|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 9:38:52 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1136145&format=textCeltics teach Magic lesson Show upstart Orlando what it takes to be best By Steve Bulpett | Tuesday, December 2, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matthew West One by one, they dribble toward the Garden seeking to claim the throne now occupied by the Celtics [team stats]. And one by one, they have been turned back, unable to cross the moat that separates them from the defending champions. Nothing, of course, will get decided for this season until the snows fall and then melt into spring, but at the very least, the Celts are getting across the point that they’re well-equipped to fight eviction from their castle. The latest to get that message stamped across their forehead - along with a Spalding imprint - were the Orlando Magic. The Celtics got 24 points from Paul Pierce [stats] and 21 from Ray Allen in a direct and thorough 107-88 victory last night. “It’s one thing to talk about it,” Allen said. “Like last year for us, there was a lot said about what we were doing. We knew where we wanted to go, but I think we had to go out and do it. We had to get it. We had to grab it. There was not a moment’s rest for us. Every night we had to prove what we were capable of. Now, we’re still in that same mode, and teams that are saying they’re just as good or better than us, they have to prove that. And for us, we’re here and we want it every night. We look forward to the challenge every night.” Rajon Rondo [stats] was again huge for the C’s with 16 points and 12 assists. The point guard had a big hand on both ends as the Celts outscored the Magic, 12-0, on the fast break. “I thought our guys played hard,” Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We just got totally outplayed.” The visitors’ only lead was of the 2-0 variety, and it lasted just 56 seconds. Orlando’s Rashard Lewis had 30 points but went 2-for-8 on 3-point attempts. Dwight Howard had 14 points, but Van Gundy didn’t think his team got its star center the ball enough - which may have been due to Kendrick Perkins [stats] and the Green defense. There were eight technical fouls in the contentious affair, but the Celtics’ actions this season - wins over Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia and now Orlando - speak louder than any trashy talk. The Magic arrived with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference (2 games behind the Celtics) but without injured starters Jameer Nelson and Mickael Pietrus. The Celts were determined to take advantage against a team that won the season series from them last year, 2-1. “You like playing teams like them because it gives your team something, too,” C’s coach Doc Rivers said. “Both teams are up, and that’s always nice when you get that. I call it a free speech night. You don’t have to talk a lot before a game when you play teams like that. But they have some injuries, and we understand that, too. And so I thought we took advantage of that a little bit.” Up two at the half, the C’s broke it open with a 29-19 third quarter. The Magic never recovered. They came in averaging 100.4 points but didn’t sniff triple figures. “We were taking advantage of the matchups,” Pierce said. “We saw something that was working and we continued to go with it. My teammates did a good job of setting me up. We ran set plays to get me the ball in a position where I could score, and I took advantage of it.” Orlando, playing just seven men, went to a bigger lineup to get Lewis inside on Pierce. But in the decisive third, Pierce and the Celts got the better of it. For a team that has won nine in a row and is now 17-2, that’s nothing new. “The balance tonight on both ends was terrific,” said Rivers, whose club shot 54.1 percent from the field. “When you have that combination, you’re probably going to have a really good night, and we did.”
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 9:40:46 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1136189&format=textRay Allen’s family rallies around Joslin Center’s efforts Focusing on a cure By Mark Murphy | Tuesday, December 2, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Courtesy Image The Joslin Diabetes Center held its gala at the new Renaissance Hotel on the waterfront on the night of Nov. 15. This enormous effort is the main fundraising vehicle each year for the world’s most renowned diabetes clinic. Last year’s event raised approximately $650,000 toward its goal of eradicating one of the most insidious diseases known to man. Joslin Centers are being opened in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and India -- two parts of the world where instances of the disease have spiked -- and 28 others already operate in the United States. The Joslin treats approximately 250,000 patients annually, and the demand for support and research only accelerates. But the clinic had help from an unlikely corner this year -- an NBA championship. When Ray Allen’s youngest son, Walker, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the midst of the NBA Finals and an international network of media, the cause welcomed a new, high-profiled family of advocates. The Celtics [team stats]’ opening night ceremony was re-scripted. Just as John Havlicek carried out the NBA championship trophy on Oct. 28, fellow Celtics legend Jo Jo White walked into the large Renaissance ballroom bearing the same hardware while escorted by the Celtics Dancers and Lucky the Leprechaun. The now-famous picture of Allen holding Walker -- taken on the Garden floor after the Celtics eliminated the Lakers in Game 6 -- hung at the head of the room. Shannon Allen now pushes away the suggestion that she has become a force of nature within the cause ever since Walker’s diagnosis, but she took charge of the gala that night. In no time, she had the entire room standing and applauding as she said, with raised arms, “One day because of Joslin we will find a cure for diabetes.” This former member of the Motown group Shades later sang the Alicia Keys song “No One” with the house band, and called upon Celtics owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca when she said, “Let me tell you, Wyc and Steve, the day that Ray retires you had better have a job for him in the organization, because we’re staying.” The Allen family considers Ray’s trade to Boston that providential. Not only did the move result in his first championship ring, it also moved 22-month old Walker within an easy drive of the Joslin. “That is the blessing of all blessings,” said Shannon. In return, the Joslin not only benefits from association with a high-profiled professional athlete, but also a wife who has embraced the cause with significant passion. “The only person I can compare to this is Tedy Bruschi [stats],” said Michael Sullivan, the vice president of development at the Joslin, who was in the same role at Spaulding Rehab when the Patriots [team stats] linebacker was brought in as a Spaulding spokesman. “This was two years before he had the stroke, but he and (wife) Heidi did an incredible job for us. When I was at Nantucket Hospital we had Tim Russert as a spokesman. So I guess you could say that Ray Allen and Shannon is our new Bruschi. “There are other celebrity and sports figures in causes, but the passion and input she brings is unique,” he said. “She knows much more about diabetes already. The night of the gala she was right there, grilling one of our stem cell researchers about what was being done in the research end.” Perhaps the passion of Ray and Shannon Allen has hit a high pitch so quickly because they can already sense something revolutionary in what they hear from those Joslin researchers. “They believe a cure is close -- within 15 years,” said Shannon. “I can’t tell you how that sounds.” A driving force Shannon Allen has made such an impression on people like Sullivan and Kevin Conley -- the Joslin chairman -- that members have discussed inviting her to join the clinic’s board of directors. She’s not so sure about taking that step. “I’ve heard rumblings about that,” she said. “I don’t know that I’d be able to commit to that. I’m not a doctor, or that I could commit the time that would be needed.” But like her husband, Shannon Allen brings a rare level of awareness to the cause. Dr. Lori Laffel, the Joslin physician who has worked with the Allens since that fateful week in Los Angeles during the NBA Finals, came directly in contact with the family’s impact two weeks ago. Laffel was honored at halftime of a Nov. 7 game between the Celtics and Bucks on World Diabetes Awareness Day, when she was introduced to the sellout crowd as part of the team’s Heroes Among Us series. “It’s not really about me,” she said. “But while I was out there I was thinking about how Ray had to rally up the energy and discipline to come back and play in Game 6 after everything they had been through. “That’s a hard thing when you’re physically and emotionally beaten up,” Laffel said. “Of course nobody is an island. He did this with the support of his family and teammates. But that we could be a small part of this with them is wonderful.” Laffel spotted those qualities in the Celtics guard almost immediately. Discipline is key Just as Celtics teammates have marveled at Allen’s machine-like sense of discipline -- from the work he puts into his incomparable jump shot to his fitness and dietary regimens -- his family and doctors now see his discipline at work in raising all three of his children. But this will become especially significant in raising Walker to correctly monitor his diabetes. “It’s obviously never a good thing for someone to get diabetes,” said Laffel. “The most important thing for a family to realize is that when a child has diabetes, the family has diabetes. The second most important thing is that the family love the child. I can’t write a prescription for that. “The discipline comes from them being loving parents. The good thing is that every day we can see the benefits from that research and try to normalize these lives.” Walker is already catching on. “I’m amazed at how he already knows his body,” said Shannon. “He was up the other night asking for candy, and I was like, ‘Walker, how could you ask for something like that?’ But then he said, ‘OK, apple.’ Then I realized, he knew he was having a low (blood) sugar reaction.” Though only 22 months, Walker knew from a rush of nausea and shaking that he needed fuel. Be it through candy or fruit, diabetics need sugar at times like this. That Walker already responds properly to his body’s signals has amazed his parents. “I see where he’s going down that road of staying focused,” said Ray. “I see where it’s rubbing off on his older brother (Ray III). But I don’t want this to be a burden to him.” Said Shannon: “He’s really doing great, though every time we go to the Joslin you feel like you’re going to the principal’s office -- you know, they want the blood sugar numbers to be better, and so forth. But if you were in our house, you’d have to ask which of the children was diabetic, because (Walker) just has so much energy.” All in the family Perhaps it’s the impression left from that famous picture -- the one of Ray holding Walker -- that begs an alarming question. Does the family truly want their son to be the face of a cause? A so-called poster child? The family understands that there is a political element in play. The future of stem cell research -- such a hot, contested issue over the last eight years -- will have a lot to say about the future of diabetes. A family of advocates like the Allens could in turn be influential in advancing the cause. That means Walker Allen will probably live a very public life. “I’m going through this with my daughter now,” Ray said of his 16-year-old daughter Tierra. “We have long conversations about people who are going to be envious of her, or want to see her fail just because of who she is. “I do worry about it with Walker,” he said. “But my goal is to raise all of them to make sound decisions. You try to teach them the usual lessons through team sports and competition -- always do your best and try your best. I’ll chase them around the house and tell them I can get ready faster, or I can put on my seatbelt faster. “When Walker was stricken in June, we asked ourselves 15 million questions about why is this happening,” Ray said. “But it’s like they say, ‘God works in mysterious ways.’ This is an opportunity. You can’t go into a shell. It’s our calling now.” Neighbors unite The Allens have joined a support group of families in their neighborhood, all with one or more family members who are diabetic. It was through this group that Shannon realized the importance of filling a public role. “One person burst into tears and said she was so glad that we have someone with Type 1 -- not that she would ask this to be put on anyone -- but deep down she said she was so grateful because of the attention it is going to bring,” said Shannon. “I’ve encountered so many parents who have said thank you for coming out. “No adolescent wants to be thought of as different,” she said. “Maybe in some small way, with Walker being out there with Ray, it will help in some way to let kids understand that it’s OK to have diabetes.” Ultimately, that’s the goal. The worry of their son having anything but a normal life is what drives this family forward now. “My biggest fear is that with this, Walker couldn’t be who he is destined to be on this earth,” said Shannon. “My greatest fear is that anything would hold these kids back. All of the parents I meet have kids with diabetes who ski, play soccer and anything else that other kids do.” And if Walker Allen is destined to grow up in the spotlight, then so be it. “That’s the least of my worries,” said Shannon. “I don’t care who I have to talk to to get answers. We’re not special. Tons of parents are in this situation. “Ray and I are not interested in publicity,” she said. “It’s just the sad state of our world that sometimes it takes someone in the spotlight to build support. But my worry is in keeping him healthy and alive.”
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 9:40:43 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1136168&format=textHonor roll for Doc Rivers Picked for 3rd straight month By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Tuesday, December 2, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Stuart Cahill Doc Rivers was named by the NBA as Eastern Conference Coach of the Month yesterday. Added to the fact he won it the last two months of the 2007-08 season, Rivers became just the third coach since the award’s 1981-82 inception to win it three times in a row (joining Flip Saunders of Detroit and Larry Brown of Philadelphia). But Rivers got perhaps an even more important honor from Ray Allen before last night’s 107-99 win over Orlando. “We always say it’ll be tough for us to play for anybody else,” Allen said. “For myself, Paul (Pierce) and Kevin (Garnett), we talk about it quite a bit because he just makes sure that we know what he wants and he knows we’re going to come in and get the job done. “And just stuff about life. He’s going to make sure we get better as men as well as basketball players. That’s important for us, because we’re around each other for too long to not understand the family lessons and the things that go on around us that are important to us.” As far as the award itself, Rivers wasn’t getting all that excited. “Oh, it doesn’t mean much,” he said. “Heck, there’s so many other coaches that can win it, as well. Whenever you win anything like that you know that it had a lot to do with a lot of other people, not just you. I have an unbelievable coaching staff and I have some pretty good players, too. It usually means that month your players made shots and they got stops more than the other teams.” The Celts are 17-2 to start the season, and Rivers has always said that individual honors accrue when the team is successful. “It’s the Ubuntu philosophy,” he said last night. “We’re all tied to each other. If one guy’s successful, the next guy’s successful and it spreads.” “That’s the same thing,” added Allen. “Everybody reaps the benefits of our overall success. You have to look in his direction for this whole team for all good things because everybody’s contributed to the success.” Rivers won Coach of the Month three times last season. Yammering Sam If you’re keeping track at home, the count is now 2-0 for Sam Cassell. Technical fouls to minutes played. In uniform for Gabe Pruitt (still out sick), Cassell was T’d up twice by ref Bob Delaney during a timeout with 4:40 left in the second quarter. “I did the dirty work for Doc,” Cassell said later. “That’s what it was.” “I told him he took a bullet for me because I thought it was on me,” Rivers said. “They were trying to clean the game up. There was a lot of complaining going on.” There were eight individual technicals called, five on the Celts (Kendrick Perkins [stats], Rajon Rondo [stats] and Garnett had the others). . . . Tony Allen twisted his right ankle in the second quarter, but he came back to score six points. Allen left the game at 8:17 of the period and came back in 3:10 later. Ex-Celt hurt Former NBA Sixth Man Award winner and Celtics [team stats] forward player Rodney Rogers was hospitalized after sustaining an injury while riding an all-terrain vehicle. The North Carolina Highway Patrol said Rogers was four-wheeling in the woods in rural Vance County north of Raleigh, N.C., Saturday when he fell off the vehicle. A patrol spokesman said Rogers was taken by helicopter to Duke University Hospital in Durham. His condition wasn’t immediately known. Rogers, who was a college star at Wake Forest, spent 12 seasons in the NBA from 1993-2005 and won the league’s Sixth Man Award in 2000 with the Suns. He played 27 regular-season games with the Celtics during the 2001-02 season, when they reached the Eastern Conference finals. . . . With the team from his current hometown here, Rivers acknowledged that he brought the NBA championship trophy back to Orlando, Fla., for a couple of days last summer. “I set it at the breakfast table every morning,” he said. “I didn’t have a party or anything. I just had it in the house.”
