ORLANDO, Fla. — Stan Van Gundy blamed only one person.

Himself.

After Orlando slipped from the top perch in the overall NBA standings with a 90-80 loss to the Boston Celtics last night, the Magic coach didn't want to hear any excuses. No talk of four-day layoffs, no griping about calls, nothing.

"I'm pretty big on holding players accountable," Van Gundy said. "On this one, it's me. I've got to find a way for us to get some ball movement and freedom of movement where we can get some shots. So I'm frustrated in myself."

It's a common reaction among coaches after seeing the Celtics these days.

Paul Pierce had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Glen Davis added a season-high 16 points and Boston disrupted everything Orlando wanted offensively, holding the Magic to a season-low in points.

Kevin Garnett scored 16 points to help the Celtics (36-9) extend their winning streak to seven games.

So was this a statement game for Boston?

"Not at all," insisted Garnett, whose Celtics are 2-0 against Orlando this season.

Dwight Howard, who yesterday became the first player in league history to receive 3 million votes in a season for the All-Star game, was held to a relatively ordinary 11 points and 11 rebounds. He fouled out with 2:30 left, and Orlando's run of seven straight wins was snapped.

"It felt like a playoff game," Howard said, "for a minute."

Hedo Turkoglu scored 22 points, Rashard Lewis finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Jameer Nelson had 17 points for Orlando, whose previous low scoring total this season was 82.