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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:27:25 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/29/allen_acting_like_himself?mode=PFAllen acting like himself By Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist | May 29, 2008 It was 100-99, Celtics. 1:04 remaining. Once a 17-point lead, even a 15-point lead way back in the beginning of this very period. Out of bounds play underneath their own basket. Celtics need a basket. The Celtics seriously need a basket. Who you gonna call? How about Ray Allen? Yes, Ray. Why not? Forget all that business about being missing in action for near the entire playoffs. Ray had already nailed five threes. Ray's stroke was back. So James Posey inbounded to Ray Allen, and Ray Allen did what Ray Allen has been doing for his entire life. He calmly drilled a deep corner two and a half (his foot was on the line). Now it was 102-99, Boston, and the Celtics would live off this for the remainder of the game, a 106-102 win. Is Ray Allen's long personal nightmare now officially over? Is the All-Star/Olympian/Professional Jump Shooter back? Did this 9-for-15, 5-for-6 on threes, 29-point performance mean Ray Allen will be back to being Ray Allen for the remainder of the playoffs, however long they last? "I just know he had one in him," said coach Doc Rivers. "He's a great player. He hasn't stopped being [one]. He just hadn't played well in a while." Allen made a big early contribution with a transition 3-pointer that broke a 5-5 tie. To him the circumstance told the story. "My first two threes in the first half were because we got the rebound and pushed it up," he explained. "When we run, I score." That's the idea, but even getting Allen out into the open floor hasn't guaranteed success during the playoffs. He just hasn't been himself. People are still talking about a transition airball he threw a few games back. C'mon, when has anyone ever seen Allen shoot an airball? Now it is true he doesn't get all the shots he used to get. Coming to Boston and joining forces with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett meant he was no longer the automatic No. 1 option he'd been for his entire professional career in Milwaukee and Seattle. He had to make a significant mental adjustment. "Clearly, throughout the season I learned that being on this team meant I didn't always have to score," he said. "I had to learn to be more efficient in my scoring." He made that adjustment to everyone's satisfaction. Take, for example, the month of February. In that month he scored 20 points a game. He shot 49 percent from the field, 40 percent on threes. That's Ray Allen. He was Ray Allen often enough so that both Garnett and Pierce, when asked in a joint interview which of the (so-called) Big Three should take the last shot in a close game, said, "Ray Allen." But that Ray Allen has been on hiatus for much of the playoffs. In his place has been a guy clanking up threes and just looking, well, hesitant. Whoever that No. 20 was, when the game started, the guy was most definitely not the real Ray Allen. Last night's Allen was the one Detroit coach Flip Saunders has been used to seeing. "He hit some big shots," Saunders said. "He got things going early, got the confidence going . . . I think the previous time we played he had a little bit more hesitation in shooting. He was not hesitating tonight. I thought their bigs set some pretty good screens to get him open, and he got his confidence going." "You know," said Pierce, "Ray is going to continue to be Ray, regardless of how he shoots. Just his presence on the floor is a big help. Tonight, he just happened to have it really, really going. He was real aggressive pretty much throughout the game." "Both of us are happy for him because he was in a slump, and we kept motivating him," added Garnett, a huge factor himself with 33 points. "We were talking to him, and letting him know from a 'big' standpoint, trying to get him open and trying to get him some open looks and some easier looks." Allen looked most like his old self in the third quarter, when he hit three 3-pointers and had one particularly aggressive slash to the hoop from the right baseline. He was a plain ol' scoring machine. But he did not seem to be in the mood to accept many compliments for his scoring. "My feeling is no different than if I had scored 10 points and we won," he maintained. "It's just the winning, regardless of what I've done." That's fine, and you know he means it, but the fact is the team had been working around him for far too long offensively. He was a major component for 82 games that had been essentially lost in the most important phase of the season. Pierce can hit threes, but no Celtic commands the respect of the opponents from deep range as much as Allen. The Celtics had to be wondering if they were ever going to see the Allen of legend again. "When he's playing like that, we're a tough team," Garnett noted. "I thought the ball moved from strong side to weak side tonight, and he was a big part of that." The Allen saga bottomed out Monday night, when he even missed a pair of free throws late in the game. Allen misses every once in a while, but he never misses two at once. But after seeing what he'd been up to all night long, no one in the Celtics' camp was worried when he stepped to the line for two free throws with 6.3 seconds left last night, the Celtics in possession of a 102-101 lead. The Celtics' strategy was to keep fouling Detroit before anyone could even attempt a three, but the flip side, of course, is to make sure your own guy sinks his free throws when called upon. Allen swished his two. No problem. They were points Nos. 28 and 29 in a very big evening for a very important player. "He kept working on his game, he kept believing every day, and that's probably why he's been so great throughout his career," said Rivers. "If that had been me, I'd have been a basket case as a player. But that's the difference between the good ones and the great ones." Ray Allen is a great one. Still.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:29:03 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/29/finally_another_opportunity?mode=PFFinally, another opportunity By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist | May 29, 2008 We didn't have Larry Bird stealing the ball in the final five seconds. We didn't have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sucking on an oxygen mask. We didn't even have courtside fan Bill Belichick tossing a red beanbag to challenge an official's call. But as Game 5 victories go, this was pretty thrilling. In fact, it was one of the more exciting playoff games in the New or Old Garden. The Celtics almost blew a 17-point second-half lead but hung on to beat the Pistons, 106-102, last night. Tomorrow, they have a chance to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years. This was the plan last summer when Danny Ainge traded half his team for Kevin Garnett (33 points). Now the Celtics are where they want to be: on the threshold of the Finals. As they say in the radio biz, First Time-Long Time. After five exhausting games, there is little to choose in what is emerging as an epic conference final series between these star-studded, veteran rosters. Consider the Celtic galaxy of stars. Kendrick Perkins was downright Chamberlain-like in the first half of Game 5 and finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Wearing a sleeve on his non-shooting arm, Ray Allen made a big comeback with 29 points. And then there was Garnett - who might just be the Big Ticket to the Finals. The Celtics were feeling pretty good about a 17-point, late-third-quarter lead last night, but it's never easy against the Pistons. Detroit cut the lead to a point with 8.2 seconds remaining. Nothing easy about this one. "We made it interesting," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "I told our guys after the game I was proud of 'em," said Detroit coach Flip Saunders. "We're not going away." They never go away. That's one of the reasons this is