By Perry A. Farrell
Detroit Free Press

(MCT)
Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy paid former Piston Rasheed Wallace a compliment Wednesday night after the Magic rolled over the injury-depleted Boston Celtics, 113-92.

"I'll tell you what, Rasheed Wallace -- I mean I'm trying to say this the right way -- I hate the guy," Van Gundy was quoted as saying after Wallace scored 21 points in a losing cause. "It's like he never has a bad game against a team I coach, you know. So incredible. He's playing extremely well."

Wallace and the Pistons knocked Miami and Van Gundy out of the playoffs once, in the 2005 Eastern Conference finals, when the Pistons won Game 7 at Miami, 88-82.

As a Piston, Wallace often played well against Orlando's Dwight Howard. The Pistons went 17-4 against the Magic during the regular season from 2003 to 2009. Detroit knocked Orlando out of the playoffs in 2007 and 2008.

In the first three games of this series -- all Boston victories -- Wallace frustrated Howard with his shoving and maneuvering inside for position. But Orlando bounced back and won the next two games.

Wallace will play a key role if the Celtics are to end the series on Friday night in Boston.