|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 6:49:08 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097215&format=textCeltics hang on Secure 3-2 lead in series By Mark Murphy / 2008 Eastern Conference Finals | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone This was a night of transformation. Kendrick Perkins [stats] morphed into Karl Malone. Kevin Garnett banked a 3-pointer - only his second of the season - and flexed his wrist like Reggie Miller. Chauncey Billups looked like his old self. And Ray Allen, freed from the prison that has incarcerated his jumper for 18 playoff games, was Ray Allen again. The Celtics [team stats] guard exploded last night for 29 points, including a 21-point second half, at the most opportune time - a 106-102 win over Detroit in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, with Game 6 set for tomorrow at the Palace. Doc Rivers knew it was just a matter of time before his prized shooting guard rediscovered his stroke. But the Celtics coach sounds like he had simply stopped wondering when the cloud would finally burst. “You just know he’s a good player, and you don’t stop believing that,” Rivers said. “This has been a tough stretch for Ray, and I give him a ton of credit. No. 1, I thought this was his best defensive game of the series, and No. 2, throughout this he has never changed his routine.” Even with a monstrous 18-point, 16-rebound performance from Perkins, and a 33-point effort from Garnett that featured even more deep jumpers than usual, Allen’s belief in himself may have ultimately been the difference last night. It was that close, with Billups (26 points), Richard Hamilton (25) and Rasheed Wallace (6-of-9 from 3-point range) cutting the margin to a point (102-101) with 8.2 seconds left before the Celtics made their final game-clinching plays. Though he shot 5-of-6 from downtown, no points were more important than Allen’s two free throws with 6.3 seconds left, followed by two more from Garnett with 3.4 left. Stuckey, intentionally put on the line twice in the last 8.2 seconds with the Celtics clinging to a three-point edge each time, missed the first of two with 4.5 seconds left, leaving a little extra room for Garnett on his final trip to the line. The missed free throw was crushing for Stuckey, who scored Detroit’s last eight points, including a corner trey with 1:23 left that cut the deficit to 100-99. As excruciating as the sequence was, it was also one of their most self-affirming moments of the postseason. The Celtics, who have played more games (19) than any team still alive, have secured Game 5 in three straight playoff series, with the pivotal game coming at the Garden each time. “We don’t get this game, we put ourselves in the position to have to win another road game,” Paul Pierce [stats] said. “We know how tough it is to win out there in Detroit. It’s one of the biggest games that we played all year long. It was a crucial game at home. We had to get the lead just to get some momentum back, and we knew it was going to be one of the toughest games of the series. We said coming in that this was going to be like a Game 7, and we responded. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.” Nowhere was that as evident as when the Pistons, with a 10-1 run, cut the C’s lead to 92-88 with 4:46 left on a Billups 3. The Celtics fought to maintain their edge, but slipped further when Rajon Rondo [stats] and Pierce each missed a free throw in the 38 seconds leading up to Stuckey’s trey that pulled the Pistons within a point for the first time in the half. Allen had trouble feeding Garnett on the next possession, with the ball deflecting out off Hamilton with six seconds on the shot clock. Allen got the ball back on the left baseline and buried the jumper for a 102-99 lead as if he hadn’t missed in a month. The Pistons rebounded Billups’ off-balance drive, called a timeout, and this time Billups put his drive off the front of the rim. The Celtics ran the clock down, and sweated out the last 10 seconds from the line.
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 6:51:11 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097216&format=textRay Allen finds stroke at right time By Tony Massarotti | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matthew West In the end, in the latest minutes of this rags-to-riches Celtics [team stats] turnaround, the ball found Ray Allen nestled in a crowded corner. The shot clock was running down. And had Allen taken the time, had he bothered to notice, he would have discovered both his foot and his team’s fortunes in a most curious place. On the line. So the Celtics now have a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals by virtue of a pulsating 106-102 win over the Detroit Pistons last night, a game that was, at once, captivating, maddening, heart-stopping. Through it all, there was Allen, the oldest and most frustrated member of this new Celtics nucleus, playing with the kind of bounce and consistency that has for so long defined his career. This was Allen at his best, repeatedly hitting nothing but net. Especially when it mattered most. “He didn’t hesitate,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said after Allen scored 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point distance. “In the previous times we played him, he had some hesitation. There was no hesitation (last night).” Oh, the Celtics had more than their share of contributions in Game 5, starting with the combined triple-double posted by Kendrick Perkins [stats] (16 rebounds), Rajon Rondo [stats] (13 assists) and Kevin Garnett (33 points). As Paul Pierce [stats] noted, the Celtics needed every one of them. For all that happened here last night, the return of Allen was of the utmost importance. Allen scored 16 of his 29 points during a third quarter in which the Celtics took complete control of the game, or so it seemed, though it was the nature of those shots that meant so much more. He hit the Pistons with a succession of haymakers, one after the other, culminating in the 21-footer that turned a paper-thin, 100-99 edge into a 102-99 advantage with 1:02 to play in the fourth quarter. It was a money shot, plain and simple. “I knew he had it in him. He’s a great player. He hasn’t stopped being (one),” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said after the victory. “He just hadn’t played well in a while. It didn’t bother me. My belief was that he needed two or three (made shots) in a row instead of one. Everyone kept saying he needs one. I thought he needed two or three. “This has been a tough stretch for Ray and I give him a ton of credit. No. 1, I thought this was his best defensive night, and to me that’s more important. No. 2, he never changed his routine, he never did anything different. He kept working on his game, he kept believing every day, and that’s probably why he’s been so great through his career, because he believes. “Hell, if that had been me, I’d have been a basket case as a player. Most players would have been. But that’s the difference between the good ones and the great ones.” As he has throughout this postseason, Allen downplayed his shooting performance, but do not be fooled. He is a shooter. In the first quarter, after knocking down a 3-pointer on his first shot of the game, Allen firmly pumped his fist. The score was 8-5. The Celtics and Pistons still had roughly 44 minutes of basketball to play, yet it was as if Allen knew something that others only could have guessed. It’s back. Allen finished the first quarter with only those three points, scored five more in the second, then erupted in the third. He got five more in the fourth. In the second halves of the Celtics’ last two playoff home games, Allen has scored 41 points, which can only bode well the next time the Celtics play at home, no matter when that is, no matter whom it is against. The final shot in the fourth? Allen said the play was intended for either him or Garnett, depending on which player was open. Allen got the ball. Allen said he paid no attention to whether the shot was a 2-pointer or a 3-pointer, and it was probably just as well. There really wasn’t much time to think. Far too much was at stake. “That was just one of those basketball reads,” Allen said. “(James) Posey made a play and it was time for me to put the shot up.” No hesitation. Never a doubt.