such a good series. Both teams have already won on the other's home court. Both had reason to believe they'd be representing the power conference in the NBA Finals. But neither was able to take hold of the series. And it's still not over - even though the Celtics take a 3-2 series lead into Auburn Hills. There's always something magical about Game 5. Since the NBA switched to best-of-seven for the conference finals in 1958, there have been 22 series that went 2-2. In those series, the Game 5 winner went on to play in the Finals 19 times. The Celtics were involved in eight 2-2s and won six. Boston's most recent 2-2 conference finals wound up in losses. In 1988, the Celtics and Pistons were 2-2. Detroit won Game 5 and went on to win in six. Six years ago, the Celtics and Nets locked up in a Game 5 that was won by New Jersey. The Nets went on to take the series in seven. But the most memorable Game 5 was in 1987, when Bird stole a lazy Isiah Thomas pass on an inbounds play with five seconds remaining (Robert Parish pummeled Bill Laimbeer the same night). You may have seen the replay about 2 million times. It's the last time the Celtics advanced to the Finals. "This was a huge game," said Paul Pierce. "We don't get this game, we put ourselves in a position of having to win in Detroit. This was like a Game 7 and we responded. We knew it wasn't going to be easy." The Garden was considerably cooler than the floor of The Palace of Auburn Hills in Game 4. Both coaches and many players complained of the heat in the arena and have been assured it won't happen again tomorrow night. The Celtics claimed it was 95 degrees in their locker room - an old Red Auerbach trick. The stars came out for Boston's big game. Belichick was seated next to the Pistons' bench and had a chance to visit with Tedy Bruschi and Vince Wilfork along the baseline. You didn't have to look far to see John Havlicek, Penny Marshall, and Ellen Pompeo. It was 23-23 after one. The Pistons led by 8 in the second, but the Celtics went on an 11-0 run late in the half and led, 52-46, at intermission. Perkins had 12 points and 13 rebounds in the first half. "Perkins was great off the glass," said Saunders. "He's eatin' us up. The games they've won, he's played great games." "He was sensational tonight," said Rivers. "Played with great energy." Perkins kept it going after the break and the Celtics pulled away, 84-67, late in the third. Almost comfortable. The Celtics got 0 points from the bench in the first three quarters, but still led, 84-71, after three. A plethora of points. The Pistons mounted a furious comeback in the fourth, cutting the lead to 1 on a three by Rodney Stuckey with 1:17 left. Allen canned a clutch jumper with 1:02 left to put the Celtics back up by 3. Allen then sealed it with a pair of free throws. "That was the longest fourth quarter out of all the games we've played in," said Pierce. "I was a little disappointed. We've got to be able to close the game out better than we did tonight." Auburn Hills. Tomorrow night.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:30:16 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/29/his_biggest_contribution_yet?mode=PFHis biggest contribution yet Perkins the center of first-half surge By Monique Walker, Globe Staff | May 29, 2008 In the first half of Game 5 last night, all you could do was watch Kendrick Perkins. The Celtics center demanded it. He used his 6-foot-10-inch, 280-pound frame to back his way toward the basket and then pull away for a jumper. He maneuvered around bodies for rebounds. He continued his consistent play in the Eastern Conference finals, taking over the first half before finishing with career playoff highs of 18 points and 16 rebounds in the Celtics' 106-102 victory. At halftime, Perkins owned 13 rebounds, two more than the Pistons as a whole, and 12 points, as many points as he scored in Game 3. "Coming into this series, that was the No. 2 of the things that we felt we had to do to win this series," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "No. 1 was ball pressure. . . . [Perkins] went out and did it, and I thought that freed everyone else. He was sensational tonight, played with great energy. "That's three games in a row that Kendrick Perkins has been absolutely phenomenal." Perkins did most of his damage by limiting the Pistons' second-chance points. He loaded up 11 defensive boards for the game, while the Pistons were limited to just five offensive rebounds. As a team, the Celtics pulled down 31 defensive rebounds (42 total), compared with the Pistons' 25 total rebounds. "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 know this opportunity don't come much, and I know 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." Perkins is averaging 7.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 25 minutes per game during the playoffs, numbers that reflect his 38:40 of action and 8-of-11 shooting from the field last night. (He added two blocks and two steals.) His previous career high in the playoffs was 14 points against Atlanta. Last night, the Celtics outscored the Pistons in the paint, 36-18. The game was reminiscent of Game 3 of this series, a 94-80 win for the Celtics. The Celtics looked inside over and over again to get their points and he collected 12 points and 10 rebounds in the team's first road playoff victory this season. Prior to Game 5, Rivers said he determined that Perkins and Kevin Garnett would be responsible for guarding Rasheed Wallace, but that plan became moot point when Wallace chose to do most of his damage from the 3-point line, draining 6 of 9 treys. Perkins stuck it out as Rivers went with the starters for most of the game. James Posey logged the most time off the bench (14:31) and scored the bench's only points, a 3-pointer. "[Perkins] was dominating in the paint," said P.J. Brown, who played nearly 14 minutes off the bench. "If he continues to play like that, we are a tough team to beat." When the Pistons began making a push late in the game, Perkins said all he needed to do was think back to the series of Muhammad Ali fights that Rivers has showed the team recently. "He always says, 'It's not how many times you get hit, it's if you keep moving forward,' " Perkins said. "We were taking hits and we kept fighting through and we kept moving forward."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:34:31 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/29/garnett_made_it_look_routine?mode=PFGarnett made it look routine He delivered with game on the line By Michael Vega, Globe Staff | May 29, 2008 He had spent the majority of the night knocking down a variety of jumpers - catch-and-shoots, turnaround fadeaways, even a shot-clock buzzer-beater. So when it came to making a foul shot, Kevin Garnett figured: What's the big deal? Here's the big deal. When Garnett went to the foul line with 3.4 seconds left, the sellout crowd of 18,624 at TD Banknorth Garden, who squirmed in their seats when the Detroit Pistons pulled within 100-99 with 1:36 remaining, held their collective breath. The Celtics needed Garnett, who hit his previous six attempts from the line, to be Mr. Clutch after he induced Rasheed Wallace to commit his fifth personal. After he made the first free throw, Garnett wasted no time in hoisting up the second, leaving no doubt which 2 points ranked as the biggest of his 33-point effort in last night's intense 106-102 victory over the Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. Garnett's 33 points ranked as his season high, eclipsing the 32 he scored in Game 3 of the Celtics' first-round series against the Hawks. His regular-season high of 31 came March 5 against these same Pistons. Last night, he converted 11 of 17 field goals, including his lone 3-point attempt, and hit 10 of 12 foul shots, including his last eight. "You take free throws at the end of the game," said Garnett, who missed the front end of his first two trips to the line in the first quarter. "You want to be poised, you want to be calm, you go through your ritual, how you shoot free throws and let it go." Garnett's