News 10/29

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1128496&format=text
Celtics ring in new season
After celebration, Pierce leads tough win vs. Cavs

By Mark Murphy | Wednesday, October 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matthew West
Nothing - not Paul Pierce [stats]’s prolonged display of tears, not the glimmer of a championship rings ceremony, not the raising of this city’s 17th NBA banner - could put off the inevitable.

Last season’s triumph is history. The Celtics [team stats] are back on notice as America’s most hunted basketball team. Their 90-85 season-opening win against the Cavaliers was in danger from the tap.

Cleveland, last seen walking off the Garden floor after losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Celtics, came out with a familiar, bruising style.

But the Celtics captain was hosting this party.

Pierce started his night with an emotional pregame speech to the crowd, thanking virtually every friend and family member, all in attendance, then punctuated his feelings with 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting.

The bench was his best support last night. Leon Powe turned in a furious 13-point effort to go along with 11 from fellow reserve Tony Allen, who had three vital hoops the fourth quarter.

Pierce, despite his need to embrace the evening, put his game face back on with remarkable ease.

“It was difficult for me, just growing up as a kid and dreaming of this,” he said. “It felt good to raise that banner and get the ring.

“It was hard, man,” he said of flipping the switch from celebration to game mode. “I just had to try to put it together. But it started way before the trophy came out. So many thoughts go through your head on a night like this. You dream of these moments, and for this to come true is very emotional.”

Initially, the entire team found it difficult to turn the page on a new season, and the players clearly weren’t in the same form they were in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers. They sagged at the line (21-of-34), again were pushed around on the boards (41-36 in favor of the Cavs) and shot a relatively ugly 44.6 percent.

But considering Cleveland’s 42.6 percent number, the result simply was typical for what happens when these two teams play. James, for instance, had to work too hard for his 22 points, shooting 9-for-21, and he missed two free throws and a layup in the final 1:18 when four more points would have made a big difference.

Tony Allen drained a baseline jumper to give the C’s a 78-70 lead with 6:56 left. But Anderson Varejao grabbed two tough offensive boards under Kevin Garnett’s wing - the first for a put-back off a missed free throw - to give a serious push back. His third offensive board of the quarter, again at Garnett’s expense, led to a Zydrunas Ilgauskas 20-footer, cutting the C’s lead to 82-78 with 4:18 left.

Then Rajon Rondo [stats] (14 points, six assists), who had two steals and four points of his own in the previous 2 minutes, did some banging of his own, pulling in a Pierce miss. That led to one Ray Allen free throw for an 83-78 lead.

Allen threw the ball away the next time down and Mo Williams made the C’s pay by feeding James for a trailer dunk. But Garnett hit a jumper, followed by a free throw for an 86-80 edge.

Williams buried a 3, but the next time down following a Powe miss, James blew a lightly contested layup, giving the Celtics the ball with 40 seconds left.

Pierce missed badly while attempting an off-balance 10-footer over James, giving Cleveland the ball down three (86-83) with 15.5 seconds left. The C’s gladly fouled James with 10.6 seconds left, and the Cavs star’s frustration in this matchup continued when he hit only the second of two.

The Celtics beat the press with a Garnett-Pierce-Powe hookup, the latter with an open dunk. Powe drew the foul and missed the free throw, only for Rondo to foul James attempting to steal the ball. But James missed the first of two again, and this time Ray Allen polished off a difficult night with two free throws for a 90-85 edge with 4.3 seconds left.

“Only one team in the world can have this night, and it’s us,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “But now I’m glad that we can concentrate on basketball.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/2008_10_29_Leon_Powe_finishes_game_with_bounce_in_step/
Leon Powe finishes game with bounce in step
By Steve Buckley
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - Updated 4m ago
+ Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries Boston Herald General Sports Columnist

E-mail Printable (0) Comments Text size Share (0) Rate
Paul Pierce threw the ball high and deep, the idea being that Leon Powe, on the far end of the Garden court, would make the catch and roll in a layup that would more or less clinch a season-opening victory for the Celtics [team stats] over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

One small problem: Pierce’s pass looked like a punt, and punts can be tricky. Powe had a decision to make. Should he take a step or two up the court and try to catch the ball in the air? Or should he let it bounce? And if he lets it land, with the Cavs’ Anderson Varejao already on top of him, what if he doesn’t get the bounce?

Powe decided to let it bounce. He got the ball, the layup and was fouled. He missed the free throw but the Celts nonetheless held a four-point lead with 5.3 seconds remaining. The Celtics emerged with a 90-85 victory.

Powe, who wound up with 13 points, agreed that Pierce’s long ball was problematic.

“I thought I was going to go out and get it, but seeing it was a little short I thought I might fumble it,” Powe said. “So I waited for it to bounce up in the air and then I took it.”

Powe was asked if he’d ever played any high school football, and, if so, if he had ever returned punts. His answer added yet another festive element to an evening filled with surprises, as Powe proceeded to share one of the most embarrassing moments of his athletic career.

“Don’t ask me about punts,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Oh, so he did return punts in high school?

“I wasn’t allowed to play football, because of basketball,” he said. “This was a rec league when I was at Golden Gate Elementary. They found out I could kick. They saw me and they said, ‘Man, we need you to punt.’ I said I’d do it. When I got in the game, I punted the ball. The ball went behind me and the other team scored a touchdown. That was the end of my football career.”

Powe was, however, satisfied with his basketball skills in the defending NBA champions’ season opener.

