shots off the dribble.

“Obviously, if Dwight has a mismatch down low and they’re single-covering him, we’ve got to get him the ball,” Anderson said. “But sometimes we can be really stagnant when Dwight gets the ball and kind of just stand around.”

On Monday, the Magic had problems just starting their halfcourt offense because Boston guard Avery Bradley put so much pressure on Nelson as Nelson brought the ball upcourt.

Publicly, Howard maintains that the loss in Boston merely was one bad game and that every team eventually has an awful performance.

But the Celtics have given the Magic so many problems in recent years that Howard must know Orlando has to find a way to beat Boston.

Redick all but acknowledged that when he was asked whether Thursday’s matchup is more important than a typical regular-season game.

“Yes,” he responded. “It absolutely is. We got embarrassed. We got embarrassed. So, yes, it is.”

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

The secret to beating the Orlando Magic is no secret at all.

If you have good interior defenders, you single-cover Dwight Howard as much as possible and ask your other defenders to crowd perimeter shooters to take away 3-point shots.

The Boston Celtics did that when they eliminated the Magic during the 2010 Eastern Conference finals. The Atlanta Hawks followed a similar script when they knocked the Magic out of last year’s first round. And the Celtics did it again Monday night, limiting the Magic to single-game franchise lows of 56 points and 24.6 percent shooting.

“We have trouble scoring against them,” Magic guardJ.J. Redicksaid. “That’s not a secret. They’re a great defense, and we’ve had so many battles with them that they’ve kind of figured us out.”

Another battle against the stingy Celtics looms Thursday at Amway Center.

Stan Van Gundy resorted to a coach’s cliché when he was asked how important this latest matchup will be. Win or lose, he said, the result will only count once in the standings.

Van Gundy is factually correct.

But, at some point, the Magic probably will have to solve the Celtics’ defensive scheme. If Orlando does not face Boston this postseason, then Orlando may face Atlanta. If Orlando does not play Atlanta, perhaps the Chicago Bulls — who are coached by former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau — will employ the same defensive game plan as the Celtics’ and the Hawks’ game plans.

Thursday, the Magic can start overcoming the obstacles.

“It’s not another game,” said the Magic’s Glen Davis. “We want to beat them. We want to beat them bad because we didn’t show them who we really are. They played a good game.”

Davis understands the challenges better than most. In both the 2009 playoffs and again in the 2010 playoffs, he was one of the big men who would guard Howard one-on-one.

Davis said a key for Orlando now — and something the team failed to do Monday — is to move the ball.

Van Gundy, Redick and Ryan Anderson also emphasized the importance of ball movement and, if necessary, running a second and third pick-and-roll each possession.

“I think the answer for us is we’ve got to somehow get their bodies off of us or try to get ‘em to put two guys on the ball,” Van Gundy said. “A lot of that is going to be screening and ball movement. And the pace of the game has to be very quick. I don’t mean necessarily it’s got to be up-and-down.”

This is largely what point guard Jameer Nelson meant when he said the Magic were “selfish” in their defeat Monday night. When Howard encountered problems down low, Orlando players too often tried to beat their defenders one-on-one. That’s a recipe for disaster for Orlando, because the team lacks players who can create their own shots off the dribble.

“Obviously, if Dwight has a mismatch down low and they’re single-covering him, we’ve got to get him the ball,” Anderson said. “But sometimes we can be really stagnant when Dwight gets the ball and kind of just stand around.”

On Monday, the Magic had problems just starting their halfcourt offense because Boston guard Avery Bradley put so much pressure on Nelson as Nelson brought the ball upcourt.

Publicly, Howard maintains that the loss in Boston merely was one bad game and that every team eventually has an awful performance.

But the Celtics have given the Magic so many problems in recent years that Howard must know Orlando has to find a way to beat Boston.

Redick all but acknowledged that when he was asked whether Thursday’s matchup is more important than a typical regular-season game.

“Yes,” he responded. “It absolutely is. We got embarrassed. We got embarrassed. So, yes, it is.”

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

The secret to beating the Orlando Magic is no secret at all.

If you have good interior defenders, you single-cover Dwight Howard as much as possible and ask your other defenders to crowd perimeter shooters to take away 3-point shots.

The Boston Celtics did it when they eliminated the Magic during the 2010 Eastern Conference finals. The Atlanta Hawks followed a similar script when they knocked the Magic out of last year’s first round. And the Celtics did it again Monday night, limiting the Magic to single-game franchise lows of 56 points and 24.6 percent shooting.

“We have trouble scoring against them,” Magic guard J.J. Redick said. “That’s not a secret. They’re a great defense, and we’ve had so many battles with them that they’ve kind of figured us out.”

