Or better yet, they should stop falling behind to begin with.

The Celtics cut a 28-point deficit to three in the closing seconds, but fell to the Magic, 95-90, last night in the opener of their best-of-seven, second-round series.

"I don't know if it's frustration, anger, neither one really," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, "just disappointed more because we did have our opportunities. But it's tough when you put yourself in a hole against a team like that."

The Celtics have rallied, but come up short, against the Magic before. They cut a 22-point deficit to three in the final minute here on March 8 before falling, 86-79. They also trailed by 16 at Orlando on March 25 before losing, 84-82. They beat the Magic easily in their other two regular-season meetings.

For much of the first three quarters, the Celtics appeared physically and emotionally drained from their seven-game, first-round series against the Bulls. Rashard Lewis and J.J. Redick hit back-to-back 3-pointers to push Orlando's lead to 65-37 early in the third quarter.

"We will not be using fatigue as an excuse, not this team," Rivers insisted.

The Celtics showed they're not going to give up their championship without a fight, even if they don't have Kevin Garnett. They closed within 74-60 on Rajon Rondo's two foul shots late in the third. In the fourth, they held Orlando to 5 of 20 shooting and forced six turnovers to get back in it.

Early in the fourth, Rondo found Eddie House open for a 3-pointer, then stole the ball from Johnson in the backcourt and dunked to pull Boston within 81-71.

Paul Pierce's two foul shots with 1:36 left pulled the Celtics within 91-87. The Celtics had three chances to pull even closer, but Rondo bounced the ball off Ray Allen's legs, Allen's 3-pointer bounced in and out and Pierce collided with Dwight Howard on a drive, but no foul was called and Orlando got possession. After Redick made two foul shots, Pierce hit a 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left to make it 93-90, but the Celtics ran out of time. Redick hit two more at the line to clinch it.

Game 2 will be at 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Garden.

The Celtics also lost Game 1 of the opening round at home before rallying to beat the Bulls in seven games.

"We've got the home-court advantage and we worked all year for it," Pierce said, "and just like that we gave it away two series in a row. But, hey, we battled uphill last series and that's what it's got to be this series. To me, guys are just down for the way we played in the second half knowing that we could have played that way in the first half."

Pierce led the Celtics with 23 points, but made only 7 of 18 shots. Pierce shot only 42.7 percent in the opening round, including making only 6 of 17 shots in Game 7. The Celtics shot just 38.5 percent.

Allen and Rondo were supposed to have the edge over Orlando's backcourt of Redick and Rafer Alston, who started because of injuries to Courtney Lee and Jameer Nelson. Allen and Rondo, however, each made only 2 of 12 shots. Allen made only 1 of 12 shots in Game 1 against Chicago. Redick and Alston combined for 20 points, just three less than Allen and Rondo.

Rondo made 10 of 12 foul shots to finish with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. He also committed seven of Boston's 14 turnovers.

"He got off to a slow start," Rivers said. "There was a point about four minutes gone in the third, he tried to shoot that floater and missed it. I pulled him over and I said, `Rondo, you're not playing with speed.' I thought after that his speed became a factor. He's trying to read the defenses instead of playing with his instincts."

Lewis led Orlando with 18 points, but only six came in the final three quarters. Howard collected 16 points and 22 rebounds. Mickael Pietrus scored 17 off the bench.