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 6:52:41 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097217&format=textKevin Garnett steps up in big game By Dan Ventura | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone On a night when Kendrick Perkins [stats] was a godsend and Ray Allen rediscovered his shooting touch, Kevin Garnett returned to being Kevin Garnett. That proved to be just enough as the Celtics [team stats] held off the Pistons, 106-102, last night to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Coming off a 6-for-16 shooting effort in Game 4, Garnett responded with 33 points, including a pair of free throws in the final seconds to seal the Game 5 victory. “We knew the significance of this game. You don’t win this game, you basically put yourself in a corner,” said Garnett, who added seven rebounds. “I thought we had good focus, good energy to begin with. I thought the third quarter was big for us, we came out with a lot of energy.” Not to mention a bit of aggressiveness from Garnett, especially in the second quarter when the Celtics were struggling. Over the final eight minutes leading up to the break, Garnett scored 11 points, including a monster jam over Detroit big man Theo Ratliff [stats] and a desperation 3-pointer as the shot clock went off. “KG had how many buzzer beaters with the shot clock winding down?” Pistons forward Jason Maxiell said. “Our defense was good, but he just hit shots.” Further proof of Garnett’s renewed vigor came from the stat sheet. For just the second time in the postseason, and for the fifth time since the start of the regular season, Garnett had a double-digit effort from the free throw line (10-of-12). It certainly didn’t hurt to spend a little over 41 minutes on the floor, Garnett’s high point for the series. Coach Doc Rivers’ pregame plan called for shortening the bench, especially when it came to big men like Kendrick Perkins, P.J. Brown and Garnett. “I wanted either Perk or Kevin to always be on Rasheed (Wallace) for the most part,” Rivers said. “Unfortunately, he didn’t go to the post, he ran out and made some 3’s (6-of-9), so that was his adjustments, obviously.” What appeared to be a potential runaway turned into a nail-biter as the Pistons sliced a 17-point deficit down to 103-102 on a pair of free throws by Rodney Stuckey with 8.2 seconds left. Given the fact the Pistons have been in the Eastern Conference finals in each of the past six seasons, the late run came as no surprise to Garnett. “They made their run late in the third quarter and into the fourth quarter, but for the most part, you know they’re going to make a run,” Garnett said. “You know they’re experienced and they’ve been in pressure situations before.” Garnett put an end to Detroit’s comeback bid when he nailed two free throws with 3.4 seconds left, accounting for the final margin of victory. “You take free throws at the end of the game, you want to be poised, you want to be calm,” he said. “You go through your ritual, how you shoot free throws and just let it go.”
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 6:54:28 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097218&format=textKendrick Perkins makes it Big Four Strong at both ends in Game 5 By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matthew West The Celtics [team stats] got their big guy to go inside and make plays. The big guy took control of the glass and scored with powerful ease. He made 8-of-11 shots, scored 18 points and ripped down 16 rebounds. The big guy outboarded the Pistons, 13-11, in the first half. The big guy owned the middle, throwing a body on Rasheed Wallace and not giving him an inch. You want to see what true physical basketball is all about? You should have focused in on the big guy making like a rock and forcing Wallace to roll outside. The big guy was the ticket for the Celtics. And Kevin Garnett was pretty damn good, too. While KG was going for 33 points and saving the day with a number of shot clock-beating jumpers, it was Kendrick Perkins [stats] who secured the paint and set the hard tone that carried the Celts to a 17-point lead. Yes, his team had to hold on by its fingernails to earn a 106-102 victory in Game 5 against the Pistons, but without him, the padding needed to with stand the Detroit rally likely wouldn’t have been enough. So even if the stocky Perkins wasn’t quite the wind beneath the Celtics’ wings, he was the air in their airbag. Without him, the Shamrocks would have been crash test dummies in pieces. “That’s three games in a row that Kendrick Perkins has been absolutely phenomenal,” coach Doc Rivers said. “No one saw it the last game because we lost it, but he was fantastic in that game as well with his energy. It was just good. The rebounding was huge for us tonight.” The rebounding edge was 42-25, with Perkins getting three more than the Pistons’ starting frontcourt. The Big Three moved aside and made room for one more. On a night when Garnett made 11-of-17 shots, Ray Allen had 29 points and Paul Pierce [stats] added 16, Perkins made it a Fantastic Four. “Perk was awesome,” reserve forward P.J. Brown said. “I don’t know what else to say. Perk has been playing well for us the last couple games. Tonight he kept it going. He was dominating in the paint. If he continues to play like that, we are a tough team to beat.” The way Perkins played was with a confidence and an actual offensive swagger. He didn’t just go with his usual power moves and jump hooks. He willingly went for turnaround jumpers, and he didn’t hesitate when the ball came his way several feet from the hoop. At one point in the third quarter, he tried to go one-on-one, got a little fancy and traveled. Perkins then laughed at himself for the foray into starhood. Rivers held out his hands, palms down. He told his big guy to calm down a little. “Well, I was just coming in and thought I was going to provide energy for the team,” Perkins said. “I said I was going to be aggressive offensively. I just said I was going to play with a lot of energy. . . . I know this opportunity doesn’t come much, and I knew if I was up in age, up in my 30s, and a young fellow was right there, I’d want him to go all out for me, too. “My thing is I’m going to leave it out there on the court, for myself, for my teammates and for everybody.” Perkins left it out there well enough to help assure the Celtics another home game, be it Game 7 against the Pistons Sunday or Game 1 of the NBA Finals next Thursday. The big guy was immense. He was a little out of character with the offensive package, but it certainly was needed. “Perkins is eating us up,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “The games that they’ve won, he’s had big games. He’s played well for them as far as on the glass. Tonight was a game where Perkins played well.” But hey, Perkins was busy channeling his inner Shaq, his inner Wilt. The analogy would have worked even better if the big lug hadn’t gone and made his only two free throws.