routine? Dribble. Inhale. Exhale. Shoot. "More or less than that, you don't put any added pressure," Garnett said. "You don't think about if you miss or make it. Shoot it up, and go through another one." While Celtics Nation was nervous as the Pistons made the fourth-quarter proceedings rather uncomfortable for the home team, Garnett was as money as the opening-weekend draw of the new "Indiana Jones" movie when he went to the line with 3.4 seconds left. Dribble. Inhale. Exhale. Shoot. "You go through your little ritual and that's what it is," Garnett said. Just as significant as his last two foul shots were the two he made toward the end of the second quarter with the Celtics trailing, 42-36. After inducing Antonio McDyess to commit his second personal, Garnett hit both free throws, sparking a 16-4 rally that allowed the Celtics to take a 52-46 lead at halftime. "Flip [Saunders], he's very scheming, throwing different things out and trying to pick the pressure up, but that's what it is, man," Garnett said. "Free throws are a part of the game, and I'm just trying to be as calm as possible. "I thought, first half, man, free throws are free," Garnett added. "So you think that you're out there and it's automatic, but sometimes it's not." But when it came down to crunch time, Garnett was automatic after reverting to his ritual, which he has practiced all his career. "I was just trying to be real poised," he said.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:36:19 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/29/tony_allen_injures_ankle_in_a_pickup_game?mode=PFTony Allen injures ankle in a pickup game Guard is forced out with Achilles' injury By Julian Benbow and Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | May 29, 2008 Tony Allen slumped in his chair yesterday in the Celtics' locker room, looking like he had a secret. He did. He had held onto it for more than 24 hours. Those innocent-looking one-on-one games between him, Glen Davis, Gabe Pruitt, and Rajon Rondo Tuesday weren't quite that innocent. Allen knew it when he reached for his right ankle, which is why he hobbled over to the bench, looking like he stepped on a thumbtack. "I'm done," he said at the time. He tried to shake it off, shrug it off. So did everybody else. "You know you still got two games," Rondo said to Allen. Allen instead walked out the back door at HealthPoint, not knowing the extent of his injury. Minutes before last night's 106-102 Celtics victory, he didn't have much more information. "I don't know," he said. "I really don't. It's a light sprain. Strained Achilles', I think." What he did know was that the tweak kept him out of Game 5. If coach Doc Rivers looked uninformed in the pregame press conference, it's because he was. Rivers was handling his offday media responsibilities at the other end of the court when Allen winced off the practice floor. "We didn't know literally until an hour ago," Rivers said. "I didn't know he was injured yesterday. I didn't know until an hour and a half ago." When he found out, Rivers activated Brian Scalabrine, who hasn't suited up all playoffs and didn't play last night. This is not the first time Allen's been in this pinch. The injury that ended his 2006-07 season is still infamous. It was Jan. 10, 2007, Boston at Indiana. After the referee whistled the play dead, Allen exploded through the lane for a harmless dunk. But he didn't have his legs completely under him on the landing. Torn ACL. Season terminated. To see something like this happen in the playoffs was odd for Rivers. "In the regular season you see all kinds of things," he said. "But not in a playoff game."Lost in the Celtics' title chase is the fact that Allen, in the last year of his contract, is playing for a deal. "For something unfortunate like this to happen," Allen said, "it's crazy to me." He said all he can do is hope he feels better today. But he didn't want to think about the possibility of it turning into tomorrow and the next game and maybe even the next series. "I haven't thought about it," he said. "I'm just thinking about our goals to win a championship. I'd be upset, but you can't really put your feelings on something you can't control." Hamilton sore Pistons guard Richard Hamilton, who scored 25 points, strained his right elbow late in the fourth quarter. Coach Flip Saunders is uncertain about the guard's status for tomorrow night's Game 6 in Detroit, although X-rays taken after the game last night were negative. Travelin' man Scot Pollard will travel with the team to Detroit for tomorrow's game. Pollard's last trip was to Indianapolis for surgery on his right ankle May 9. After almost three weeks, it feels better. "It's responding pretty well," he said. "I wasn't feeling well. Now I'm feeling much better." Pollard hasn't been with the team since its final road trip to Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs. He says he's excited about the trip. "My wife was excited that I was going on the road trip, too," he said. "Even if it's just for a night." One extreme to the other The Celtics complained that the visiting locker room at the Palace was too hot for Monday's Game 4. On the flip side, the Pistons believe it's been too cold at TD Banknorth Garden - which no longer has ice under the floor - and because of that have held shootarounds at Emerson College. Detroit forward Rasheed Wallace wore tights under his shorts in Game 1 because he thought it was cold. Havlicek to be honored Celtics legend John Havlicek will be among the honorees at The Sports Museum of New England's annual fund-raiser, "The Tradition," June 24 at the Garden. Havlicek will receive the lifetime achievement award, which will be presented by Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight. For more information, visit sportsmuseum.org or call 617-624-1237 . . . Richard Lapchick, director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, will release the 2008 National Basketball Association Racial and Gender Report Card today. Using data from this season, updated April 1, the report includes an analysis of racial breakdowns of players, coaches, management, physicians, head trainers, broadcasters, and referees . . . Former Artists For Humanity painting instructor Ricardo Gomez will present an exhibit of his work featuring action likenesses of Celtics Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rondo tomorrow from 5-7:30 p.m. at Johnnie's on the Side, 138 Portland St., Boston.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:38:21 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/28/rallying_point?mode=PFRallying point Garnett has fueled this playoff run - now it's drive time By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist | May 28, 2008 We expect a lot. Sixteen points and 10 rebounds in a road playoff game would be a fine night for most NBA players. Bill Russell had a few games like that and I don't remember anyone asking, "What's wrong with the Big Fella?" But it was hard to watch Kevin Garnett at the Palace of Auburn Hills Monday. The Celtics were struggling in the fourth quarter of a game that was still winnable . . . and Garnett disappointed and disappeared. He scored 3 points (1 for 4 from the floor) and committed two turnovers in the final period. Three times down the stretch, Garnett took a pass, had an open look, and kicked it back out. He opted for jumpers instead of taking the ball to the basket. One pass bounced off his chest and went out of bounds. Pistons fans taunted Garnett, chanting, "Timberwolf for life." Ouch. It's OK to be a president for life, or maybe a Yankee for life, or certainly smoke-free for life. But nobody wants "Timberwolf for life" on his tombstone. Which brings us to the problem. It is universally accepted that more is expected of those to whom more is given. That is why we expect so much from Garnett. That is why we still wonder whether he is the player who can lead these Celtics to the promised land. That is why we wonder whether he is just very good and not Russell/Larry Bird great. Garnett can do just about everything there is to do on a basketball