“I was all right with my performance,” he said. “As long as I go out there when I’m called upon, I have to do my job. If I can score, I’ll score. If I can play defense, I’ll play defense. Hopefully I’ll play both.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1128504&format=text
LeBron James, Cavs sit out Celtics’ victory gala

By Ron Borges | Wednesday, October 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by John Wilcox
Doc Rivers understood.

It figured he would because that’s arguably the most important component of his job - understanding how young basketball players view their world. That is not always easy to do, even for someone who has spent so many years in such a unique culture.

Last night it was simple for the Celtics [team stats] coach because, frankly, he would have done the same thing LeBron James and the band he travels with did. If he were a Cavalier, Rivers would have been in the locker room when the flag went up and the ring ceremony went down.

What’s to be gained by watching that but misty eyes or madness? Neither would be all that helpful in the hours to come when the cheering stopped and the work began anew.

So when told that King James and his minions from Cleveland would respectfully decline to attend the Celtics’ ring ceremony and banner raising before their season-opening confrontation on the parquet, Rivers smiled wryly. After all, who in their right mind wants to attend somebody else’s victory party?

“First of all, I didn’t know they were invited,” Rivers said with a laugh. “That’s No. 1. No. 2, we’re still gonna have it. But No. 3, I wouldn’t want to be there either. It’s long and they’re giving us something they want.”

James heard none of that as he reclined in his double-wide locker in the locker room, the seat of honor for each visiting team’s anointed one. He had done his best to pass off the whole celebration as something of minimal import to him to a flock of media types who kept pecking at the edge of his emotions, trying to loosen his inner thoughts.

Despite the knowledge he had fought the Celtics, in general, and Paul Pierce [stats], in particular, tooth and nail over the right to wear those rings just five months ago, James did all he could to dismiss this situation he found himself in as, well, just another game.

Which, of course, it was not.

The memory of what happened when the Celtics beat back the Cavs last May, though still bitter, had been softened some by James leading the U.S. Olympic team to the gold medal in Beijing this summer. Yet the fact is he wouldn’t be wearing that medal out to the bench, although maybe he should have thought of that.

“It don’t matter who we play (to open the season),” James deadpanned two hours before it mattered because the new story started the same as last year’s ended, with the Celtics walking away with a close-fought 90-85 victory on national television. “It’s always exciting to open the season. We’re excited to showcase our talent.”

Not, however, so excited that they wanted to drift out to courtside early and watch all the pregame festivities, because even a guy who owns Olympic gold but still is missing what the Celtics received - championship rings - knows there is no substituting one for the other. You either have them or you don’t.

In that context, LeBron James is only halfway home, and he didn’t need to witness someone else’s ring ceremony to be reminded of it.

Begrudgingly, James finally acknowledged a bit of that but in a way befitting of the game he plays. He went backdoor.

“When you succeed at something you set out to do four years ago it motivates you and your teammates on your next goal,” James said. “The next step is to win an NBA title.”

That’s a step that began last night and has 81 more tough games to run before the real long walk, the playoffs, begins anew.

At some point, James knows, Pierce and his Celtics teammates will be waiting for him again, just as they were last night when he missed 4-of-6 foul shots and was called for traveling in the final six minutes.

If King James can find a way to get by them, maybe this time next year he’ll have a ring ceremony of his own to go to. Until then, he’ll just sit this one out.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1128502&format=text
New contract gives Danny Ainge some life

By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Wednesday, October 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matthew West
Danny Ainge enjoys life about as much as a person can. That’s why Ainge, promoted by the Celtics [team stats] yesterday to president of basketball operations and given a three-year contract extension, has never been anyone’s idea of a basketball lifer.

But after engineering the trades that brought the Celtics their league-record 17th NBA title last season, he clearly enjoys the job enough to guarantee he’ll be around for another four years, the last year on his current deal included.

“I have a good relationship with the owners, and I still enjoy the experience,” he said yesterday. “This doesn’t change what we’re trying to accomplish, but I’ve enjoyed the support that they’ve shown me all along. But there’s a lot of people who have had a hand in it.”

Ainge then cited his basketball operations staff.

“Leo (Papile), Ryan (McDonough), Dave Wohl and Mike Zarins have all played a part,” he said.

Ainge, however, pulled the trigger on the surge that culminated in last night’s ring ceremony and banner raising before an opening 90-85 win over the Cavaliers.

So does this extension, which matches the three-year extension signed in August by coach Doc Rivers, build the argument that Ainge might be a basketball lifer after all?

“I don’t know the answer to that,” he said. “I enjoy what I do, and as long as it’s still challenging, and as long as I enjoy the work, not that I’m going to enjoy it every day, then I can see myself doing it. I wasn’t sure when I took the job of how long I would do it, but I don’t go through life with that kind of a game plan, anyway.”

Rivers recall

Rivers still was feeling the bruised aftereffect of the Celts’ seven-game win over the Cavs in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“After us, they were the best defensive team in the league last year,” he said. “They defended everybody tough. I didn’t see them defending like that the first half of the season, but then they hit a gear. That playoff was the toughest I’ve been in by far. We felt like letting out balloons every time we scored.” . . .

David Robinson made a very rare appearance to congratulate Rivers, his former Spurs teammate. The San Antonio Hall of Famer was in town on unrelated business. . . .

Sam Cassell, seen seldom in the exhibition season, also was inactive last night, along with rookies

J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker.

Red in thought

Commissioner David Stern escorted the rings onto the floor, and immediately recalled the man most associated with NBA titles - Red Auerbach.

“Boston was the place where we had to worry about refs passing out, ropes around the floor because of some happy fans, and it was the first time we put a camera in a locker room to show a team coming out,” he said. “We were very technologically forward back then. It was all about Boston Garden and hanging up the banners.