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:01:49 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097220&format=textRichard Hamilton fires for Pistons By Tony Massarotti | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone Question: Which player has scored more postseason points than any other in the history of the Detroit Pistons franchise? Answer: Rip Hamilton. For a franchise that has featured, among others, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Chauncey Billups, Hamilton has scored more playoff points than any of them. And before anyone suggests that Hamilton accomplished the feat purely by playing in more games, let the record show that his scoring average is higher than that of Thomas, Dumars or Billups. Maybe the man is just a little underrated. “Well, he does it in a way. It’s not spectacular,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said of Hamilton, who is averaging 22.2 points through five games of the Eastern Conference finals and tossed in 25 in last night’s 106-102 loss to the Celtics [team stats]. “Most of the guys that are your great shooters or mid-range-type shooters, they’re kind of like that. “People always notice the guys that are 3-point shooters because they’re getting three points for their shots. They notice the guys that take it to the rim because they’re making dunks or making plays for those shots, but the lost art are the guys coming of screens and knocking down 17-, 18-, 19-foot shots, and that’s kind of boring.” Hamilton has impressed Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “He’s as good as any (mid-range shooter) in the league, and he does it off of movement without the ball, which is even more rare,” Rivers said. “Most of the guys, the great in-between players, do it off the (dribble) and he doesn’t. He can, but he does it without the ball. . . . You don’t see it a lot. You haven’t seen it historically a lot, but he does it as well as anybody.” Earlier this postseason, in a game against the Orlando Magic, Hamilton eclipsed the Pistons record of 2,261 playoff points formerly held by Thomas. Among active players, only Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant have scored more points. Hamilton entered last night averaging 21.5 points this postseason, a significant increase over his average of 17.3 during the regular season. “One thing I wasn’t aware of when I came to Detroit was the phenomenal shape he was in,” Saunders said of what allows Hamilton to be such an effective scorer. “I knew he moved well without the ball but I didn’t know he could do it for the length of time that he does it, and as consistent as a mid-range shooter as he was.”
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:06:06 GMT -5
Doc Rivers puts Pistons on line at end By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matthew West One way to make the home crowd sweat is to start sending opponents to the line when all you have is a three-point lead. But the Celtics [team stats] did it twice with Rodney Stuckey last night, once when he hit both with 8.2 seconds left to cut the Celtics lead to a point (102-101), and again with 4.5 seconds on the clock when he missed the first of two. Considering the Pistons had hit 11 3-pointers, Doc Rivers was willing to take a gamble. “I believe in our free throw shooting,” the coach said after his team’s 106-102 win in Game 5. “But I also believe in their 3-point shooting.” The belief in his troops paid off when Ray Allen hit two following Stuckey’s first pair, then Kevin Garnett iced the game with two after Stuckey’s second trip. Rivers’ only problem with the entire sequence was that Detroit was able to get the ball to midcourt so quickly on each possession. “The only thing we did wrong was that we allowed them to throw it to halfcourt,” he said. “They only had one timeout, and we knew that, but we still allowed them to make that pass. “We executed everything else perfectly. We fouled them before they were able to shoot. You had to believe that they would miss one, and they did.” Big difference The Celtics and Pistons combined to shoot 52.8 percent (19-of-36) on 3-pointers in Game 5. Allen and Rasheed Wallace were the stars, hitting 11-of-15 treys. That long-distance proficiency was a far cry from the first four games of the series. The Celtics shot 13-of-51 (25.5 percent) heading into Game 5, while the Pistons only slighty better at 12-of-43 (27.9 percent). Furthermore, the C’s shot 32.5 percent in their first 18 playoff games, and Allen was just 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) in the first four games against the Pistons. “I think they’re looking for it,” Rivers said before the game of the Pistons’ attempts to free up deep shooters. “I think both teams, really, throughout the playoffs, the 3-point percentages are really down for the most part. “I think it’s better defenses. I think guys are really focused on running you off the 3-point shot and making you take contested 2s or just 2s. Since the invention of the 3-point line, that game called the in-between game has disappeared. And defensively, I think me as a coach and (Pistons coach) Flip (Saunders) and a lot of