court. He's a 7-foot guy who can swish the 18-footer, handle the ball like a guard, and defend like Lawrence Taylor. He is the consummate teammate - dishing off, calling out switches, and getting in the faces of the young bucks who sometimes need to be told how it's done. Russell himself said he thinks of Garnett the way he thinks of his own children. Given the choice between Garnett and Rasheed Wallace, we'd take Garnett 100 times out of 100. He is outplaying 'Sheed in the series. Kevin Garnett is the reason the Celtics are still playing. He is the reason Boston went from 24 to 66 wins in a single season. It's not Paul Pierce. It's not Ray Allen. It's not the terrific bench Danny Ainge assembled. It's not Wyc Grousbeck's leadership, Doc Rivers's coaching, or Gino's dancing. Garnett is the difference. He's the one who changed everything - the same way Tom Brady changed everything when he took over as starting quarterback of the Patriots. But unlike Brady, Garnett still has something to prove. He needs to prove that he's more than just a wildly skilled, very good player. He needs to show us that he's more than a Timberwolf for life. How can we live in a world in which 'Sheed has a ring and Garnett does not? Garnett is paid like a superstar. He finished third in the MVP voting and is internationally acclaimed as one of the best players of all time. But he hasn't been a champion, and this is his time to step up and take over in the big moments of the biggest games. Statistically, he's had a good playoff run. He leads the Celtics with 20.7 points per game in this series. But he needs to do more. Maybe we ask too much. Garnett's game is not a low-post, back-to-the-basket game. He's never going to be Wilt Chamberlain or even Karl Malone in the low block. "There were times where I just thought we didn't get it to him, and then he ended up floating out because of the ball being on the other side," said Rivers. "He was running out setting picks. But we didn't do a good job of establishing him to the post and we have to do a better job of that. "Kevin did the right thing. We got it to him on the post and he gave it back up because they were doubling. He's a smart ballplayer and he does the right thing." But there are other ways Garnett can grab this series by the throat and take the Celtics to the Finals. It's rare that we've seen a more intense competitor. Garnett's game face and pregame rituals are the stuff of legend. You watch him interact before the opening tap and you think he has the fire of Bob Gibson or Frank Robinson. You watch him get in Rajon Rondo's grille and you think you're seeing Tedy Bruschi with steam spewing from his nostrils. You watch him at the end of regular-season blowouts, standing at the end of the bench, urging his teammates to keep pouring it on. Don't let up. Take no prisoners. And you want him to bring that fire to the final six minutes of a close playoff game. You want him to take charge. The hell with kicking it back out. Turn and power toward the basket. Don't settle for soft jumpers. Convince us that you want the ball at the end of the game. If Garnett puts his head down and draws a charge, we promise not to say he was trying to force things. We won't accuse him of being selfish or not trusting his teammates. This is his time. Time to say, "Hop on my back, fellas." Time to beat the Pistons in two of the last three games and bring Boston back to the Finals.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:39:54 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/29/maxiell_has_been_a_valuable_energy_source?mode=PFMaxiell has been a valuable energy source By Michael Vega, Globe Staff | May 29, 2008 To a man, the Pistons agree that Jason Maxiell has been great coming off the bench. The third-year power forward from the University of Cincinnati has given his team an immeasurable boost throughout the regular season and playoffs. "No. 1, he's a player who is a high-, high-, high-energy-type player," said Pistons coach Flip Saunders during yesterday morning's shootaround at Emerson College prior to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. "He's brought to the team what he's brought all year long and since he's been here," said teammate Tayshaun Prince. "He's brought a lot of energy. He brings a lot of energy on both ends, especially defensively. He's undersized but he does a lot of great things with his length and his quick jumping ability." Funny thing is, Maxiell, at 6 feet 7 inches, 260 pounds, is considered undersized by NBA standards. By any measure, though, he has come up huge for the Pistons. "He gives us different looks," Saunders said. "Maybe he's a little undersized, but he's a little bit similar to Ben Wallace when Ben Wallace played for us. He's got great energy, he's tenacious as far as getting on the glass, takes charges, and does a lot of the little things. "I thought that over the course of the season his offense has improved," Saunders added. "His ability to score, as far as being down on the block, definitely improved." Were it not for those attributes, the Pistons could very well have arrived in Boston for Game 5 staring at a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series. Instead, the Pistons knotted up the series in Game 4 Monday night, as Maxiell had 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 devastating block that denied Kevin Garnett a breakaway dunk. "Well, I saw him in transition ahead of me and decided not to give him an easy layup," Maxiell said. "I decided it was a perfect time to block a shot." While the rest of the team may have adopted a no-layup policy, Maxiell seemed to take it a step further by enforcing his no-dunk policy. "He challenges shots," Prince said. "He doesn't give up anything easy, but more importantly he fights in the paint and really makes them take tough shots. He doesn't like to give up easy baskets." Which, of course, makes going up against Maxiell a difficult proposition. He's quick and athletic enough to defend and recover on the help side, and has enough offensive skill to score when called upon. "Our opponents' [defensive] mind-set is to focus on Chauncey [Billups], Rip [Hamilton], Tay [Prince]," Maxiell said after Game 4. "So if the shot is there, I knock it down. If not, I go to the boards." And that's where Maxiell does most of his damage. This season, Maxiell showed improvement in almost every statistical category, including points per game (7.9 from 5.0), rebounds per game (5.3 from 2.8), free throw percentage (63.3 from 52.6), and blocks per game (1.1 from 0.9). "I think his defensive energy gives our team a lift and, when we're home, gives our crowd a lift," Saunders said. "Jason, what he does, he just plays hard." Saunders got no arguments there. "He's been able to help us in many ways," Prince said of Maxiell. "He's definitely unique at coming off the bench; a guy who has that type of energy and that type of flow to his game. That's why he's been able to succeed with us in the playoffs, because he's been able to bring that energy off the bench. That's what our young guys do a good job of."