“Of course, Red would say something like, ‘Boy, how could you send those (referees) up here, they hate us,’ and I’d have to say, ‘Red, everyone hates you,’ He would go at it with every ounce of intensity. It was a delight to have him then, and a delight to be here now.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1128503&format=text
Legendary Celtics effort
Production brings out team’s best

By Steve Buckley | Wednesday, October 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matthew West
The Garden’s rafters were beginning to look like your grandmother’s kitchen: Unchanged for years.

Same old wallpaper . . . same old championship banners.

Then again, perhaps all the Garden needed was some new fabric, and maybe a splash of color.

And so it was last night, as the Celtics [team stats], the reigning kings of the National Basketball Association, did something that back in the day was pretty much an annual rite of autumn. They raised a sparkling new championship banner up, up and away, where it settled nicely under the Garden’s dark ceiling.

It should be noted that what took place before the season-opening 90-85 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers was not a pregame ceremony. It was, instead, a production that was an event unto itself, so clean, so crisp, that at its conclusion public address announcer Eddy Palladino could have said, “Thank you for coming and drive safely,” and everyone would have gone home happy.

Some of what we saw was obvious, but no less dramatic. Put it this way: If you were going to choreograph such an event, what is the one image that would absolutely, positively be No. 1 on your list?

You’d go with Red Auerbach, correct? Yes, of course. So there was the late, great Celtics mastermind, speaking to us from the Jumbotron, and please don’t ask exactly what he was saying because it makes no difference. Red could have been reciting a recipe and the Garden masses would have gone crazy, this because he played a role in every one of those banners, even the one that was raised last night.

Remember last spring, when a free throw by Paul Pierce [stats] in the waning minutes of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals took a couple of weird bounces and funny caroms before falling through the net? When the game was over, Pierce thanked Red for guiding the ball.

It was perfect when Pierce spoke those words, perfect when Red appeared on the Jumbotron last night.

Talk about attention to detail. When the O’Brien Trophy was brought out to be included in the festivities, it was carried by John Havlicek. This was the Celtics’ 17th championship. Hondo wore No. 17. Perfect.

The trophy was placed on a table with the championship rings. The rings were arranged in such a way as to form the number 17.

The Celtics are a team of legends. And so there were plenty of legends on the parquet, legends whose entire names need not be spelled out: the Cooz . . . Jo-Jo . . . Tommy . . . Satch.

A video tribute was not limited to your standard eye-popping shots, smash-mouth stuffs and magnificent steals. Instead, we were given a chance to revisit coach Doc Rivers’ Gatorade drenching and Kevin Garnett kissing the leprechaun emblazoned on the parquet. Gino made a triumphant return.

NBA commissioner David Stern was introduced, and a lot of people booed. But then Stern said, “Here we are at No. 17. Congratulations to the loyal fans of the Boston Celtics.” Naturally, everyone cheered.

They cheered president of basketball operations Danny Ainge for all the obvious reasons. Ainge, like Rivers, and whether he wants to hear this or not, was vindicated by what happened in June.

Everyone closed in and helped raise banner No. 17. It had been 22 years since the last banner was raised, meaning you’d have to be 35 or so to fully appreciate the 1986 NBA Finals.

And then Pierce talked . . . and talked . . . and talked. And nobody had a problem with this, given that a year ago the man seemed destined to become the greatest Celtic never to have played on a championship team.

Finally, the dignitaries and the legends and the celebrities left the court. The house lights came up.

And the pursuit for banner No. 18 was under way.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1128499&format=text
Delonte West gets it together

By Steve Bulpett | Wednesday, October 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by John Wicox
Delonte West is happy these days, which is a very good thing. Though the competitor in him still is dealing with the seven-game playoff loss to his old team last May, West is pleased for his former Celtics [team stats] teammates. And when you toss in his recent bout with depression, it is indeed comforting to see a smile on his face.

“I’m happy for the guys I used to play with, but I’d have been a lot happier if we won, you know what I mean?” West said last night before his Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the defending NBA champs, 90-85. “I definitely was happy for the guys I was with in the trenches doing all that work. Those three years putting that ground work in was great, and I’m happy those guys got there. But - you know me - I wanted to win. That was a tough series.”

West mentioned speaking with Paul Pierce [stats], Leon Powe, Kendrick Perkins [stats] and Tony Allen over the summer and added, “I’m definitely glad those guys got to experience that, but now I’m focused on getting that experience for myself.”

West’s own experiences have been a little rocky of late. He left the Cavs during the preseason to deal with mood issues, but he seems to have found a way to keep things together.

“Oh, I’m doing great, man,” said West, who played 35 minutes in the season opener. “I’m in a good place mentally and spiritually, and I’m in a great organization. My focus is just on helping this team win a championship this year.

“You’ve just got to have checks and balances. That’s the biggest thing. And you have to keep those around you close. It definitely helps out keeping mommy and daddy in the loop. Things like that.

“All I can say is that at this juncture I feel great. My concentration and focus is all on playing basketball.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1128515&format=text
Celtics learn to deal with it
Title defense starts slow

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat | Wednesday, October 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics
There will come a time when the Celtics [team stats] have to deal seriously with the Cavaliers. Perhaps it will again come in the playoffs, and maybe it will entail another seven-game tango that wrings the best out of both.

But for now, the Celtics mainly have to deal with themselves. It’s all about them and how they deal with defense . . . of a championship. We will watch to see whether those in the Shamrock A.C. can run up and down an NBA floor while balancing a crown on their head.

At first glance, they weren’t half bad. But in last night’s season-opening 90-85 victory over Cleveland, one half was truly awful. It was probably to be expected that the Celts would have trouble going from banner raising to top speed in just a few minutes. They clearly had trouble seeing through the tears in Paul Pierce [stats]’s eyes.