coaches have forced the in-between game. “A lot of guys like 3s and going all the way to the basket, and very few want to stop and take that in-between jump shot,” Rivers continued. “The great ones do. Paul (Pierce) and Kobe (Bryant) and those guys, that’s what they score on. So I think there’s a lot more focus defensively.” And it’s coming from both sides. “Both teams were in the top three in 3-point percentage over the course of the year, and I think that one of the main things both teams are trying to do is take that away,” Saunders said. “And I think people are staying at home more on the 3-point-type shooters. “From our standpoint, Rasheed shoots a lot of them, but Garnett is guarding him. Garnett is great at getting back and chasing people off those 3s. That is a credit to what the players are doing and following as far as what coaches are trying to get them to do.” Free at last Scot Pollard, recovering from double ankle surgery, can only imagine the strain that has gone into the Celtics’ attempt to take the long road to the NBA Finals. Last night was the team’s 19th postseason game. “It’s unusual, especially when you’re a No. 1 seed playing a No. 8 in the first round,” he said. “I played in a couple back when they still had the five-game series. If you went up 2-0 in that, it could be over quick. “I mean, a seven-game series? That’s kind of redundant.” Pollard finally was able to walk into the locker room yesterday without wearing the therapeutic boot that has been part of his life for the past three weeks. Both ankles sport long surgical scars and are swollen. “They’ll look like that for the rest of my life,” Pollard said. The good news is that Pollard was given permission to accompany the team to Detroit today. He was given a similar offer for Games 3 and 4 and turned down the opportunity. “I’m excited about the trip, and my wife is excited about me going on the trip,” he said. “I just wasn’t feeling well enough to go on the last one, but it’s responding real well now.” The boot isn’t entirely gone, however. “I still have to sleep in it,” Pollard said. “If I don’t, I can still loosen up the tendons and ligaments, and those take a while to heal.”
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:07:51 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097223&format=textT’d Rasheed Wallace rips referees By Chris Silva / Detroit Free Press | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matthew West After picking up his sixth technical foul of this postseason, Pistons center Rasheed Wallace is one more away from facing an automatic one-game suspension. Wallace did regain his stroke in last night’s 106-102 loss to the Celtics [team stats] in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, scoring 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the 3-point line to keep the Pistons in the game. One thing he never lost was his edge, though. Wallace picked up a technical with 5:18 left in the game for arguing a call against teammate Lindsey Hunter. “All that (expletive) calls they had out there, with Mike (Callahan) and Kenny (Mauer) you’ve all seen that (expletive),” Wallace said. “You saw them calls. The cats are flopping all over the floor and they’re calling that (expletive). That (expletive) ain’t basketball out there. It’s all (expletive) entertainment. You all should know that (expletive). It’s all (expletive) entertainment.” Celtics coach Doc Rivers saw the other side. “I’m glad I’m not an official because it’s very physical out there, and they had Flip (Saunders, the Pistons coach) yelling at them,” he said. “Of course, I never yell.”
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:09:37 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097226&format=textTony Allen on shelf By Steve Buckley | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matthew West In the absence of getting much postseason playing time, Tony Allen figured the best way to keep himself in game shape would be to use the Celtics [team stats]’ practices to engage in as much one-on-one competition as possible. So what happened? During a one-on-one session Tuesday afternoon in Waltham, Allen momentarily lost his footing and hurt his right ankle, an injury that has him wondering how much playing time, if any, he’ll see for the remainder of the season. The injury, which the team termed a mild Achilles strain, came as a surprise to Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “I didn’t know he injured himself at practice,” Rivers said before last night’s 106-102 win over Detroit. “I just found out about it an hour and a half ago.” Allen, speaking with a small group of reporters before the game, seemed visibly upset over the possibility of not appearing again in the playoffs. “That’s a bummer,” he said. “I mean, you try to get ready and ready, stay ready for games, and the only way to do that is to actually play one-on-one . . . It’s unfortunate that something like this would happen to me. It’s crazy to me.” Allen said that, because of the injury, “I can’t really lift off my leg or plant. . . . Hopefully it will be better by (today). If I could just get the pain out of it, that would be great.”