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:40:53 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/29/wallace_goes_off_on_the_officiating?mode=PFWallace goes off on the officiating By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff | May 29, 2008 Rasheed Wallace tried to bite his tongue. Honest, he did. What bothered him most was the way the notebook-toters danced around it. Confidence? "We already had confidence," he said. "We don't need confidence from one losing game to go into another. We already had confidence." The fourth quarter? "Just came out and we wasn't ready," he said, shrugging. Kendrick Perkins? "Yeah, he picked up some key weakside rebounds," Wallace said. "That's part of the game." Ray Allen hitting from everywhere? "Ray can go ahead and hit," he said. "He can hit shots or whatever, but we still had a chance with him hitting those shots." Wallace wondered why the real issue - the officiating - wasn't addressed. After holding back, Wallace could do it no longer, so he let go with an expletive-filled tirade against the referees. "All [the expletive] calls they had out there," Wallace finally spewed. "A lot of them phantom calls flopping and falling all over the floor . . ." Wallace went off so much that he's likely to be fined for his comments against the referees. Five fouls were called on Wallace. Antonio McDyess was assessed the maximum six. Altogether, the Pistons were whistled 30 times. Wallace has six technicals this postseason, and will be suspended if he's tagged with a seventh. Ever since Game 4, when everyone from Paul Pierce to Rajon Rondo acknowledged the Celtics were pushed around, the overwhelming feeling going into last night's 106-102 win was to push back. They did. When Chauncey Billups scooped up one of Rondo's missed layups and had a clear lane for an easy layup, Pierce streaked down for a foul. When McDyess looked like he had an easy deuce in the paint, Perkins came across and grabbed him by his jersey to make sure McDyess earned his 2 points at the line (he didn't). The Celtics were whistled 21 times. And in coach Doc Rivers's eyes, they didn't foul enough compared to what they've had to put up with all series. "We were fouling a lot?" Rivers asked, tongue firmly in his cheek. Whether or not Wallace thinks it's basketball, it's the brand of ball the series has come down to. "We wanted to be physical," Rivers said. "But we were playing just like them." Rivers continued, "I'm glad I'm not an official. Because it's very physical out there, and they had Flip [Saunders] yelling at them. I never yell. "It's just a physical game," he said. "It's tough to call. But it's both teams. I don't think [one team is] any more physical than the other. I thought both teams wanted the game badly tonight." Going forward, Rodney Stuckey said, the Celtics can keep bringing it. "That's what we like," he said. "That's what we do, so we expect it from them." When someone asked Saunders about the physicality, he sank into his tongue, hard. "I think both teams played hard tonight and both teams were extremely physical," he said. I think we played the same way we played last game. I don't think there was much difference." Wallace ended the press session by heading to the trainers' tables, still cursing the calls.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:41:59 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2008/05/29/lakers_win_could_spur_end_of_an_era?mode=PFLakers' win could spur end of an era NBA: Refs missed foul on Barry shot By John Nadel, Associated Press | May 29, 2008 LOS ANGELES - The youthful Los Angeles Lakers maintain they're not close to being a finished product. And yet, they're one win away from earning their first NBA Finals berth in four years, with as many as three shots at it, if necessary. In the process, they just might put an end to the San Antonio Spurs' era of dominance. The Lakers lead the Spurs, 3-1, in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals, and can put them away tonight at Staples Center, where they own a 7-0 record in the postseason and haven't lost since March 28. The Lakers moved into the enviable position with a little help from the referees in their 93-91 win Tuesday - at least according to the NBA. With 2.1 seconds left to play, the Spurs inbounded the ball to Brent Barry, who was bumped by Lakers guard Derek Fisher on the floor. No foul was called, and Barry missed badly on a desperation 3-pointer before time expired. Spurs players and coach Gregg Popovich said a foul should not have been called, but yesterday the NBA disagreed after reviewing the play. "With the benefit of instant replay, it appears a foul should have been called," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said. Had that happened, Barry would have gone to the line for two free throws and a chance to tie the game and even the series. And to think, just last May, after the Lakers failed to win a playoff series for the third straight year, Kobe Bryant was demanding a trade. "We're just learning as we go," Bryant said yesterday at the team's practice facility in suburban El Segundo. "We've seen some dark days around here." Fisher and seldom-used reserve Ira Newble are the only players on the roster over 30, and Bryant and Fisher are the only ones with championship rings, earning them with the Lakers from 2000-02. "We're a tough bunch," Bryant said. "I think we've grown into a tough team mentally. I think we've grown up. Quick learners - we're all just intelligent idiots." Should the Spurs win Game 5, the teams would meet Saturday night in San Antonio. A seventh game, if needed, would be played Monday night at Staples Center. "Down, 3-1, we know it's really hard to come back," San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "But we're going to try. Of course, we still believe in ourselves. We're going to have a shot. As always the next game is the game." The Spurs, who have won three championships in the last five years and four in the last nine, have all the experience a team could ask for, with Tim Duncan, Ginobili, and Tony Parker leading the way. "They're the defending champions, and we're going to have to play another good 48-minute basketball game in order to beat them," Fisher said. "We've been through tough games already in this series, and this game is going to be the toughest," Lakers center Pau Gasol said. San Antonio appeared a step slow at times Tuesday, with the Lakers' 26-4 advantage in second-chance points a key. "We did a pretty decent job of stopping them, and every time we did get a stop, they got another chance at it," Duncan said. "Even if it wasn't a score right away, they got an opportunity to pull it back out and run it again. And that takes a lot out of you."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:43:23 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/green_room/2008/05/survival_rambli.htmlSurvival ramblings Email|Link|Comments (0) Posted by Jesse Nunes May 29, 2008 01:12 AM I can't even begin to describe the emotional roller coaster that was Celtics' thrilling 106-102 win in Game 5. In fact, I'm surprised I can even type right now. Feels like trying to play whack-a-mole with wet noodles. Regardless, here's a slew of what will most likely be incoherent thoughts. I will never say anything bad about Kendrick Perkins again. Well, at least until he starts getting 3 fouls in the first quarter again on offensive boards and moving screens. Seriously though, you can tell how a game is called by officials really affects a players' effectiveness. In Game 5, you pretty much had to cripple a guy to get called for a foul on the boards. That style of play is perfect for Perk, who used his size and aggressiveness under the boards to send away all challengers for the rebounds. It was great to watch … he was going to do anything to make sure the man closest to him would not steal a rebound from him. If that were a regular season game against the Heat, he would have probably been called for 5 fouls on rebounding alone. But I like how they called it in this game. That's how basketball should be played … barring any egregiously heinous acts, the guys under the boards should be able to battle it out for those rebounds. And Perk put on a clinic in the first half. Is there anything that's as simultaneously exciting and terrifying as Perk dribbling the ball the length of the court on a fast break. And can it even be called a fast break when it's Perk dribbling? I really want a T-shirt with a picture of a brow-furrowing Kendrick surrounded by the words "Perk Angry!" in crumbling letters. Can the Celtics win the championship, let alone this series, with Rondo playing 46 minutes a game? I don't think so. He was gassed in the fourth. I think it's obvious that Sam's time on the court has been a disaster, and Eddie cannot bring the ball up under moderate pressure, let alone the furious on-the-ball defense and trapping that the Pistons employ, but can't there be another way? Late in the Cleveland series, Pierce took the responsibility of bringing the ball up court when House was struggling with