“Emotional night,” Kevin Garnett said. “It’s just hard to take a step back from that.”

In the first half, the Celtics took a step into the Wayback Machine. Like 2006-07. But it actually was a positive thing in a weird sort of way. It showed they are the absolute masters of their own fate.

These guys are good enough that if they do what they’re supposed to, there’s not much that can worry them. But if they fail to supply the requisite proficiency, the Celtics can get themselves slapped upside the head. They dictate. They call the shot.

And before we saw the former on opening night, we saw a lot of the latter.

The Celtics were behind by double figures just 5 minutes after trying on their rings, and while everyone within eyeshot understood what this was all about, it still wasn’t a pretty sight. It’ll probably be rare that you have to read bad stuff about your C’s this season, but there isn’t any other way to describe those first 24 minutes.

Playing as if they were still drunk on the champagne they had gulped 134 nights prior, they earned just two assists on their 10 first-quarter buckets (Cleveland had assists on seven of its nine). And the Celts failed the sobriety test by clanging jumpers from all over the North End. Good thing none of the referees asked them to recite the alphabet backward. They might have been arrested for DUI - dribbling under the influence.

With microphones now attached to the backboard complexes, the sound of leather on iron reverberated east to the ocean and north to Cambridge and Somerville. The lights clapped on and off in area nursing homes.

“The ball was sticking, and this is not a team you’re going to beat with dribbling,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “This is a team you’ve got to beat with passing.”

After crisp passing set up two open treys to start the second half, well, said Rivers, “That’s the Celtics again. The Celtics just showed up. And that was nice.”

Once they began playing as if they were on a first name basis with each other, they were fine. And one suspects it will be that way down the line.

“We’ve just got to do our jobs - completely,” Rivers said. “Last year was do our jobs. This year is do our jobs completely. I didn’t think in the first half we were doing our jobs completely. But it’s a good night when you struggle and still win.

“I feel comfortable that if we play our game every night, it’s going to give us a shot to win those games. It doesn’t mean we will, but it gives us a good shot.”

Doing it for a half made the Celtics 1-0 on the season. It’s all about them.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1128511&format=text
Tony Allen goes fourth in gritty win

By Ron Borges | Wednesday, October 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
For Tony Allen, last night was a start.

Much has been written this preseason about the athletic, 6-foot-4 Allen’s ability to pick up some of the slack, and some of the minutes, that left with departed James Posey.

A four-minute stretch early in the fourth quarter of last night’s 90-85 season-opening victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers gave a glimpse of what the Celtics [team stats] hope to see more of.

Early in the game Allen struggled, both with his emotions following the ring ceremony and raising of the 17th world championship banner and with his game. He was erratic and somewhat out of control, shooting 1-for-5.

But with the C’s leading 69-66 less than 2 minutes into the fourth quarter, Allen suddenly exploded. He hit three straight shots, including an 8-foot fadeaway with 6:56 to play that made it 78-70.

The shift in his play from shaky to bold came, Allen said, after Celtics coach Doc Rivers reminded him of a fundamental legendary UCLA coach John Wooten used to preach - be quick but don’t hurry.

“I went back to some of my old ways in the first half,” Allen said after his 11 points and three rebounds in 17 minutes. “I talked to Doc and he told me to slow down and play with the team. As a team, I felt we did good.”

As an individual, in the end, so did Tony Allen, whose play mirrored his own emotions and those of his teams.

“Today I saw my good friend Paul Pierce [stats] let his tears out,” Allen said of the captain’s ring ceremony emotions. “I couldn’t do nothing but let mine out.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1128538&format=text
EA Sports predicts a Lakers title, again

By Tom Rose | Wednesday, October 29, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by EA Sports
Will they never learn?

A computer simulation of EA Sports’ ‘NBA Live 09’ videogame predicts the Los Angeles Lakers will win this season’s NBA Finals.

With Las Vegas odds favoring the Lakers at 3-1, the pick isn’t that huge a reach. However, the full season and playoff simulation has the Celtics [team stats] – a 7-2 pick for defending their 2007-08 title - failing to reach the Finals. What’s more, the virtual version of the Green ends up third in the Eastern Conference behind Miami and Detroit.

Could it be that Kevin Garnett’s cover appearance on rival 2K Sports’ ‘NBA 2K9’ cost the Celtics’ a few key calls down the stretch?

Of course, sports and gaming fans may remember last year’s simulation of the NBA Championship also went against the Celtics. On the court, the live Celtics fared much better than their virtual counterparts – knocking off the Lakers in six games.

Here’s how the Celtics fared in the simulation of the entire 2008-09 season:

Paul Pierce [stats] led the C’s with 24.4 points per game and was selected to the All-NBA First Team. Garnett pulled down a team-leading 10.8 rebounds a game while Rajon Rondo [stats] handed out 8.2 assists each time out. For his efforts, Garnett picked up a selection on the All NBA Defensive Team.

League awards went to:

-- Houston Rockets’ Yao Ming, whose 25.8 points and 11.1 rebound averages earned him MVP honors.

-- Kobe Bryant, the league’s scoring leader with 27.9 ppg.

-- Memphis Grizzles’ OJ Mayo will take home Rookie of the Year honors.

-- Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves is awarded Most Improved Player Award.

-- Joining Pierce on the All –NBA team were Bryant, Ming, Lakers Pau Gasol, and Denver Nuggets’ Allen Iverson [stats].