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:10:35 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1097251&format=textPoint guards in draft demand By Alan Hahn / Newsday | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage Photo by AP LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Knicks are going into this draft with guarded optimism, which is to say they have plenty of options to consider at the critical point guard position. While Italian swingman Danilo Gallinari is believed to be on the radar, a person with knowledge of the situation said the Knicks will also focus on bringing in guards to their individual workouts, which can begin next week. The question is whether or not the group of point guards behind the consensus No. 1 pick, Derrick Rose, are "natural" point guards or merely undersized shooting guards. Jerryd Bayless is a terrific talent and O.J. Mayo is a dynamic scorer with an NBA-ready body who has even gotten himself in the conversation during Miami Heat discussions at the second overall choice. But neither are viewed as floor general-type guards – i.e. Steve Nash or Chris Paul - who can run an offense like Mike D’Antoni’s system, which puts a great responsibility on that position to, as Red Holzman always demanded, find the open man. Donnie Walsh, who arrives here on Thursday for the player physicals and interviews, said you can’t always pigeon-hole a college player by what he shows in college. "Normally the best player on the team is counted on to score, even if he’s the point guard," Walsh said. "So in many cases the scoring guard in college is a point guard and he can be converted into a point guard in the NBA. Chauncey Billups is a good example." Deeper down the depth chart are point guards such as D.J. Augustin, from Texas, Russell Westbrook of UCLA and Ty Lawson, from North Carolina. The current roster already has somewhat of a logjam at the point, with more combo guards in Stephon Marbury and Nate Robinson. Marbury is in the final year of his contract and could be a buyout candidate. Robinson hasn’t proven he can handle the point guard responsibilities full-time and is viewed as a better fit to bring energy off the bench. Mardy Collins is not seen as an NBA starter. Walsh’s other options could be on the trade market, which could be quite active involving point guards this summer. The Toronto Raptors will do whatever it takes to re-sign restricted free agent Jose Calderon, which likely means T.J. Ford could be acquired in a trade. Another team that has a plethora of point guards is Memphis, which has to decide who among Mike Conley, Jr. and Kyle Lowry is their guy. A few NBA executives believe the Grizzlies aren’t sure, themselves, if either has the potential to be a full-time starter. The situation to keep an eye on, however, could be in Golden State, where 22-year-old restricted free agent Monta Ellis is expected to demand a hefty pay raise over his $770,610 salary from this past season and it could force the Warriors into considering sign-and-trade offers for the lightning quick combo guard. Notes & quotes: Steve Kerr laughed when he noticed a few New York reporters closing in on him outside the Milk House gym on Wednesday. He knew what the conversation would be about. "I don’t really have much to say," Kerr said regarding the Mike D’Antoni situation that unraveled quickly and resulted in him leaving Phoenix for the Knicks. "It all happened and the NBA changes quickly. Things change and the dynamic changed for Mike, for the organization and he’s moved on." When asked if he had reaction to D’Antoni suggesting that he didn’t feel he had the support of Kerr and owner Robert Sarver, Kerr frowned. "I’m not going to comment on that," he said. "That’s not going to get me anywhere, to go into the past. I wish Mike well and he did a great job for the Suns. I hope he does well in New York. My job now is to find our next coach." . . . Thursday will be a noteworthy day for Michael Beasley, who is slotted to go second overall to the Miami Heat. The Kansas State power forward is listed at 6-10, but there is talk that he is barely 6-9. Wednesday’s physicals will reveal his true height.
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:11:42 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097254&format=textCeltics almost turned into choke artists in Game 5 By Michael Rosenberg / Detroit Free Press | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone BOSTON - The Celtics [team stats] survived, but they will not forget this. They can’t. They have flirted with disaster too many times in these playoffs, raised too many questions about their mettle down the stretch, and though they go to Detroit with a 3-2 lead, they also have to come home and do this all over again. Do you really think the Celtics will close out the Pistons at the Palace on Friday night? I don’t see it happening. This series has been too close, and the Celtics remain 1-7 on the road in the playoffs. This is the same Celtics team that could not close out Atlanta or Cleveland on the road in Game 6. And are you telling me the Pistons can’t win Game 7 in Boston? "We can’t worry about a Game 7 right now," Chauncey Billups said. "We’ve gotta worry about Game 6." (Why is he worrying about Game 6? I just said the Pistons will win. Pay attention, Chauncey.) If you think the Pistons are finished, you shut off the television early in the fourth quarter, when the Pistons looked finished. You didn’t see Boston come oh-so-close to one of the great chokes in NBA history. The Pistons almost came all the way back from a 17-point deficit. That will stick with the Celtics, who needed seven games to beat the lowly Hawks and came within a few shots of blowing Game 7 against undermanned Cleveland. When Antonio McDyess hit two free throws to cut the margin to 91-85, there were still six minutes left and there was no doubt the Pistons could win. Down 98-90, Billups leaned into Rajon Rondo [stats] and picked up a foul on a three-pointer. Billups is the absolute best in the NBA at that trick and one of the best I’ve ever seen. He is also one of the surest free-throw shooters in the league, and he calmly sank all three foul shots. With each one, the Celtics’ throats constricted just a little bit more. With less than two minutes left, Kevin Garnett had the ball in the post against Billups. He passed. I repeat: He passed. No, really: He passed. In case you don’t have the teams’ rosters on you as you read this, let me explain that Garnett is at least nine inches taller than Billups. When Garnett needs to tie his shoe, he can lean his foot on Billups’ shoulder. Garnett can’t pass in that situation. It’s not acceptable. And it was another indication that while Garnett is a sure Hall of Famer, he is not really a sure Hall of Famer. That is: His credentials are impeccable, but down the stretch of big games, his confidence is not. The Pistons were awfully quiet afterward, except for Rasheed Wallace. You’ll never believe this, but ‘Sheed had a problem with the officiating. Really! It’s true. He ripped officials Mike Callahan and Ken Mauer and came just shy of saying there is an NBA conspiracy against the Pistons. "That (bleep) ain’t basketball out there," Wallace said. "It’s all (bleeping) entertainment. You all should know that (bleep). It’s all (bleeping) entertainment." It would have been better bleeping entertainment for Pistons fans if Wallace hadn’t picked up a technical foul late in the fourth quarter. I don’t know what to say about Wallace’s technical, except that it was unthinkably stupid, incredibly childish and came at the worst imaginable time. OK, I guess I do know what to say about it. We’ll never know what would have happened if Wallace had performed the oh-so-difficult physical act of shutting up. But at some point, it would be nice if he took some responsibility for his technical fouls, and that some point should be right now. If Wallace gets a technical in Game 6, he won’t play in Game 7, even if the Pistons do. He is one technical foul away from an automatic suspension. Hey, the technical happened. The Celtics won. I understand that. I understand that the point is to win, not to look tough or smart by doing it. But this just didn’t seem like one of those crushing Game 5 losses for the Pistons. It felt like another round in an epic NBA playoff bout that is destined to go to Game 7 - not just to Game 7, but the fourth quarter of Game 7. I didn’t see that fourth quarter coming, not after the Celtics used the second and third quarters to suck the air of superiority right out of the Pistons. Boston went from eight points down to 17 points up, and right then and there, the Celtics simply seemed like the better team. Not by a lot. But by enough. I should have known better. The Pistons have been too good for too long, and the Celtics, who won, 106-102, still look too uncertain down the stretch. This one is going the distance.
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:12:58 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097257&format=textTayshaun Prince is OK with extra playing time By Chris Silva / Detroit Free Press | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by AP Rest is nothing more than a four-letter word for Tayshaun Prince, particularly in the playoffs. Prince, arguably the Pistons’ most valuable player this postseason, prides himself on his stamina and ability to log long minutes. Already, he has played in more postseason games (112) than any other player in the first six years of his career. Prince has become too valuable on the defensive end - and, in the earlier playoff rounds, the offensive end - to warrant much rest. But late in the Pistons’ series against Orlando, Prince admitted to feeling fatigued. And in the Eastern Conference finals against a gritty Boston Celtics [team stats] team, Prince’s offensive production has taken a bit of a slide. Prince played a series-low 41 minutes in both Games 3 and 4 against Boston, which for many others would be a high of sorts. Because of Prince’s array of talent, it’s been difficult for Pistons coach Flip Saunders to find someone capable of giving Prince a lengthy rest. Opponents have exploited Jarvis Hayes’ defensive shortcomings. Rookie Arron Afflalo, who is more advanced defensively than offensively, has played spot minutes. That has left Saunders to go with a three-guard lineup of some combination of Rodney Stuckey, Lindsey Hunter, Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups when Prince rests. With minimal rest, Prince has shot just 17-for-54 from the field this series. In Games 3 and 4 at home, he hardly did anything offensively, finishing with a combined 11 points. About getting some rest in the last two games, Prince said Wednesday, "It worked OK last game even though I still couldn’t get anything offensively. I was fine - my legs were fine. It got better yesterday." Experiencing fatigue as the postseason wears on is nothing new to Prince, who, like most of his teammates, slowed toward the end of last year’s playoff run. Prince has averaged 40.1 minutes in these playoffs, but this year the Pistons trimmed his minutes during the regular season to 33.9 minutes a game with the hope of him not hitting a late postseason lull. But some things are almost unavoidable. "It’s going to happen," Prince said. "I might just have to come out in the middle of the game for a couple more minutes than usual, but I’ll be all right." Saunders said most of Prince’s wear and tear has to do with him putting forth so much energy defending against Paul Pierce [stats], the Celtics’ most well-rounded offensive weapon. "I think he’s exerting more energy defensively, and exerting that much energy is going to wear you down a little bit," Saunders said. "When you do that, his offense has suffered a little bit, and we haven’t gone to him as much." Earlier this postseason, much of Prince’s offensive success came from his post-up game, where he was able to exploit mismatches and use his length to get to the basket. In this series, Prince has found himself taking more shots from the perimeter. "I really haven’t had the opportunity to go in there as much as I should be down there," Prince said. Saunders said that’s partly because the team has received ample contributions from other players. "And every time Tay gets it, one of the bigs is coming to Tay in kind of a soft trap situation," Saunders said. "So they haven’t given him a lot of openings down there. From my standpoint, I’ve said the way our team is built, we’re not built on one guy, just giving him the ball. We’ll still give him touches because I’ve got confidence he’ll make the right decisions."
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:14:04 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1097248&format=textNorth Carolina’s Danny Green cites family reasons for turning pro By Rick Bonnell / McClatchy Newspapers | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage Photo by AP LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Danny Green can’t figure why a North Carolina fan would see what he’s doing as irresponsible. To Green, exploring ways to help his family financially is perhaps the most responsible thing he’s ever done. It was a surprise when he made himself available for the NBA draft. At best he is No.4 among current Tar Heels in pro potential. The most prominent of that group, Tyler Hansbrough, isn’t even flirting with the draft. But as Green explained Wednesday at the NBA pre-draft camp, his family circumstance is very different from that of Hansbrough. Green’s family has financial challenges, and though he didn’t go into detail, the background is common knowledge. Green’s father spent three months in jail after a drug-related conviction. Hansbrough’s father is a surgeon. "Tyler is different. He likes college, does very well in college and will probably break every record," Green said. "He’s very lucky to have a family that is financially stable, from what I hear. We’re not as fortunate; we’re not broke, but it would be nice to support ourselves and our family as young men." Green hasn’t signed with an agent or done anything else that threatens his college eligibility. The NCAA allows players to explore the draft once without losing eligibility and as a junior, this was Green’s last chance. "I’m not getting penalized for anything and I’m not paying for anything," Green said. "So why not do it?" He’ll audition for some teams after this camp - he says Miami, Cleveland, Washington and San Antonio have registered interest - before deciding whether to remain in the draft or return to Chapel Hill for his senior season. Fellow Tar Heels Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington are also playing here with the option to return to college. Green’s challenge is demonstrating he could play shooting guard in the NBA while nursing a left ankle he sprained after the Final Four. It was obvious Wednesday the injury limits his mobility. He struggled to cut off lanes to the basket defensively or to finish at the rim. He shot 3-of-10, scoring nine points. "Right now, it’s hard to get low and guard these quick dudes. I have to show I can stay in front of them, that I’m quick enough," Green said. "Then (Memphis forward) Joey Dorsey introduced me to the backboard - ‘Welcome to the NBA!’" Green joked of having his shot blocked. Green figures at worst this is practice for the 2009 draft. At best, it’s immediate help for his family’s troubles "It’s something I’ve got to adjust to, and life is about adjustments," he said.