the pressure. Can't they do the same against the Pistons to give Rajon a little more rest? Losing that 18-point lead third-quarter slowly over the rest of the game felt like watching a parachutist slowly glide into the middle of an active volcano. It took forever, there was an impending sense of doom, and the worst-case scenario seemed inevitable. Then, just as they were about to drop into the crater, a gust of wind blew them within arms length of the side, and they grabbed and held on. That's the best way I can describe the utter relief of winning that game. They came close to certain death. I can't believe they survived. The way technicals are being called in this series, I wouldn't be surprised if KG gets one while spraying the scorer's table with chalk prior to Game 6. If not that, then Posey will definitely get a flagrant for his pre-game hugs. KG – 11-17 shooting, clinching free throws, continued solid defense, hit two hugely difficult shots at the shot clock buzzer … sure, it's frustrating when he passes up an open shot to try and get a teammate an open look (and there were a few bad ones in Game 5), but you can't cherry-pick that aspect of his game and ignore the rest. He's been huge all playoffs, in almost every facet of the game. It's been fantastic to watch. The "he can't do it in the clutch" sounds more ridiculous with every passing game. I know, it won't stop until he wins a championship, and the A-Rod comparisons will continue until then, but they shouldn't. Ray Allen – 9-15 shooting, 5-6 from three, 6-6 from the line … wait, I thought shooting guards in the thirties couldn't do stuff like that? Then again, maybe I shouldn't talk until he does it in consecutive games. Still, you can't deny he came up with the biggest shots of the game. The threes helped the C's build that huge cushion and they ended up needing every one of them, and then his clutch jumpers late in the game made sure Detroit never got over the hump. The confidence is back. I hope. I enjoyed that ESPN halftime feature way too much on Rip Hamilton putting on a variety of masks. Spiderman, Hannibal Lecter, Napoleon Dynamite … "Chauncey, pass me the ball. Gosh!" As annoying as he is to play against, I really hope he's healthy for Game 6; his arm injury looked like it could be a lingering thing, but I want the C's to beat the Pistons at full strength. The C's left Sheed open for way too many threes, especially in the first half. I mean, after he made the first two, you think they'd put a guy on him. It's not hard to figure out he's going to drift away from the basket after setting a screen. Fantastic move by Doc to foul Detroit twice in the last 10 seconds rather than give them a look at a three. You see so many games where teams hit big three-pointers at the buzzer to send a game to OT in that situation, and you always hear people ask "why didn't they just foul them?" … yet you almost never see it done. Kudos for Doc for employing the strategy, which admittedly carries its own risks, but it worked to perfection in Game 5. Just pointing out that I almost had a heart attack when I saw Scalabrine was suited up for the game. I was surprised to see that Paul had 16 points in that game ... that was a quiet 16 points. Still, he played solid team defense, made some good passes, and didn't hurt the team with turnovers. Solid game from the Captain. I love Rajon, although his horrific shooting continues to handicap the offense, but those little lob passes into tightly guarded teammates need to stop. There were way too many down the stretch in Game 5, and one rotating defender in the right place or the correctly timed reach-in by an on-the-man defender and those are fastbreak layups for the Pistons. He's lucky those didn't end up hurting the C's in that game. One more win for the Celtics, one more win for the Lakers, and we have the Finals match-up everyone wants. Scalpers in L.A. and Boston may have enough money after the playoffs to put an end to the housing slump.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:46:13 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x491728091/Celtics-106-Pistons-102-Sweating-out-a-winCeltics 106, Pistons 102: Sweating out a win -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Photos Photos Michael Dwyer/Associated Press Celtics center Kendrick Perkins slams one home during Boston's Game 5 win over Detroit. By Scott Souza/Daily News staff The MetroWest Daily News Posted May 29, 2008 @ 01:40 AM Last update May 29, 2008 @ 02:01 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — Ray Allen was the Ray Allen of old. Kendrick Perkins was the Kendrick Perkins of recent. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were they way they have been throughout the entire season. It added up to a big night for the Celtics starting five in a critical Game 5 victory over the Pistons last night at the TD Banknorth Garden. The 106-102 triumph puts the Celtics up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series with a chance to close out the Pistons tomorrow night in Michigan. Up as many as 15 early in the fourth quarter, the weary Celtics starters tried to hold off the Pistons for the brutally tense final 12 minutes. Detroit was able to get all the way to one twice in the final 1:17 before four free throws Allen and Garnett iced the win from the foul line. Garnett had 33 points on 11-of-17 shooting, Allen had 29 (including 5-of-6 on 3-pointers), Perkins had 18 points (on 8-of-11 shooting) and 16 rebounds, Pierce had 16 points and Rajon Rondo had seven points and 13 assists in the victory. The starters scored all but three of the Celtics points with every starter playing at least 38 minutes. "I was just coming in trying to provide energy for the team," said Perkins, who set a career playoff high in points and rebounds. "I knew our Big Three, our veteran guys, if I were up in age - over 30 - I would want them to go all out for me too. So my thing was that I am going to leave it all out on the court for myself, my teammates and for everybody." The Celtics have come to be able to expect big nights from Garnett and Pierce throughout the exhaustive playoff run, but with the contributions from Allen and Perkins more inconsistent - at least offensively - having the four facets clicking allowed the Celtics to build a 17-point lead in the third and hold on in the fourth. "I knew he had one in him," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers of Allen. "He's a great player. He didn't stop being a great player. He just hadn't played well in a while. It didn't bother me. ... Getting Ray going was huge for us and it was huge for Ray." "The one thing I have learned about me on this team is that I don't need to score," Allen said. "Scoring was going to help the team, but we have so many options that making the team better in the small little ways was going to be important. If I wasn't hitting shots, I had to make sure I wasn't a sieve on defense." The Celtics built a 17-11 lead in the first quarter, but were down 33-25 in the second quarter before 3-pointers from Pierce and Allen sparked an 11-0 run and 47-42 lead with 2:04 left. The Big Three of Garnett (15), Pierce (13) and Allen (8) combined for 36 in the half, but Perkins stole the show with 12 points (on 6-of-9 shooting) and 13 rebounds in 21 minutes. "He was sensational tonight," Rivers said of Perkins. "That's three games in a row Kendrick Perkins has been absolutely phenomenal." Perkins kept the energy flowing into the opening seconds of the third quarter as he quickly forced a turnover and extended the lead with an inside basket. After a second early Detroit turnover, Pierce drove to the basket for a 56-46 lead. Boston pushed it to 17 three times before the end of the quarter and hit the fourth up 84-71. Garnett stretched to 15 before Detroit rattled off the next seven to pull within single digits at 10:14. James Posey's 3-pointer - the only points off Boston's bench in the game - pushed the lead back to 11 and Garnett's corner jumper had the Celtics up 91-78. That was the last Boston basket for nearly five minutes as the Pistons closed all the way to within four before Rondo's drive made it 94-88 with 4:25 to go. A pair of Garnett free throws at 4:04 restored the lead to eight, and two more Garnett foul shots had it 98-90 with 3:32 on the clock. Chauncey Billups knocked three free throws off a Rondo foul at 2:54, and Perkins took an inopportune technical foul at 2:38, which allowed Billups to draw the Pistons within 98-94. Rodney Stuckey's trey then brought the Pistons within a point and drew a Rivers timeout at 1:17. The Celtics needed another timeout with 1:04 left to set up a shot with six seconds on the shot clock and Allen delivered with a corner jumper and 102-99 lead. Flip Saunders called timeout with 47.2 seconds left. Rondo forced Billups into a miss, and Garnett was off line on a long jumper as the shot clock expired the other way. The Celtics went for the quick foul on Stuckey to avoid the 3-pointer with 8.2 seconds left and he hit both shots for a 102-101 game and it was free throws from there.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:47:23 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1878563592/Megliola-An-electric-clutch-victoryAn electric, clutch victory -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Photos Photos Michael Dwyer/Associated Press Celtics forward Kevin Garnett dunks over Detroit's Theo Ratliff during Boston's Game 5 victory. By Lenny Megliola/Daily News staff The MetroWest Daily News Posted May 29, 2008 @ 01:37 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — These teams deserve each other. This is bad for your ticker, but good if you like your playoff hoops served up thick and raw. Kendrick Perkins morphed into Wilt Chamberlain, Ray Allen turned into, well, Ray Allen. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce played themselves. And it all worked out. Barely. In a game about as tense as you can take it, the second half of Celtics-Pistons, Round 5, was thick with plot and drama. The Celtics seemingly had control - they were up 17 with 1:19 to go in the third quarter and 15 in the final quarter. In the end, Boston just had enough to withstand everything the Pistons had to dish out. So it's Game 6 in the Palace tomorrow night, the Celtics looking for the clincher after a 106-102 win thoroughly earned at the rockin' Garden. "It was electric," said Allen, who hit two free throws to make it 104-101. Then Detroit's brash rookie Rodney Stuckey made one of two at the line to make it a two-point game. It took the last two of Garnett's 31 points to seal it with 3.4 left. "When you take free throws at the end of the game, you want to be poised and calm," said Garnett. The fourth quarter took forever and it seemed to drain the players. They had to put fatigue out of their minds. "I was thinking about winning the game and moving closer to the NBA Finals," said Pierce, who finished with 16 points. Allen scored 29, and was 5-for-6 of 3-pointers, squashing his slump. "When he plays like that, we're a full team," said Garnett. That went for Perkins (18 pts, 16 boards) and Rajon Rondo (13 assists). Full team indeed. "I said I was going to be aggressive on offense," said Perkins, "and play with a lot of energy. I was going to leave it all on the floor." "Huge game," said Pierce. "We know how hard it is to win in Detroit." The Truth was a little disappointed in the way the Celtics played in the fourth quarter (31-22, Detroit). "If we get in a situation in Detroit (like this), we've got to control it a little big better." The onus is on all the players in the playoffs, but there will always be one or two who are burdened more by expectations. Garnett fits that description. He was the main reason the Celtics had the kind of season they had. After 18 playoff games his resume was impressive. He didn't play All-World every night, but he was pretty damn good. Well, until Game 4 in Detroit. That night, all the Celtics seemed to be in the throes of a malaise. Much of the rap for the defeat landed at the feet of Garnett, the sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer. As Garnett would say, and he often does, "it is what it is." Garnett has been shadowed by whispers that when a game came down to crunch time he didn't exactly stand tall. Now, here he was, in his first Boston season, and just like that the Celtics make it to the conference finals. And if he didn't step up in what remained of this series, his piece of the blame pie won't be bite-sized. It is what it is. Last night, Kevin Garnett came up L-A-R-G-E. Depending on who you talk to, Celtics fans have a wide range of ideas regarding what constitutes an acceptable outcome to the season, no matter how it ends. First of all, no one would have settled for the Celtics just making the playoffs just because they missed out the previous two seasons. Out of the question. Making the playoffs but bowing out in the first round? Out of the question. Ousted in the second round? Unacceptable. Here's where it gets tricky. Some fans I talked to during the season said they'd settle for the Celtics making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. That would be marked improvement. Others were more specific. A guy told me he could accept them getting beat in the conference finals if it went seven games. Then there are the really hard markers. Some felt the Celtics had to get to the Finals before they'd be praised. And there are people who won't be satisfied unless banner 17 gets hoisted next fall. Well, Game 5 of the Eastern finals is done, and we still don't know where this series is going. This was for sure. The winner last night would get two chances to close it out. The Celtics now have the luxury of seeing "Game 7, if necessary" in the morning newspapers. It would be played here of course. It might have to come down to that. A game 7. Just because these guys are who they are.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:48:40 GMT -5
aol.nba.com/celtics/playoffs2008/sidebar052808-allen-shines.htmlHe Gets Game Back: Allen Finding Groove in Conference Finals By Peter F. Stringer Celtics.com May 29, 2008 Slumps can be hard to break, but for Ray Allen, routines are impossible to break. His well-documented struggles started in Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks, and for a while, it seemed like he'd never break through. A shot-maker his entire career, Allen was mired knee-deep in a slump, hesitating to shoot, and even passing up open looks all together at times. Ray Allen? Ray Allen does not pass up open looks. "Clearly, throughout the season, the one thing that I learned about me on this team is that I don't need to score," Allen said after scoring 29 points against the Pistons in the Celtics' 106-102 Game 5 win over Detroit at the Garden Wednesday night. Allen's long foot-on-the-line two pointer from the left corner put the Celtics up 102-99 points with 1:02 remaining, and he knocked down a pair of free throws with six seconds to play to help seal the Game 5 victory, giving the Celtics a 3-2 lead and bringing them within one game of the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987. "Scoring is going to help the team, but we have so many options on this team that making the team better in small little ways, [so] I had to learn [to] become more efficient with my scoring." Allen slogged his way through the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, going scoreless in Game 1 and never scoring more than the 16 points he posted in Game 2. He averaged just 9.3 PPG and shot under 33% over the seven game set, and frustration seemed to be compounding his woes. Allen seemed to snap out of it in Game 2 at the Garden, posting 25 points in the 103-97 loss to the Pistons, but with the Celtics takingt the loss, his effort seemed to go unnoticed. But now that he's done it again, the Celtics are likely to see more of the Allen to which they grew accustomed in the regular season, the guy who nailed November buzzer-beaters against the Raptors and Bobcats while the Celtics were running out to a 29-3 start this fall. "My belief was he needed two or three in a row instead of one," Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said of Allen, calling him a great player who hadn't played well in a while. "Everyone kept saying he needs one. I thought he needed two or three to get him going. He got it going, we came out of time outs and got him some other shots." Allen is man of routine, and we he finds something that works, he doesn't like it to change. After the Celtics won Game 3 in Detroit, Allen spent time hanging out in the lobby of the team's hotel with some of the basketball operations staff from Waltham and Boston front office that was in town to see the game. When Allen learned that the Boston staff was heading back home before the next morning, he considered placing a call to Wyc Grousbeck to request that the traveling staffers stick around for Game 4. Voila! Instant superstition. Allen (14 points) hadn't shot the ball particularly well that night � he was just 5/16 from the field and 1/6 from downtown -- but he came up with six rebounds and six assists, played a solid floor game and didn't want to change anything because the Celtics won. But given that it was 2 a.m., Allen, phone in hand, reconsidered and never placed the call. The staffers returned to Boston the next morning, and yes, the Celtics lost Game 4. Superstition violated or not, he is still finding other ways to contribute, and he hasn't deviated from his regular basketball routine: getting extra shots up after practice and arriving three hours before gametime for some uninterrupted shooting in a mostly-empty arena. "When I can go into my own world and shoot the shots that I know, when I'm in the gym by myself and somebody is rebounding for me, there's no defender on me, I can work on the things that I need to work on and I can get my mind right towards the things that I need to do offensively and just get a good workout in and get a great rhythm," Allen said. And since he regularly espouses confidence that "the next one is going in", Allen knew his time � and his shot � would come around.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:49:59 GMT -5
aol.nba.com/celtics/playoffs2008/sidebar052808-fourth-quarter.htmlCeltics Survive Fourth Quarter Scare in Game 5 Couper Moorhead Celtics.com May 29, 2008 Up 102-99 with 8.2 seconds left in the crucial Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals -- Detroit has possession -- Doc Rivers had to administer an executive decision. Does he ride out his defense in hopes the Pistons, who were out of timeouts, had already charged back from a 15-point deficit at the start of the quarter and hit 11 threes, don't knock down a triple, or worse, get fouled on a deep attempt? Or does he reach into his bag of coaching tricks and pull-out the intentional-foul as defense approach? No matter what Rivers chose, it would have been heavily scrutinized had the Celtics blown the lead, or a simple afterthought -- like it was after the eventual 106-102 victory -- if they escaped with the 3-2 series lead. It could have led to plenty of 'Why didn't you foul?' questions as it did for many college coaches last March who had gone the traditional route, only to face overtime seconds later. He chose wisely. After Ray Allen (29 points) stretched the lead to three with his biggest shot of the playoffs -- a catch-n-shoot baseline jumper -- Detroit rookie Rodney Stuckey, fresh off a Garden-terrorizing three, raced downcourt with eyes on forcing overtime. But Rajon Rondo (13 assists) would have none of it, intentionally fouling Stuckey before an attempt, cutting the Celtics' losses at a maximum two points. That is, unless Stuckey went for the deal breaker and missed the second freebie on purpose. "I was just up there just shooting it," Stuckey said. "They probably would have fouled us again if that situation would have happened again, you know what I mean? I was just up there trying to make it." Stuckey made both shots to bring Detroit within one, but Allen swapped free-throw for free-throw and Rondo caught up with Stuckey to put him back on the line down three, now with four seconds to go. The Pistons kept to their strategy, but Stuckey struck iron on the first shot. The second was good, and a look of relief washed over the guard, but the point was moot. Showing the experience edge that has so often been tilted in Detroit's favor, Kevin Garnett (33 points) deposited two free-throws to ice the ballgame and back the Pistons into a corner going into Game 6 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. "You take free throws at the end of the game, you want to be poised, you want to be calm," Garnett said. "You go through your ritual, how you shoot free throws and you let it go. No more or less than that. You don't put any added pressure, you don't think about if you miss or make it, shoot it up. You go through your little ritual and that's what it is." Rivers was rewarded for his risk, but next time the Celtics would surely hope to avoid such a decision completely by maintaining the aggressiveness that earned them a double-digit lead in the third quarter. "Man, it was the longest fourth quarter out of all the games we played in," Paul Pierce said. "I was a little disappointed the way we played the fourth quarter. [It's] something we're going to have to go back and look at because if we get ourselves in this position again in Detroit, we've got to be able to close the game out a little bit better than we did tonight. "We just kind of let the time pass away and hoping that we were going to win the game. But we've got to put forth a better effort and better execution in the fourth."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on May 29, 2008 7:51:06 GMT -5
aol.nba.com/celtics/playoffs2008/sidebar052808-perkins-start.htmlPerking Up: Strong Start for Center Keys Game 5 Win Couper Moorhead Celtics.com May 29, 2008 It's become a playoff fact: how Kendrick Perkins starts a game determines his play for the rest of the night. Get him involved early, and he's a rock; don't, and there'll be a few more minutes for Glen Davis and Leon Powe. So when Kevin Garnett dished to Perkins just outside the paint for a monster double-fisted jam in the first minute of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, all those in attendance got a pretty good preview for how his night would continue. It was little surprise then, that Perkins ended up with playoff-highs of 18 points and 16 rebounds, anchoring the Celtics' dominating 42-25 sweep on the glass and a 106-102 victory for the 3-2 series advantage. "I was just coming in and thought I was going to provide energy for the team," Perkins said. "I know this opportunity don'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." What Perkins left dangling over the parquet was five offensive boards -- one of them turning into a crowd-pleasing fadeaway over Antonio McDyess -- and gritty defense which had him returning every bump to sender, culminating in a fantastic defensive sequence that ended in Perk stuffing Jason Maxiell from behind during the Pistons' fourth-quarter run. "Perkins is eating us up," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. And not just in Game 5. Perkins is now on a bonafide doing-his-thing streak. In fact, when Perkins nabs 10 or more rebounds, the Celtics are 5-0 in the playoffs. "He was sensational tonight," Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said. "That's three games in a row that Kendrick Perkins has been absolutely phenomenal. No one saw it the last game (Perk had six boards in Game 4) because we lost it, but he was fantastic in that game as well." With his display against the ever-physical Pistons, Perkins seemed clearly and rightfully taken with the Muhammad Ali bouts Rivers has been showing the team. "[Rivers] always says, it's not how many times you get hit, it's if you keep moving forward," Perkins said. If Perkins maintains that prizefighter mentality, the Pistons are welcome to serve up as many elbows and hard fouls as they can muster. As long as the Celtics feed him some early offense, he will continue his feast on the glass.
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