Another battle against the stingy Celtics looms Thursday at Amway Center.

Stan Van Gundy resorted to a coach’s cliché when he was asked how important this latest matchup will be. Win or lose, he said, the result will only count once in the standings.

Van Gundy is factually correct.

But, at some point, the Magic probably will have to solve the Celtics’ defensive scheme. If Orlando does not face Boston this postseason, then Orlando may face Atlanta. If Orlando does not play Atlanta, perhaps the Chicago Bulls — who are coached by former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau — will employ a gameplan as the Celtics and the Hawks.

Thursday, the Magic can start overcoming the obstacles.

“It’s not another game,” said the Magic’s Glen Davis. “We want to beat them. We want to beat them bad because we didn’t show them who we really are. They played a good game.”

Davis understands the challenges better than most. In both the 2009 playoffs and again in the 2010 playoffs, he was one of the big men who would guard Howard one-on-one.

Davis said a key for Orlando now — and something the team failed to do Monday — is to move the ball.

Van Gundy, Redick and Ryan Anderson also emphasized the importance of ball movement and, if necessary, running a second and third pick-and-roll each possession.

“I think the answer for us is we’ve got to somehow get their bodies off of us or try to get ‘em to put two guys on the ball,” Van Gundy said. “A lot of that is going to be screening and ball movement. And the pace of the game has to be very quick. I don’t mean necessarily it’s got to be up-and-down.”

This is largely what point guard Jameer Nelson meant when he said the Magic were “selfish” in their defeat Monday night. When Howard encountered problems down low, Orlando players too often tried to beat their defenders one-on-one. That’s a recipe for disaster for Orlando, because the team lacks players who can create their own shots off the dribble.

“Obviously, if Dwight has a mismatch down low and they’re single-covering him, we’ve got to get him the ball,” Anderson said. “But sometimes we can be really stagnant when Dwight gets the ball and kind of just stand around.”

On Monday, the Magic had problems just starting their halfcourt offense because Boston guard Avery Bradley put so much pressure on Nelson as Nelson brought the ball upcourt.

Publicly, Howard maintains that the loss in Boston merely was one bad game and that every team eventually has an awful performance.

But the Celtics have given the Magic so many problems in recent years that Howard must know Orlando has to find a way to beat Boston.

Redick all but acknowledged that when he was asked whether Thursday’s matchup is more important than a typical regular-season game.

“Yes,” he responded. “It absolutely is. We got embarrassed. We got embarrassed. So, yes, it is.”

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

OAKLAND, Calif. — This was supposed to be the season that Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard improved his free-throw shooting.

But Howard actually is doing worse from the free-throw line than he ever has. Howard entered Thursday’s game against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena shooting just 42.6 percent from the line.

He struggled terribly when the Magic beat the Portland Trail Blazers 107-104 at the Rose Garden on Wednesday, missing nine of his 12 foul shots. Some of those attempts were way off, hitting the left edge of the rim. And the Trail Blazers’ decision to foul Howard, especially late in the game, essentially served as Magic turnovers because Howard could not convert at the line.

“I think sometimes I just want to make ‘em so bad that I’m thinking too much,” Howard said. “So I’ve just got to keep shooting — and they’re gonna start falling — and not get frustrated with it. It’s tough not to, but [I have to] just try not to get frustrated and just understand that it’s a process. Sooner or later, they’re gonna start falling.”

During the offseason, Howard hired personal shooting coach Ed Palubinskas, who had helped Shaquille O’Neal improve his notoriously bad free-throw shooting for a time during O’Neal’s career.

Howard and Palubinskas also have worked together this season.

Back home

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy spent part of his childhood in Martinez, Calif., a city in Contra Costa County about 35 miles away from Oracle Arena.

It was a homecoming of sorts for him, even though his family left the summer after he graduated from high school. He still has friends in the area, and some of them planned to attend Thursday’s game.

Van Gundy grew up rooting for Golden State and would attend five or six games each season.

The 1974-75 Warriors team that featured Rick Barry, Jamaal Wilkes and coach Al Attles won the NBA title.

“[I was] a huge Warriors fan,” Van Gundy said. “That ’75 team that won the championship is still my favorite. The ball boys out there can tell you: I went crazy twice out there. We played there on Nate Thurmond Bobblehead Night, and I had to get that bobblehead. And then I had to get the Al Attles bobblehead.”

Although Van Gundy preferred the San Francisco Giants in baseball, he and his brother, Jeff, often attended Oakland A’s games in the stadium that sits next to Oracle Arena.

Teammate reunion

Patrick Ewing was the Magic assistant coach who was responsible for doing the prep work for Thursday’s game against the Warriors.