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/10/29/green_party?mode=PF
Green party
Celtics wrap up a banner night with win vs. Cavs
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | October 29, 2008

Emotions got the better of the Celtics last night. But the Cleveland Cavaliers could not.

There was some bad blood - confrontations and double technicals in the second and fourth quarters - plenty of sweat, and pregame tears as the Celtics opened defense of their NBA championship with a 90-85 victory.

Paul Pierce set the tone, taking the microphone to center court to pay a choked-up tribute to family, fans, and friends, his two-minute discourse capping ceremonies that included a banner-raising and the awarding of rings to the Celtics. But it took Pierce and his teammates a half to overcome an adrenaline rush caused by the franchise's commemoration of its first title since 1986.

The Celtics' perimeter game was nonexistent for nearly the entire first half. It wasn't until the second half that they gained their composure on offense and adjusted to the Cavaliers' pick-and-roll plays defensively.

The second-half Celtics resembled the defense-minded team that won 16 of 26 games in the playoffs last season, nearly every Cavalier possession contested effectively.

"I've heard so many horror stories about this night," coach Doc Rivers said. "The whole Miami thing - I think that's going to be the poster child for any team that wins it. 'Don't forget the Miami game on national TV with Chicago.' [The Bulls beat the defending champion Heat, 108-66, in their 2006-07 opener]. I think I heard that 30 times over the last two days from different coaches, friends, you guys. So, I'm glad that didn't happen."

The Celtics did start slowly. Their first outside shot, a Kevin Garnett 17-footer, went about 2 feet over the rim in the opening minute.

"I'm known for coming into the Garden and having a hell of a first shot," said Garnett, who missed the rim on his first Celtic shot at the Garden last year.

But the motivation provided by the ceremonies probably didn't hurt the Celtics' aggressive drives into the lane. Pierce (27 points) converted their first points of the season on a dunk 53 seconds in, and Garnett dunked to tie it, 4-4, 19 seconds later.

The Celtics slogged along for most of the first half, unable to find an offensive rhythm, a half-step behind defensively. Some aggressive inside play by Kendrick Perkins provided second chances, though his physicality led to disqualification with 3:33 left in the game.

"In the second half, we played defense," Rivers said. "They scored 50 points in the first half, they were driving by us, we were in foul trouble. We had seven assists at halftime. I told them the ball was not moving, the ball was sticking. [Cleveland] is not a team you are going to beat by dribbling, you are going to beat them with passing."

The Celtics regained their offensive composure after halftime, Pierce and Ray Allen hitting 3-pointers on their first attempts. Rajon Rondo's second-chance shot capped a 10-2 run spanning 4:01 of both halves, giving the Celtics a 53-52 advantage, their first lead of the season.

"Those two threes came off multiple passing," Rivers said. "You turned and said, 'That's the Celtics, the Celtics just showed up.' It's great to not play well and still win."

The Celtics also indicated they could compensate for the loss of James Posey, as Tony Allen (11 points) sparked the offense in the second half.

And they showed they could compensate for the loss of Perkins, whose three personals in a 3:03 span threatened to leave them without a post presence when they really needed it.

Rondo's athleticism and quickness, plus some aggressive drives, made the difference down the stretch. A Rondo drive provided an 82-76 Celtic lead on an Anderson Varejao goaltend with 4:45 to play, then Rondo tipped a rebound to Ray Allen, whose free throw upped the lead to 83-78 with 2:56 remaining.

Garnett's 17-footer provided an 85-80 advantage with 1:53 to go. Rondo's rebound of LeBron James's missed drive led to the Celtics' final possession, Ray Allen taking the ball to the baseline, the Celtics calling a timeout with 27 seconds left, then setting up Pierce for a miss against the defending of Varejao with 15.5 seconds remaining.

In the final 10.6 seconds, the Celtics clinched the victory thanks to two missed foul shots by James, and some efficient play against the Cavaliers' pressing defense.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/10/29/little_rhythm_but_no_blues?mode=PF
Little rhythm, but no blues
By Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist | October 29, 2008

They are now officially defending champs.

They're also 1-0 in defense of that crown, toppling the Cleveland Cavaliers by a 90-85 score in a game that, well, won't be on anyone's list of Top 10,000 sports thrills.

But you knew it was going to be a tough evening from the time Kevin Garnett let fly with his first 15-footer of the season - and missed the whole set-up. It was as if that new champeenship ring was weighing down his hand.

He shot 5 for 15 from the floor. The Celtics struggled all night from the outside. There was never any real offensive rhythm. Perhaps all you need to know is that they had only 16 assists.

So how did they win? The Cavs are good, remember?

"Defense first, offense second," reminded Garnett. "The defense will be up to par. The offense will be shaky. There will be a great effort."

The Cavaliers led by a 50-43 score at the half. They scored 18 points in the first 16 minutes and change in the second half, and 35 for the final 24. Pay attention to No. 5. He knows what he's talking about. The Celtics still can defend.

This was not a night like any other night. For the first time since 1986, Opening Night in Boston featured a ring ceremony. Commissioner David Stern presided, and there was no doubt which player appreciated the moment more than anyone else. Paul Pierce, who was here when the team was an irrelevant part of the Boston sports landscape, fought back tears as he accepted his piece of jewelry. It was a touching moment.

He also addressed the sellout TD Banknorth crowd of 18,624 with a rambling, embarrassing, self-indulgent speech. That was not a touching moment. You kept wondering why he didn't hear the music and see the lights flashing.

But then he went out and scored a game-high 27, so in the end all was forgiven.

The Celtics went for the heavy historical artillery for the ceremony. John Havlicek carried out the championship trophy, trailed by Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, JoJo White, Satch Sanders, and M.L. Carr, which means that all three previous championship eras enjoyed representation. It was a not-so-subtle way of pulling rank, although the Cavaliers already had announced their intention of remaining in the locker room during the rah-rah celebration.

And the 17th flag . . . what a whoppah! It is conspicuously larger than numbers 1 through 16. But I guess management figured, why not? They certainly spent enough money to get it.

The rings, by the way, are tasteful, at least as far as these garish baubles go. Most people wind up putting them in safe deposit boxes, anyway. When most athletes speak of "the ring," they are thinking of it symbolically. But let the record show that these babies have Red Auerbach's signature inside, which is a nice touch.

"He's the reason for it all," explained managing partner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck. Can't argue with that.

Doc Rivers knew this was not going to be an easy night. For one thing, Mr. Schedulemaker gave his team a tough opponent. The last time the Cavs set foot on this floor, they came frighteningly close to winning a seventh game and sending the 66-win Celtics off to the golf course. And LeBron James has been sounding off about a serious need to win a championship. The Cavs added guard Mo Williams to the mix, and you must consider them to be an Eastern Conference contender.

The Cavs had the Celtics down by 11 in the first quarter and the aforementioned 7 at the half. The Celtics came out cold, with no one making an outside shot until Garnett hit a left corner turnaround with 2:22 remaining in the first quarter. Boston didn't get a lead in this game until Rajon Rondo took a Garnett feed for a backhand layup to make it 53-52 a little under four minutes into the second half.

There was, of course, never a sense of aggravation or panic. A team with stars such as Garnett, Pierce, and Ray Allen does not discourage easily. The Celtics also have supreme confidence in their ability to get needed stops. And they also got a nice lift off the bench from Tony Allen, who was active and energetic as soon as he stepped on the floor, and whose 5 points (a hustle rebound 3-point play and a slash to the hoop) gave his team a 74-68 lead.

The Celtics pretty much maintained after that, never leading by more than 8 and never allowing it closer than 2 (86-84 with 10.6 seconds remaining).

It was a game to get out of the way, little more.

"After halftime," Pierce said, "emotions got out of the way, and we started to play our brand of basketball."

A little message to the Cavs, perhaps?

Ah, that would be a no.

"It could have been anybody we played, tonight," Pierce insisted. "I'm glad we won. It wasn't pretty by any means. But regardless of LeBron, it doesn't matter."

They would have gotten a mulligan if they'd lost, so I don't know what you call this, other than the start of a completely new year. The rings now get put wherever. Now they're working on one for the other hand.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/10/29/ainge_is_elevated_to_president?mode=PF
Ainge is elevated to president
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | October 29, 2008

Danny Ainge was promoted from general manager to president of basketball operations, the Celtics announced yesterday. Ainge's contract also was extended, and an NBA source said the extension is for three years and runs through the 2012 season.

Ainge, who played for the Celtics' championship teams in 1984 and '86, was hired in 2002 and last season was named NBA Executive of the Year.

"I've enjoyed my time with the Celtics and the challenge of getting this team to be an elite team in this league," Ainge said. "I don't anticipate a new contract changing me. I have a lot of people around me that make me look good with owners, players, coaches, and staff."

Said coach Doc Rivers, "I thought he already was president. It's phenomenal, he's done a hell of a job and he's been great for me to work with. I really did think he was already president, but any upgrade is well-deserved."


Speaking the truth
Paul Pierce delivered an emotional speech from center court before the Celtics' season opener last night against the Cavaliers.

"I never knew this day would come," Pierce said. "It's a dream come true for me, raising the banner to the rafters. I thank you for supporting me, I thank people for sticking with me the whole time. Moments like this I enjoy sharing with my closest friends and family.

"My worst year, I wanted to quit, to be traded. It wasn't going well - an 18-game losing streak."

Pierce named his high school coach first and concluded with his mother and Red Auerbach.

"Red is somewhere with a cigar looking over us," Pierce said. "One thing he would say is: 'Let's go Celtics.' "


Memorable night
NBA commissioner David Stern, who was in attendance for last night's banner-raising at TD Banknorth Garden, said his strongest memories of the Celtics here related to Auerbach. "It's a very exciting place to be," said Stern. "It always conjures up nostalgia.

"Red was always saying, 'Why did you send these refs to the game? They hate us.' And I said, 'Everyone hates you.' He blamed us for everything. We would go at it and he would protect his team with intensity."

Stern paid tribute to the style of play the 2007-08 Celtics used to win the NBA title.

"Red would have said, 'My team won it the right way,' " Stern said. "Unselfish, teamwork, passing, intensity."

Stern said he became accustomed to making the Los Angeles-to-Boston trips every June.

"I remember about Boston we were always worried about a lot of things," said Stern, "about having a rope around the court for the fans, having a camera installed in the locker room because there were so many reporters. It's all about the Garden and the banners."

"In this game, players say they are playing for the ring. It's the dream of a lifetime in professional sports."


A pass for Cassell
The Celtics didn't activate rookies J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker, or - surprisingly - veteran Sam Cassell for the opener. Cassell, who turns 39 Nov. 18, said he wasn't bothered by it; he's looking at the big picture. "Just save," said Cassell, who also didn't play in any preseason games. "I'm not trying to wear myself out." . . . The Cavaliers remained in their locker room during the pregame ceremonies. "We don't need to be out there clapping for them getting rings," LeBron James said. Said Rivers, "It's not his job to clap for us, it's the fans' job to clap for us. I wouldn't be there, either. First of all, it's long; secondly, they are giving us something they want. I agree with LeBron 100 percent." . . . The banner-raising was a team effort, with Rivers on one side and the players on the other. In 1986, the banner was raised by Auerbach and Bill Walton.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/10/29/hole_truth_brown_a_major_loss?mode=PF
Hole truth: Brown a major loss
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | October 29, 2008

Two NBA championship rings went unclaimed last night during the pregame ceremony at TD Banknorth Garden. James Posey was in the Bay area with the New Orleans Hornets, who open their season tonight against Golden State. And P.J. Brown decided not to come to Boston because of a "family situation," according to the Celtics.

There have been many questions about how the Celtics will deal with the loss of Posey. But in the end, having to replace Brown could be an even bigger issue.

"Posey averaged 6 points, 3 rebounds," Kendrick Perkins said. "That ain't hard [to replace]. But P.J. brought that tenacity. Posey took some charges and stuff. But we needed P.J. just as much as we needed Posey."

Brown was relaxing in Slidell, La., with his wife and three kids during last season's All-Star Weekend when Paul Pierce and Ray Allen made a sales pitch to him to come back to work in Boston. Pierce and Allen knew the Celtics desperately needed veteran help behind Perkins and Kevin Garnett. On Feb. 27, the forward signed up for the rest of the season.

Brown didn't make much noise toward the end of the regular season. But during the playoffs, the 6-foot-11-inch, 239-pounder hit a huge jumper that sealed a Game 7 victory over the Cavaliers, and he made several key offensive and defensive plays during the rest of the postseason.

Asked why Brown isn't talked about as much as Posey, Celtics president Danny Ainge said, "P.J. was a contributor in the playoffs. He didn't have as much to contribute in regards to our 66 wins. Maybe that's why. We acknowledge what he was for us. We know he was important in a lot of ways. He hit maybe the biggest shot of the season in our win over Cleveland."

While in Boston, Brown said time and time again that he would decide his basketball future during the offseason. The Celtics talked to Brown during their short summer to see if he was interested in returning, but he gave them the impression that he probably has unlaced his sneakers for good.

Brown has not returned several phone calls seeking interviews. Hornets coach Byron Scott bumped into Brown at a mall in New Orleans last weekend and said Brown seemed content enjoying family life. Agent Mark Bartelstein, who has represented Brown in recent years, also didn't sound optimistic about a return.

"I don't think so," said Bartelstein. "Right now his mind is not on playing. It's with his family."

Ainge knows Brown is tough to replace. But before he goes looking at free agents or makes a trade, he wants to give big men Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Patrick O'Bryant a chance. Problem is, none of them has the length, defensive ability, experience, poise, and a mid-range jumper that Brown has.

"I just want to see what we have and how our guys play," Ainge said. "Last year we had questions at point guard and backup forward. I'm a firm believer in giving people a chance instead of officially filling possible holes before the season."

If things don't work out with Powe, Davis, or O'Bryant, don't be surprised if Ainge calls Brown. The Hornets, whom Brown also has played for, could have interest, too.

"Hopefully, he'll be back," said Perkins, who is about as close to Brown as any Celtic. "He needs to think about it and come back and help us again. P.J., I think we need him. He gives us some veteran leadership and another good center for our team. He was a good addition for us.

"I can see him coming back to us, but I can't see him being a Hornet, though. He'd feel welcome over here. We've been through the trenches together. He'll want to come this way."

There have been rumors that the Celtics could have interest in Robert Horry, a free agent who has made countless big shots in the postseason and is a seven-time NBA champion.

Horry, however, took a verbal shot at Brown last season, saying he joined the Celtics late to win a title. Horry also threw a towel in Ainge's face when Ainge was coaching in Phoenix.

Ainge said he hasn't spoken to Horry about coming to Boston. But Horry's former Houston teammate, Sam Cassell, has talked to "Big Shot Bob" about joining him here.

"It's a possibility," Cassell said. "It wouldn't be bad. The one thing he has is experience. I mentioned it to him. He's chilling. He's working out. He's enjoying his time off now. Robert has a lot of wear and tear on his body, seven championships.

"I can see him playing again. Where? I don't know."

The Celtics know what Brown can do for them. But considering that Brown is nearly 40, is making up for lost time with his children, and can go into the sunset with an NBA championship, it would be tough persuading him to return to Boston.

But keep in mind that just before All-Star Weekend this season, the Celtics make a trip to New Orleans. So if things don't work out with the backup big men, don't be surprised if Pierce and Allen drive around Lake Pontchartrain to Slidell.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/10/29/garden_rocking_with_rafter_effects?mode=PF
Garden rocking with rafter effects
By Barbara Matson, Globe Staff | October 29, 2008

The Celtics opened their 2008-09 season last night with a loud and loving celebration of basketball in Boston, a blowout that surely defined the term "hoopla."

Tears streaming down his face, captain Paul Pierce led his teammates in raising the Celtics' 17th championship banner to the rafters of TD Banknorth Garden, nestling the flag between the 1986 banner and the one bearing the franchise's retired numbers.

The packed house, which rose for the national anthem and remained standing for the half-hour of hullabaloo and hubbub, roared for every pull on the ropes as the banner was hoisted.

It was an extraordinary event. Even as the October afternoon faded into evening, a double rainbow touched down on the roof of the Garden, a celestial touch for the team that brought Boston a pot of gold last spring.

The building was bathed in green light while raucous fans streamed in. As television technicians set up their equipment and ushers took their stations in the stands, the Celtics and Cavaliers took the parquet to warm up. The crowd filtered into the arena carrying their swag: green T-shirts emblazoned with a "2008 TipOff" logo. For many, it was green on green, as they put their new Celtic shirts over the replica uniform shirts they were wearing.

Danny Ainge, newly anointed as president of basketball operations, was courtside, wreathed in a smile he just couldn't put down.

The arena was filled by 7:30, and the fans couldn't wait for the 7:38 start of the ceremony; when the Jumbotron showed Kevin Garnett stretching in the hallway outside the locker room, the cheering started. It grew louder as the rest of the Celtics joined Garnett, formed a circle, and began jumping up and down. The cheers became roars as the team ran onto the court.

Boston College basketball star Ayla Brown sang the national anthem, with the nation's colors presented by the Otis Air National Guard honor guard. A video played on the huge screen, and the players watched as intently as the fans while their championship season was played back in a stream of highlights.

Then came the NBA championship trophy, carried by John Havlicek, leading a team of Celtics legends that included Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, JoJo White, M.L. Carr, and Cedric Maxwell. "We Are the Champions" blasted through the Garden's sound system. When Havlicek reached the court, he handed off the trophy to Pierce, who clutched it and began to weep.

NBA commissioner David Stern and Celtics owners Wyc Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca, and Paul Epstein took the stage to present the first jewelry for the team in 22 years. First, the executives, trainers, and coaches, who had been presented with their rings earlier in the day, came onto the court to be congratulated. Then came coach Doc Rivers, earning a thunderous cheer.

Rivers shook hands with the owners, placed the jewelry on the ring finger of his left hand, then stole a quick look at it as he joined the other coaches.

Then came the players, each one looking over the coveted ring as it was placed in his hand. It is, after all, all about the ring.

The vitals on the Celtics' 17th championship ring: It's a quarter-pound hunk of white gold, with three emeralds forming a shamrock embedded in a field of 92 diamonds. And there is a special touch: Each bears Red Auerbach's signature engraved on the inside.

On one side of the ring are Banner No. 17, the Celtics logo, and the motto "Ubuntu," a South African term adopted by the team last year that translates, roughly, to "I am, because we are." On the other side is the player's name and the number 17.

Leon Powe was called first, and then came Glen Davis, Gabe Pruitt, Sam Cassell, Tony Allen (who slipped the ring on his finger in a flash, as if it might get away if he didn't immediately claim ownership), Brian Scalabrine, Eddie House, Scot Pollard, Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and then, as the cheers crescendoed, Pierce, who walked onto the court to the chant of "M-V-P!"

Pierce held his ring between his thumb and finger and raised it in the air, saluting the fans.

The banner was next, and as the team lifted it into place, what seemed to be a million dollars worth of digital cameras and cellphones were lifted by the audience, flashes popping as the fans claimed their own mementos.

After the starting lineups were introduced, Pierce took the floor and addressed the crowd.

"Sometimes you don't know if this day will ever come," he said. "Dreams do come true."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/10/29/something_missing_for_james_and_mates?mode=PF
Something missing for James and mates
By Barbara Matson, Globe Staff | October 29, 2008

LeBron James had his feet soaking in a bucket of ice, but that was restorative, a postgame soother. It was the cold shooting during the game that frustrated the Cleveland Cavaliers' star forward.

It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good enough, as the Celtics took a 90-85 victory in the season opener at TD Banknorth Garden last night. The Cavaliers reached the Eastern Conference finals last season, succumbing to the Celtics in Game 7. If James wants to lead his Cavaliers to the NBA title, he'll have to take them past the Celtics.

While the Celtics celebrated their championship with a raucous pregame ceremony, lifting the banner to the rafters, James and his teammates stayed in their locker room. This was the kind of party James wants to host, and he wasn't going to be just another guest.

James scored 22 points in 36 minutes, shooting 9 for 21 from the field, including an 0-for-4 night from 3-point range. He led his team in scoring, but it has to count as an ordinary effort from a player who averaged an NBA-high 30.0 points last season.

With the game still up for grabs, James missed two important free throws down the stretch; the first could have closed the Cavaliers within 86-84 with 10.6 seconds left in the game. The second came with 4.8 seconds remaining, and prevented the Cavaliers from closing to 88-85.

"We played well but they played better," said James, who added that his team's biggest problem was "our forced turnovers in the second half, when we let their defense beat us up."

James was disappointed but not discouraged.

"We missed some really, really good shots," he said. "You can play great defense but you've also got to make shots, and we didn't do that in the third quarter. Boobie [Daniel Gibson] missed a couple of threes, Wally [Szczerbiak] missed one that was wide open, I had a couple of layups that I missed.

"You can play defense like we did tonight, giving up 44 percent from the field - but if you don't make shots, it doesn't look so well. In the third quarter, we didn't make the shots."

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown was asked if he thought James was out of rhythm, but he refused to throw his top forward under the bus.

"I thought he played hard," said Brown. "I've got to go back and look at the tape. In terms of other stuff, you'd have to ask him; I don't know if he felt [that] way."

Brown did think the Celtics threw the Cavaliers' team play out of whack.

"They did a terrific job defensively in the second half," said Brown. "One of our Achilles' heels on the floor has been our turnovers.

"We're trying to play a little faster but sometimes that translates into miscues and the Celtics' defensive pressure and physicalness in the second half caused us to have 12 turnovers. That's too many to have."

When the Celtics clamped down defensively in the second half, the whistles began to ring in the Cavaliers' ears.

"We were looking to referees for foul calls and the refs saw 7-1, with us committing seven fouls and the Celtics committing one in the third in a physical game," said Brown. "But we can't look to the refs; we've just got to keep attacking and playing the game of basketball no matter what the call is."

Like Brown, James recognized that calls didn't go their way, but he gave his team the responsibility for missing a chance to top the Celtics.

"We've got to move on," he said. "We had great opportunities to do what we wanted to do on offense."