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:15:17 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097219&format=textGrateful Theo Ratliff makes best of latest opportunity with Detroit Pistons By Dan Ventura | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Stuart Cahill (file) Kevin Garnett was brought to the Celtics [team stats] to restore some pride and tradition to a once mighty franchise. One of the obstacles standing between Garnett and a trip to the NBA Finals is a player involved in the trade that delivered him to Boston - Theo Ratliff [stats]. While Ratliff’s playing time has been sporadic, he made the most of his opportunity in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Monday night. With Antonio McDyess and Rasheed Wallace in foul trouble, the 13-year veteran helped neutralize Garnett as the Pistons evened the series with a 94-75 win. Garnett suffered his worst shooting night of the series, making just 6-of-16 shots from the floor and finishing with 16 points. “It’s a role I take value in,” said Ratliff, who began his career as a first-round pick of the Pistons in 1995. “Being able to go in, make something happen and bring energy to the game. Even at my age (35), I still feel like I have a lot of athleticism and a lot of ability to do things on the floor to help my teammates. “It’s all about taking advantage of your opportunity.” An NBA nomad, Ratliff had already spent time with Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Portland before getting traded to Boston in June 2006 along with Sebastian Telfair [stats] in a deal that cost the Celtics a No. 1 pick (Randy Foye), Raef LaFrentz and Dan Dickau. Ratliff played in just two games for the Celtics, scoring a grand total of five points. Even though his stay and contribution were limited, the 6-foot-10 center had nothing but glowing things to say about his former employer.cw0 “Everybody was so gracious,” Ratliff said. “It’s a great city with great basketball knowledge. They recognize good players and things they’ve done throughout their career. Doc (Rivers) is a great guy and a great coach and I’m so happy and excited for him to have this opportunity.” Ratliff struggled with a right knee injury in Minnesota that sidelined him for 45 games. He returned and played 10 games before reaching a contractual buyout, allowing the team to waive him on Feb. 29. Less than a week later, Ratliff returned to his original NBA home, signing a free agent deal with the Pistons. “It was a great opportunity for me,” Ratliff said. “Every time you step out on the floor, you have an opportunity to win.” Something Ratliff hasn’t sampled in recent years. His five-minute stint in Game 1 of the first-round series against Philadelphia marked his first postseason appearance since 2000 when he was a member of the 76ers. “This is my first time here, so I’m definitely appreciative,” he said. “I’ve been in the league 13 years and this is the first time for me in the conference finals. I might be a veteran, but I’m still a rookie to all of these things.”
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:23:44 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1097255&format=textBecause of Kendrick Perkins, Pistons are in trouble By Mitch Albom / Detroit Free Press | Thursday, May 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by AP BOSTON - Missing big. Bigs, missing. The Pistons can point to many stinging plays in this heartbreaking playoff loss, many moments where Celtics [team stats] karma seemed to overwhelm them. But for all the histrionics of the final minutes, remember: When Kendrick Perkins [stats] is the best player on the floor, it’s not the karma, it’s you. And the Pistons are out of excuses. Kendrick Perkins? Yes. The Boston center who came straight out of a Texas high school and, if you define the Celtics by the Big Three, is sort of No. 5�½, was all over this critical Game 5 in Wednesday night, grabbing rebounds as if a new contract were inside each one, putting balls off the glass, blocking shots, rolling through the lane to do what centers are supposed to do: No, not stand outside and shoot threes. Play big. In a game like this, you have to step up large and in charge, and while it’s true, the fourth quarter became a furious scramble, a one-possession game, the long-range truth for Pistons fans is this: A 23-year-old did what four Pistons big men did not do. Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Antonio McDyess and Jason Maxiell all had some moments - notably Wallace, with his three-point shooting - but guards can shoot three-pointers. They can’t control the boards. They can’t limit teams to one shot. They can’t block or threaten shots. They can’t own the middle. Big men do that. And Perkins did it all in Game 5. The youngest guy in either starting lineup took the Pistons to school when it came to rebounds and high-percentage shots. And because of that, the Pistons, who like their backs against the wall, now can enjoy that feeling for two straight games. If they’re lucky. Where were these guys? Perkins had Boston’s first basket of the game, a slam dunk. He had the first basket of the second quarter, a lay-up. He had the first basket of the third quarter, a hook shot. He had rebounds over Wallace and around Wallace. He had lay-ups and slams past McDyess and around Maxiell. In the first half, he had more rebounds than the Pistons BY HIMSELF. He blocked Rip Hamilton. He took the ball away from Rip and led a fast break. He set career playoff highs in points (18) and rebounds (16). Boston outrebounded Detroit, 42-25. And as a result, a game that felt all night as if the Pistons were trying to stand on a rocking ship, tilted away in the third period, and became another double-digit deficit. Yes, the Pistons fought back from 17 down to within one. They put everything they had into it. But they had to put in so much because they were so far down. And in the aftermath of this 106-102 loss, with elimination looming, with Perkins celebrating his career night - sweat dripping from his head to his stringy goatee - it is fair to ask why the Pistons bigs didn’t play ... bigger? Wallace? Yes, he had lots of three-pointers. Without those, Detroit isn’t even close in this game. But as good as he was as a shooter, he was that absent on the boards and on defense. ‘Sheed had four rebounds Wednesday? Four? Yep. And Kevin Garnett has been winning the big-man battle with Wallace almost every night in this series. But Rasheed was hardly alone. Prince was a nonfactor most of the night. He finished with eight points. McDyess, who has been such a heavenly story this series, crashed to Earth in this one, fouling out with more than six minutes left and only one basket to his credit. And Maxiell, the off-the-bench catalyst of Game 4, undid himself with early foul trouble. And will be captured forever in the reruns of this game getting a shot cleanly blocked by Perkins. Missing big. Bigs, missing. Losing the momentum So now what? Bill Russell, a great Celtics big man himself, used to say Game 2 and Game 5 are the most pivotal in a seven-game series. If so, the Pistons missed out, and the Celtics are in the driver’s seat. This is why that Game 3 loss was so gutting. Boston is not afraid of a road game anymore. It knows it can win in Auburn Hills. Can the Pistons still take the series? "Of course," you say. Will they? "Why not?" you say. And then comes the big question: "How?" Well, they’ve found a way twice in the series. Perhaps they find another. They have heart. They have experience. But I can tell you this much. They won’t do it if their big guys play like small ones. The Pistons have enough guards. Their bigs need to clean the glass. Deny the easy shots. Play hard defense. In short, take a lesson from a big kid Wednesday night. And a little prayer wouldn’t hurt either.
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:25:55 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/29/leading_men?mode=PFLeading men Celtics star in a thriller, holding on to assume control against Pistons By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | May 29, 2008 As much as the Celtics love playing at TD Banknorth Garden, they hope to ensure they come nowhere near the place Sunday. The Celtics moved one win from advancing to the NBA Finals with a 106-102 victory over the Pistons last night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. Boston owns a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 6 tomorrow night in Detroit. A win at the Palace will send the Celtics to the Finals for the first time since 1987, while a loss would mean Game 7 in Boston Sunday. "We knew the significance of this game," said Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. "You don't win this game, you basically put yourself in a corner." Garnett scored a game- and season-high 33 points, Ray Allen seemed to end his shooting slump with 29 points and five 3-pointers, and Kendrick Perkins had 18 points and 16 rebounds. Boston shot 50.7 percent from the field, connected on 8 of 15 3-pointers, and outrebounded Detroit, 42-25. Boston is 10-1 at the Garden this postseason, 3-0 in Game 5s. The Celtics are only 1-7 on the road in the playoffs, but that one win came in Game 3 of this series. "We know how tough it is to win out there in Detroit," said Celtics forward Paul Pierce. "[Game 5 was] one of the biggest games that we played all year long. A crucial game at home, get the lead just to get some momentum, get the momentum back, and we knew it was going to be one of the toughest games of the series. "We said that coming into it, that this is like a Game 7, and we responded. We knew it wasn't going to be easy." Detroit's backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton combined for 51 points. Hamilton, however, left the game late in the fourth quarter after sustaining a right elbow strain that required X-rays, which were negative. The Pistons are playing in their sixth straight Eastern Conference finals and have experienced any situation imaginable in the postseason. With that in mind, they are confident they will be back here Sunday. "We've got to do what we do," said Pistons coach Flip Saunders. "We've got to go back home and play with the same intensity we did tonight and play there, and then come back here as far as our main focus." Said Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace, "We can do it. We've been here before; we can do it." The Celtics owned a 52-46 halftime lead after shooting 51.3 percent from the field. Boston had three players in double figures in Garnett (15), Perkins (12 points, 13 rebounds), and Pierce (13 of his 16 points). The Celtics also outrebounded the Pistons, 28-11, in the half. Wallace had 12 of his 18 points by intermission. The Celtics outscored the Pistons, 32-25, in the third quarter to take an 84-71 lead. Allen scored 16 points and nailed three 3-pointers in the third, while the Celtics shot 57.1 percent. "The third quarter was big for us," Garnett said. "We came out with a lot of energy." The Celtics' lead was sliced to 1, 100-99, when Pistons rookie Rodney Stuckey (13 points) nailed a 3-pointer with 1:23 remaining. Allen's 21-foot jumper with 1:02 left pushed Boston ahead, 102-99. Billups missed a lay-in with 42.9 seconds left. Garnett, however, missed a jumper with 16.9 seconds left. The Celtics gambled when Rajon Rondo (7 points, 13 assists, 4 steals) purposely fouled Stuckey with 8.2 seconds left. Stuckey made both free throws to trim Detroit's deficit to 102-101. After being fouled by Lindsey Hunter, Allen connected on two free throws to give Boston a 104-101 lead. Rondo fouled Stuckey again with 4.5 seconds left. This time, the rookie missed the first and made the second to bring Detroit within 104-102. "That was the longest fourth quarter out of all the games we played in," Pierce said. "I was a little disappointed the way we played the fourth quarter." Said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, "We made it interesting." Garnett was fouled by Wallace after an inbounds pass with 3.4 seconds left. He made both free throws to seal the win and bring Boston one win closer to the Finals. "You know they're experienced, and they've been in a lot of pressure situations," Garnett said. "Now it's up to us to go up there and try to get one." "We've just got to think about the next game," said Rivers. "We've got to have great focus and great intensity there. They've won titles, they've been in this position before. We just have to go in there and play our game. That's the whole key."
|
|