It turns out that Ewing knows the Warriors’ first-year head coach, Mark Jackson, very well.

Ewing and Jackson, a former ESPN analyst, were teammates with the New York Knicks from 1987-88 through 1991-92.

“I thought he was going to be broadcasting [the rest of his career],” Ewing said. “I always told him he had the ‘gift for gab.’ He’s got that New York tongue. I’m happy that he was able to get the job. They’re doing fairly well. I wish him the best. Like I tell him, I wish him the best except for when we come to town or when they come to our place.”

Because of the compressed schedule, the Warriors will not play the Magic at Amway Center this season.

Layups

• The Warriors were thin at center. Golden State officials announced Thursday that Kwame Brown has a torn right pectoral muscle and will undergo surgery.

• Magic wing Quentin Richardson, who is still suffering from irritation on his left foot from trying to self-treat an ankle sprain, was on the team’s inactive list Thursday. It was Richardson’s fourth consecutive missed game. Van Gundy has said Richardson could return for Monday’s game in New York against the Knicks.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: MAGIC VS. HAWKS

Series schedule

(Best-of-7)

Game 1: Tonight at Amway Center, 7 p.m., Sun Sports/ESPN

Game 2: Tuesday at Amway Center, 7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Florida/NBA TV

Game 3: Friday at Philips Arena, 8 p.m., Fox Sports Florida/ESPN2

Game 4: Sunday, April 24 at Philips Arena, 7 p.m., Sun Sports/TNT

Game 5*: Tuesday, April 26 at Amway Center, Time TBD, Fox Sports Florida/Natl. TV TBD

Game 6*: Thursday, April 28 at Philips Arena, Time TBD, Local TV TBD/Natl. TV TBD

Game 7*: Saturday, April 30 at Amway Center, Time TBD, Local TV TBD/TNT

* — If necessary.

Radio coverage on WDBO (580 AM), WRLZ (1270 AM, Spanish).

Regular-season records: Magic 52-30, Hawks 44-38.

Regular-season series: Hawks won, 3-1.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

The Orlando Magic rolled through the Atlanta Hawks in last season’s playoffs, winning four games by a combined 101 points.

But this year’s Magic team hasn’t shared the same success against the Hawks, dropping three of four games and scoring 82 points or less in all three losses.

The Hawks have mostly the same players, so what’s the difference?

Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said the biggest difference is the Hawks’ insistence on playing Al Horford at power forward, giving the Hawks more length and allowing them to better defend the Magic’s three-point shooters.

Jason Collins plays center and can defend Howard one-on-one, while Kirk Hinrich is a much better defender at point guard than Mike Bibby was last season.

That makes the Hawks an overall better defensive team and helps explain why the Magic are averaging 82.5 points per game against them this season.

“They’ve done a good job,” Van Gundy said. “We haven’t moved the ball enough to break down their defense. They don’t give up many threes.”

The Magic’s biggest focus, Van Gundy said, is to keep moving offensively and not watch the guy with the ball.

Redick will try to practice

As expected, J.J. Redick will attempt to practice on Friday. He hasn’t fully practiced or played in a game since straining his lower abdomen on March 10.

Redick went through the walkthrough on Thursday and recently said he’s “close” to returning.

Van Gundy enjoys Howard’s impressions

Dwight Howard is well-known for his impersonations, and his most commonly used and well-known impersonation is of Van Gundy.

Howard is never shy to increase the pitch of his voice and begin yelling like Van Gundy, whether it’s during an interview or when addressing the Orlando home crowd, like he did before Wednesday’s game while thanking the fans for their support all season.

Van Gundy gets a kick out of the impression.

“He likes to tweak me a little bit, which is good,” Van Gundy said. “I enjoy it. I enjoy Dwight. … He’s smart enough to know that I can take a joke. I’m not the most sensitive guy in the world, for both good and bad.”

When asked if he’s ever considered imitating Howard, Van Gundy said no.

“Those things should only go one way,” he said. “I shouldn’t be tweaking players or having fun at their expense.”

Layups

* Brandon Bass left Wednesday’s game after tweaking his Achilles, but it isn’t serious. The Magic kept him in the locker room for precautionary reasons.

* The team spent Thursday’s practice walking through the gameplan and watching film. Van Gundy hoped to get all the mental stuff out of the way Thursday so they could go hard on Friday.

* The team had 12 players available at practice after a month of battling injuries and usually practicing with less than ten. “We’ve been like putting a coach out there just to walk through,” Van Gundy said. “Now we had like extra bodies. It was a different thing.”

zmccann@orlandosentinel.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog.