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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 18, 2008 7:13:12 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/17/confident_hawks_begin_by_talking_a_good_game?mode=PFConfident Hawks begin by talking a good game By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 17, 2008 The Hawks began their first-round playoff series against the Celtics with their mouths. The Celtics earned the NBA's best regular-season record at 66-16 and are the top seed in the Eastern Conference. No team in the postseason has a worse record than Atlanta (37-45) and it went winless in three contests against Boston. Despite those statistics, the Hawks plan to "shock the world" like eighth-seeded Golden State did by knocking off Dallas in the first round last season. "We'd be fools to think it's not possible," Hawks forward Josh Smith told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution yesterday. "We'd be bigger fools not to believe in ourselves, especially after the way people have bashed us the past few years. Why shouldn't we think we're going to shock the world? The Warriors showed everybody that it's not impossible." Hawks forward Josh Childress told the paper, "We feel like it's a great matchup for us. I don't think there's any position where you can say we are severely undermanned against them. We don't feel like it's a situation where you can say it won't be a competitive series, because we've played and played well against some of the best teams in the league." When told of the Hawks' comments after a 105-94 win over New Jersey, Celtics forward-center P.J. Brown said, "They're some confident young men. It should be interesting." Rondo the Sixth Star The biggest question entering the season was whether second-year point guard Rajon Rondo could lead a championship-caliber team with three perennial All-Stars. Considering Rondo is a Most Improved Player award candidate and the winner of the Celtics' Sixth Star award, it's safe to say he has answered the critics. Rondo won the 21st Sixth Star Award yesterday for perseverance and leadership on and off the court. Rondo received 40 percent of the approximately 5,000 fan votes. Rondo, who averaged 10.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.2 rebounds, was given an engraved Tiffany vase at halftime. "It's an honor to get the award," Rondo said. "It means a lot. The fans picked the award. It's a great award to have, especially being a Celtic." When asked how concerned he was about Rondo being his starting point guard at the start of the season, coach Doc Rivers said, "I wasn't that concerned about it and he's come a long way." Rivers gave Rondo and reserve forward James Posey the night off against the Nets. Veteran Sam Cassell started in Rondo's place while guard Eddie House also returned to action after missing three games with a right adductor strain. "I could use the rest," Rondo said. "I'm cool physically. [Rivers] has been saying he was going to do it. I played the entire second half against New York [Monday]. I guess he knew what he was doing." Said Rivers: "I wanted it to be a last game [for Rondo to be off]. That gives him a little bit more rest because he is going to have to play with an amazing amount of energy [in the postseason]." Good step for Pollard Celtics center Scot Pollard, who is out for the season after having surgery on his left ankle, said via text message he was told by his doctor in Indianapolis he could take his protective boot off tomorrow. On the Celtics getting 66 wins, the humorous Pollard, who wears No. 66, said: "Don't underestimate the Pollard factor, 66 wins. Now you know why I picked that number." . . . Nets forward Keith Van Horn landed $4.3 million after being involved in a sign and trade from Dallas in the Jason Kidd deal Feb. 19. Van Horn, who was enjoying post-basketball life in Colorado at the time of the trade, did not play one game for the Nets after he was acquired. "He got one [heck] of a deal," Rivers said. "I want to see if I got one of those things somewhere in my deal on someone's salary cap somewhere." . . . Nets center Josh Boone, a former UConn star, did not play because of a right MCL sprain . . . On former Boston College star Sean Williams, a rookie with the Nets this season, coach Lawrence Frank said: "Sean has come a long way. I think there have been bumps in the road from a playing standpoint. Initially, when we drafted him, and obviously not finishing out at Boston College, everyone had 'character concerns' but that has been the least [of our concerns]." Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 18, 2008 7:15:12 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/18/garnett_is_off_for_some_family_time?mode=PFGarnett is off for some family time By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 18, 2008 WALTHAM - As much as Kevin Garnett loves practice, something important had to be occurring if he missed one just three days before the playoff opener. And in this instance, it was definitely important. Coach Doc Rivers said Garnett missed yesterday's practice because of family reasons, and an NBA source said Garnett's wife, Brandi, went into labor with the couple's first child. Garnett, who wasn't available for comment, is expected to attend today's practice. "I didn't notice he was missing," Celtics forward Paul Pierce joked. "He had personal matters. We'll see him [today]. Nah, we won't need him. I'm just sure he is taking care of what he needs to take care of. It's probably very important . . . "I know it's for a good reason because Kevin doesn't like to miss practice. I'm still trying to find out." Waiting game Celtics-Hawks will be the last playoff series to start, with Game 1 slated for 8:30 p.m. Sunday at TD Banknorth Garden. "It keeps up, pretty much, on schedule with what we've been doing all year with night games," Pierce said. "There will be about four or five games played before we step out on the court. The anticipation is there, but I don't mind it." Said Rivers: "I'd prefer playing Saturday or Sunday afternoon, Sunday at 6 or 7 [p.m.] . . . But there is nothing you can do about it, anyways, so you just show up and play." Quiet response Atlanta forward Josh Smith has said his team is "going to shock the world" by upsetting the Celtics. Teammate Josh Childress has said he doesn't think "there's any position where you can say we are severely undermanned against them." The Celtics were 3-0 with an average margin of victory of 14.2 points in the regular season against Atlanta, which is making its first playoff appearance since 1999. The Celtics aren't getting caught up in the Hawk talk. "Whatever they got to do to get themselves motivated up for a series," Pierce said. "Our team? We don't have any problem with that. We're going to play regardless." Said Rivers: "You don't have to be a bulletin-board guy anymore. Back in the day, when the statement was created, you would see something in the paper and actually put it on the bulletin board and the players would read it. Now you don't have to do that anymore, everyone will tell them. We don't need that to get it going." Ready after rest Forward James Posey and guard Rajon Rondo were given the night off during the Celtics' regular-season finale against New Jersey Wednesday. Rondo, who watched the game from the bench, said Wednesday he felt fine. Posey said yesterday he received treatment in the locker room during the game for very minor injuries. "It was just a lot of treatment just trying to get ready," Posey said . . . The Hawks practiced in Atlanta yesterday and had a lengthy film session. The Hawks arrive tomorrow afternoon . . . Hawks coach Mike Woodson promised his players he would either get a tattoo, shave his head, or get an earring if they made the playoffs. He chose to go bald . . . Rondo received an award from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children last night for his community service to the organization . . . Leon Powe and Brian Scalabrine joined Governor Deval Patrick for the unveiling of a playoff banner at the State House yesterday.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 18, 2008 7:18:09 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x2124111195Playoffs a whole new ballgame, say C's vets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Scott Souza/Daily News staff The MetroWest Daily News Posted Apr 17, 2008 @ 11:27 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WALTHAM — Rajon Rondo was 8 years old when veteran backup Sam Cassell played in his first postseason game with the Rockets in 1994. Glen Davis was also 8 when frontcourt mate P.J. Brown made his playoff debut with the Nets that same year. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Cassell all played in a conference final before Gabe Pruitt was old enough to drive. Several of the Celtic coaches and veterans said they have tried to explain to the youngsters how what they experience over the next few weeks will be unlike anything most of them have gone through on a basketball court before. "When you make a 3, you either bring the crowd to their feet, or you bring them to their knees," said Allen of the playoff atmosphere. But as much as the veterans mentor, they all accept that words can only do so much to ready the next generation for what what they will face starting with Sunday night's first-round opener against the Hawks (TD Banknorth Garden, 8:30). "You've got to experience it," said Brown, a 15-year NBA veteran, following yesterday's workout at HealthPoint. "You try your best, with all the young guys and the rookies, we try to have good communication. But the only way you can really learn is that you've got to go through it. You have to be in those situations over and over again. I have been fortunate to do that. It definitely helps someone who has been there and knows what to do and knows what to expect." Those expectations involve a level of intensity that the likes of Leon Powe, Rondo and Davis can anticipate, but will still likely underestimate until they feel it for themselves. "You hear all these college broadcasters saying how great the NCAA tournament is, and how hard it is, and how intense it is," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "I remember getting into it my first year (with the Hawks in 1984) against the Bucks and saying, 'Holy crap, this is a whole different level than in college.' And it was." The biggest differences include the emotional pendulum that often swings violently from one game to the next when those nights all involve the same opponent. It can be sudden. It can be extreme. And it is almost inevitable. As the Celtics found out the last time they were in the playoffs three years ago, it can be decimating in the end if not handled properly. Against the Pacers in the first round back in 2005 there were certainly some highs - a Game 1 blowout victory at home and Game 4 rout in Indiana among them. But that team ultimately met its demise through a combination of temper flares leading to wild ejections and the inability to rise to the occasion of a Game 7 at home. "There will be some type of emotional turmoil in the playoffs," Rivers concluded. "There always is for every team. I think we are equipped better now to deal with it (than in 2005) because we have more veterans, and we have more character, quite honestly, to handle it." Rivers believes he can count on veterans like Kevin Garnett, James Posey and Eddie House to bring the required level of energy to the postseason without letting it overwhelm them. As far as the relative newcomers to the playoff scene, he's hoping having so many veterans will help ease their transition a bit as well. "But you have to experience it," he determined. "You can talk about it all you want. But when it happens, we'll see. You don't know how they'll handle it." "When you haven't been to the playoffs," offered Allen, "you don't know what is around the corner and what to expect. Just how the building is going to be like at home, how it's going to be on the road. The media in both places does change. "(With experience) you know what to expect. You know what you don't want to do. You don't want to get in battles with the media, with other players." Brown said he prefers to maintain "an even keel" during the emotional swings of a series. Allen mostly agreed, adding that he often doesn't feel the "weight of the moment" while he's in the moment because he tries to take charge of that moment. "The atmosphere changes when you get into the building," he noted, "but in our minds - or in my mind - this (the practice gym) is what I see." For two more days, the Celtics will set their sights on the Hawks from the relatively calm confines of their practice gym. Come Sunday night at 8:30, the next season begins. "This is the part of the year," Allen said of the veterans, "when we know history is made." That's something the youngsters will soon find out in a hurry.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 18, 2008 7:52:59 GMT -5
www.projo.com/celtics/content/sp_bkn_celtsked18_04-18-08_L59QHIS_v15.38f67de.htmlCeltics start playoff run at home Sunday night against the Hawks 01:00 AM EDT on Friday, April 18, 2008 By KEVIN McNAMARA Journal Sports Writer BOSTON — Doc Rivers is getting his wish. After strongly hinting Wednesday night that he’d prefer that the Celtics open the playoffs Sunday, the NBA announced yesterday that Boston would host Atlanta on Sunday night (at 8:30). The Celtics-Hawks will be the last of the eight series to tip off. Game Two will be played at the TD Banknorth Garden on Wednesday. The series then shifts to Atlanta on April 26 and 28. Boston took all three meetings against Atlanta this season. The Celtics won twice at home, by 23 and 10 points, and just knocked off the Hawks in Atlanta last Saturday, 99-89. That game wasn’t a good omen for the Hawks. Not only did Kevin Garnett (24 points, 29 minutes), Paul Pierce (14 in 27 minutes) and Ray Allen (14 in 30 minutes) play limited minutes, but with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, a team of Celtics reserves took over. The key was Sam Cassell. The 38-year-old veteran scored 15 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics ran away from the Hawks down the stretch with a 21-5 spurt. Both teams are new to the playoff scene. Boston hasn’t played in the postseason since 2005 and hasn’t won a playoff series since 2003. Atlanta is an extremely young team (average age is just 24.8) and is making its first post-season appearance since 1999. The two teams have met nine times in the playoffs, dating back to the Hawks’ days in St. Louis. The latest matchup came in 1988 and was a true classic, with Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins hooking up in a memorable duel in Game Seven in the Boston Garden. The Celts won that game, 118-116, and took the series. This Celtics team is heavily favored to win the series, with most observers predicting a sweep, but don’t expect Boston to take anyone lightly. “They’re young, athletic,” said Kevin Garnett. “They don’t get a lot of credit. They can score the basketball and are a dangerous team that can definitely give you problems.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 18, 2008 7:54:24 GMT -5
www.patriotledger.com/sports/x2124111269Pierce, Celtics renew acquaintances with Joe Johnson The former Celtic traded to Atlanta in 2002 has blossomed into an all-star with the Hawks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Fenton ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER Posted Apr 18, 2008 @ 02:30 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WALTHAM — They were Boston Celtics teammates for less than four months, but Paul Pierce liked what he saw in a rookie named Joe Johnson. A lottery pick out of Arkansas, Johnson displayed versatility at the age of 20 during the early days of the 2001-02 season. But Johnson’s minutes began to decline under Coach Jim O’Brien due to some inconsistency, and fellow rookie Kedrick Brown received more playing time. With the Celtics looking for veteran help near the trade deadline, Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns in February 2002 with Milt Palacio, Randy Brown and a first-round pick for Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk. The Celtics could have opted to send Kedrick Brown in the deal instead of Johnson, but elected to hold on to a player who is now out of the NBA. Johnson developed into an all-star who averaged 21.7 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks in this, his seventh season while Brown is on the comeback trail in the NBA Development League. Pierce and the Celtics will see a lot of Johnson in the upcoming days when they get together in the opening round of the playoffs, beginning Sunday night at the TD Banknorth Garden. “I knew Joe Johnson always had the talent,” said Pierce. “Even his rookie year, he was able to put together a string of games. I just thought we gave up on him a little too early. “But Joe Johnson showed that talent right out of the draft, a guy who pretty much could do a lot of things, play multiple positions. “He’s an all-star. He’s proven that. He’s got the Atlanta Hawks back in the playoffs, which we haven’t seen in quite a while.” Johnson appeared in 48 games with the Celtics, averaging 6.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists before going to the Suns. Brown played 101 games for the Celtics before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in December 2003. “I was a little bit surprised (Brown was kept over Johnson) because I always thought Joe was the more talented player of the two,” said Pierce. “Definitely Kedrick, at the time, had some ability, but Joe showed a lot more potential than he did, so it was definitely a surprise. But I’ve seen crazier things happen in the NBA.” Johnson, who is making $13.5 million this season, spent three-plus seasons with the Suns before moving to the Hawks in the summer of 2005 via a sign-and-trade deal. He has postseason experience, playing 15 games with the Suns when he averaged 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds. Garnett misses practice: Kevin Garnett was absent from the Celtics’ first pre-playoff practice session Thursday afternoon. “Just family stuff,” said Coach Doc Rivers. “He should be here (today). Nothing serious. Practice was more peaceful. Not a lot of yelling. It was quiet. It was strange.” Said Pierce: “I know it’s a good reason because Kevin doesn’t like to miss practice.” Another honor for Rivers: For the third time this season, Rivers was named the Eastern Conference coach of the month, this time for April when the Celtics were 8-1. He also won for October-November and March. Rivers reduced the minutes of his key players for part of April, but Boston kept winning. “I sat them down and told them, ‘Don’t lose,’ ” joked Rivers. “It’s a heckuva strategy.” … Garnett and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers appear on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated. … The Celtics will play the eighth and final game of the first weekend of the playoffs with their 8:30 start Sunday night, giving them another day of rest. “I don’t think it matters one way or another,” said Rivers. “We’ve had two weeks of preparation. An extra day of rest, I guess, can never be a bad thing. We’ll take it.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 18, 2008 8:01:37 GMT -5
www.enterprisenews.com/sports/x2124111255Legendary Hawks-Celtics game still haunts Doc Rivers Hawks’ loss to Celtics in ’88 playoff game still too painful to watch. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Fenton The Enterprise Posted Apr 18, 2008 @ 12:55 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WALTHAM — ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER Even now, 20 years later, Doc Rivers is unable to sit down and watch a replay of the greatest game in which he ever participated. What happened on a spring Sunday afternoon — May 22, 1988 — at the old Boston Garden remains too painful to revisit from beginning to end. Rivers was a 26-year-old point guard for the Atlanta Hawks, who were playing the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the conference semifinal round. It will always be remembered as the day when Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins took part in a wild fourth-quarter shootout, with the Celtics just getting past the Hawks, 118-116. For Rivers, now the head coach of the Celtics, it will be remembered as the day when his Hawks were unable to cash in on a golden opportunity to knock out Bird & Co. “I don’t have a lot of fond memories of that at all,” said Rivers. “We don’t talk about it. Me and Dominique and Spud (Webb), I think we’ve never had a conversation about that game. “We were, for sure in our minds, going to win that game. We really were. We thought we were the better team, and we were not, obviously. I’ve never watched that game in total. That was a painful game.” The Celtics and Hawks have not met in the playoffs since that masterpiece, but they will be reunited beginning Sunday night in the opening round of the postseason at the TD Banknorth Garden. It will be difficult for the top-seeded Celtics and the eighth-seeded Hawks to match the thrilling finish their counterparts had 20 years ago when Boston escaped a 47-point onslaught by Wilkins to get to the conference finals for a fifth consecutive year. This time, Rivers will be on the bench of the team with the best record in the NBA rather than feeding Wilkins, who made 19 of 33 shots, or Randy Wittman, who was 11-for-13 for 22 points. The Celtics, who had lost Game 5 at home and fought off elimination in Game 6 on the road, would have been in trouble had Bird not scored 20 of his 34 points in the final quarter of the clincher. “Honestly, being a part of it, I didn’t know it was special at the time,” said Rivers. “It was such a great game. It was almost a perfect game.” While Bird and Wilkins got all of the attention for their splendid offensive displays, Wittman and Kevin McHale (33 points) and a guy named Rivers (18 assists and 16 points before fouling out) were also sensational. Rivers didn’t know how good of a game he had that afternoon until last year when his boss with the Celtics, Danny Ainge, showed him an old box score of Game 7. Ainge had 13 points and 10 assists for Boston that day. “Danny brought in the stat sheet, and up until that moment, I always felt I personally had an awful game,” said Rivers, who kept feeding a sizzling Wilkins. “Danny showed me the stat sheet and I had 18 (assists) and 16 (points), and I was blown away by that. “When you lose, you think everything negative. All I could remember was DJ (Dennis Johnson) stealing the ball from me right before halftime, and I thought that was a big play in the series, in that game.” Ainge and Rivers were involved in a controversial play that went the Celtics’ way. After an Ainge steal, Rivers came from behind and blocked his shot near the basket, only to have it called goaltending. “Yeah, Danny told me now it wasn’t, but that doesn’t matter,” said Rivers. “I didn’t think it was a goaltend then. He (stole) a pass. I was on the other side of the court. Danny laughs and says, ‘No way you could get there’, but I had a great angle and they called a goaltend.” The Bird-Wilkins duel was something to watch unfold, but Rivers said that he couldn’t sense how special it was since he was so involved in the game. “I was frustrated with the Bird part of it,” said Rivers. “The Dominique part, you just took for granted. Dominique was so great, it’s a shame people don’t understand how great of an offensive player that he was. “The Bird part, I was having a mounting frustration with. Back then, teams didn’t double a lot. That was before the doubling generation. I tell our guys this all the time. You know what an adjustment was in my era? Sub. Somebody else guard the guy. That was basically it. “We decided too late in the game, and we couldn’t get there in time. Bird was taking the shots literally before we could get to the double time. I remember that 3-pointer in the corner in front of our bench. That was the coffin shot.” Rivers probably sees some of the shots made down the stretch over and over in his mind, but he won’t rehash it on a television screen. The memories are too nightmarish for Rivers, so he avoids the replays whenever they pop up. “The sad thing is, NBA TV plays those games, and the kids watch it and they want you to come in and watch it,” said Rivers. “So I’ve watched bits and pieces of Game 7, but that’s it. “It’s funny. I was working for ABC (late in the 2003-04 season) and we were in Houston doing a Houston-Minnesota game. Randy Wittman was an assistant coach with the Timberwolves, and we went with Kevin McHale to watch the college tournament one night on television. “We go, and on the TV to the right of us is that freaking Game 7. It’s me and Kevin and Randy, and Kevin, of course, is having a ball. He’s talking more crap. I didn’t pay any attention to the game, but it was pretty funny.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 18, 2008 8:02:59 GMT -5
www.patriotledger.com/sports/x2103872418Kevin Garnett absent from Celtics practice Rivers says he needed a day for ‘family matter’ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mike Fine The Patriot Ledger Posted Apr 18, 2008 @ 12:06 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WALTHAM — When the Boston Celtics arrived at practice yesterday, all was quiet. No, it was really quiet. Very little chatter, hardly any trash talking. Nothing. They looked around and discovered that Kevin Garnett was absent. “Practice was more peaceful, not a lot of yelling,” said coach Doc Rivers. “It was actually strange.” To a man, the Celtics played dumb, claiming they didn’t know where their practice-loving teammate was. “I didn’t notice he was missing,” joked Paul Pierce. “I think he had personal matters today.” Then he thought. “Nah, we won’t need him. I know it’s for a good reason because Kevin doesn’t even like to miss practice. I’m still trying to figure it out.” Rivers called it a “family matter,” just as he did when James Posey missed a March 24 game, later determined to be due to the birth of his daughter. In fact, Garnett’s wife, Brandi is – was? – expecting. Rivers said, “he should be here (at Friday’s practice) tomorrow, for sure. It’s nothing serious.” A lot of waiting The Celtics had mixed feelings about having to wait until 8:30 Sunday night to begin the playoffs – and then waiting until Wednesday for Game 2. “I think it’s good for us, especially the guys that didn’t get a chance to play the last couple of days,” Pierce said. “Me, Ray (Allen), some of the starters didn’t get a chance to play as much as we’d like to. Gotta stay sharp this time of the year. Being that we didn’t play a lot of games it’s good for us to get in here today.” Pierce thinks he can get several strong days of workouts (although yesterday was light), but feels that the timing works out well. “I think it’s great. It keeps us pretty much on schedule with what we’ve been doing all year, playing night games. As much as I’d like to get out there, there’s gonna be about four, five days before we even step out on the court so the buildup and anticipation is going to be there, but I don’t mind it.” “No big deal,” said Rivers. “I would have preferred playing Saturday or Sunday afternoon or Sunday at 6 or even 7 but, again, there’s nothing you do about it so you show up and play. I don’t think it matters. We’ve had two weeks of preparation in some ways so it doesn’t really matter. An extra day of rest, I guess, can never be a bad thing.” The Celtics did mostly film work and some light running to keep loose Thursday, and will definitely go at it harder today, then back off a bit Saturday. Pierce said he’d take his DVD of the Hawks home and study. A lot of talk The Celts had little to say about what some deemed trash talking by the Hawks, some of whom claimed that matchups were favorable, while expressing their confidence. Nothing more than that. “Whatever they’ve gotta do to get themselves motivated,” Pierce said. “Our team, we don’t have a problem with that. We’re gonna be up. We don’t need to direct anything toward the Hawks. They’re a very good team or they wouldn’t be in the playoffs. We’re just gonna focus on what we need to do to win the series.” “You don’t have to have a bulletin board anymore,” Rivers said. “Back in the day when that statement was created there was not a lot of media. You would see something in the paper and you would actually put it on the bulletin board and the players would read it. Now you don’t worry about it. Everybody will tell them. We don’t need that to get us going.” Coach honored Rivers was named Coach of the Month for April, his third such honor of the year. Asked why he didn’t win in March, he said, “I was awful, clearly.” And why did he win this month? “I sat them down and I told them, don’t lose. Helluva strategy. Huh?”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 18, 2008 8:05:36 GMT -5
www.patriotledger.com/sports/x2103872422Celtics teammates accept Posey’s bear hugs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Photos Photos File photo James Posey - 1st off the bench By Mike Fine The Patriot Ledger Posted Apr 18, 2008 @ 12:08 AM Last update Apr 18, 2008 @ 08:49 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WALTHAM — It’s become a game-night staple, almost like Larry Bird wiping the bottom of his shoes with his bare hands, or M.L. Carr waving a white towel. James Posey stands along the sidelines, meets a couple of his teammates and clasps them in a great big man … OK, bear hug and whispers a few words of encouragement. Most of the Boston Celtics have been involved, even coach Doc Rivers. “I have,” Rivers said. “It’s very tight and longer than usual. He threw me off one game.” “Yeah, you start one thing and it becomes ritual and you can’t change it,” Ray Allen said. “(Wednesday) night he wasn’t there (DNP-CD) and you kind of freeze up a little bit.” Allen said he has his own little rituals, like looking at certain people who are in the crowd every game, but the Posey ritual seems to get his teammates in a positive frame of mind. “At first it was more a couple of individuals on the team,” said Posey, who first started the practice during his two seasons in Memphis, 2003-05. “It carried on from there.” It seems to work. Posey feels the practice is useful and appreciated. “Some guys do,” he said. “I think they do. They haven’t turned down my hugs yet.” Nor have they turned down any of the other positives that Posey has brought to the team, and as the Celtics prepare for the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs Sunday night at the Garden, they know they’re going to need him and his work, both before the game and once he comes into it, usually as the first player off the bench. Posey this season has been exceptional, parlaying his defensive efficiency with his 3-point shooting abilities (106-for-279, 3.80) into a substantial contribution. He has meshed wonderfully with Eddie House, youngsters Leon Powe and Glen Davis, plus newcomers P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell. While most of the credit for the team’s success has gone to Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, one could arguably make the case that this team would be nowhere without its bench. “I think early on we started out pretty good and then hit a wall for awhile,” Rivers said of the bench. “Then we got it going again. The one good thing about our bench, besides Posey, is that it’s been pretty much consistent throughout. There’s been different guys on different nights and that’s been good, as well.” He does agree, though, that Posey has been the solidifying factor. “Yeah, not only to the bench but also to the team. He’s been terrific in so many other ways than just basketball.” “I’m just being myself for the most part, just treating others as I would like to be treated. That’s all I can say,” said Posey, who said he’d rather avoid the notebooks and cameras and interact with his teammates. When Posey signed with the Celtics last Aug. 25, he knew that the top three players were already in place, and that Eddie House had signed. But as far as playing on a bench unit of youngsters, many of them completely untested, was concerned, he simply had no idea what to expect. “Eddie had signed before me so I knew Eddie was here. That was another big reason why I came. I wanted to be part of something special, as well. At that point it was just me and Eddie. You didn’t really know how things were going to turn out, so just come in and work like you do night in and night out and you see what happens.” He had no clue about the kids, though. “I knew I just controlled my own destiny, so I was coming into training camp and working hard and trying to earn my minutes and playing time. That’s all I’ve ever done. We’ve got a bunch of guys who are competitors. We compete and it’s about winning at the end of the day. We have guys accepting their roles and they’ve done the best they can. It’s no surprise that we have this much to show for the long haul of the season. “I’ve been trying to tell these young guys that every team is not like this. You don’t have guys that really care about you and want to help you, so they should appreciate it. It could always go the opposite way. You could always be on a team that’s very selfish and is not into winning, not into teaching and not into trying to help the next man get better. That could really be a terrible thing, especially being young.” See? This is what Posey does. He mentors his teammates. He gives them a shot of confidence, a word of encouragement, even a hug or two. “I don’t have a problem with it,” he says of his role. “I’m always over to them, asking and talking. I know myself for the most part and it’s the reason I’ve been in this league. I think I have a little wisdom and things to share with some of the younger guys. At the same time I’m still learning things from P.J. and Sam. It’s an ongoing thing, just learning and trying to improve myself as a person and a basketball player.”
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