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 9:42:55 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1136169&format=textKendrick Perkins gets personal By Dan Duggan | Tuesday, December 2, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matthew West Anytime he goes up against one of the top centers in the league, Kendrick Perkins [stats] treats the matchup as a personal test. Facing off with Dwight Howard last night, Perkins passed with flying colors. Though Howard finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds, he had to work for everything and didn’t make enough of an impact to help the Orlando Magic in a 107-88 loss to the Celtics [team stats] at the Garden. “I always take it personal,” said Perkins, who picked up his ninth technical of the season late in the game. “I take pride in playing defense. He’s going to have an effect on the game because he’s an MVP candidate, but I just want to make sure I maintain and make him work.” Though foul trouble limited him to 29 minutes, Perkins nearly matched Howard’s output with eight points and 13 rebounds. The fact the stat lines were even close was a victory for the Celts. Before the game, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy went through the difficult matchups facing his lineup, and mentioned every position but center. “The one thing about Perk is that he understands his position on this team and he plays his role to the best,” C’s forward Kevin Garnett said. “We make it our business to try to get him easy buckets. He’s one of these people we ask night in, night out to go out and have the difficult task of guarding the best post guys.” Perkins, as well as Glen Davis off the bench, was up to the challenge, holding Howard well below his season average of 21.8 points. The physical defense seemed to get under the skin of the affable Howard, as he picked up a double technical (along with Garnett) with 2:47 remaining. Howard complimented the Celtics’ team defense, but seemed to make a point not to single out the efforts of Perkins. “Their whole team plays great defense, it’s not just him,” Howard said. “They’re one of the best defensive teams, if not the best defensive team, in the league.” Though pleased with his work, Perkins wisely wasn’t letting it go to his head. “He’s a great challenge, but I know we have to see him three more times,” Perkins said. “I’m not just happy with this one.”
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 9:44:43 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1136170&format=textTony Battie-Paul Pierce bond intact By Dan Duggan | Tuesday, December 2, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matthew West A night of tragedy eight years ago forged a bond between Paul Pierce [stats] and Tony Battie. They were Celtics [team stats] teammates in 2000 when Pierce was stabbed 11 times inside Boston’s Buzz Club. At the scariest moment of Pierce’s life, Battie was there for him - literally. Battie was in the club at the time of the attack and raced to Pierce’s aid. With Pierce suffering from stab wounds to his face, neck and back, Battie raced his teammate to Tufts New England Medical Center. Remarkably, Pierce was back on the court in time for the C’s season opener just a month after the incident. The quick recovery didn’t surprise Battie, who now serves in a reserve role for the Orlando Magic. “Paul is a strong-willed guy and if anyone can make it through that situation, it would be him,” Battie said before scoring nine points for the Magic in a 107-88 loss to the Celtics last night at the Garden. “It really doesn’t surprise me.” Pierce and Battie made their debuts for the Celtics during the 1998-99 season, Pierce as a rookie out of Kansas and Battie as a second-year player acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade. They became fast friends and remained close after the Celtics traded Battie to Cleveland in 2003. “We’re still close,” Battie said. “The funny thing is when you’re teammates, no matter what team you’re on, you spend so much time on the road with guys, they become family to you.” Pierce and Battie stay in contact regularly. Battie was one of many former teammates who reached out to Pierce after the C’s captain finally captured an elusive championship last season. “I just told him congratulations, he finally got one,” Battie said. “Ever since I played here, they cleared house. There are only two guys out of 15 (remaining: Pierce and Kendrick Perkins [stats]), so I was happy to see that he was a mainstay and he was able to dedicate his whole career right here to the city of Boston and he was able to bring them a championship.” They don’t talk about it much, but Pierce and Battie realize the impact that night eight years ago has had on their relationship. “We were close before that, but just him being there for me definitely made us closer,” Pierce, who had 24 points last night, said. “I think we definitely have a bond, probably for lifetime.”
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 9:47:14 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/12/02/celtics_cruise_to_ninth_straight?mode=PFCeltics cruise to ninth straight Pierce (24) works his magic vs. Orlando By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | December 2, 2008 The Celtics were thinking in playoff terms last night against the Orlando Magic. And the game reflected postseason intensity, the Celtics taking a 107-88 victory with the teams combining for eight technical fouls. "It was like a statement game for us," said Paul Pierce, who scored 17 of his 24 points in the third quarter. "They won the season series [last year], so we wanted to make sure, if it comes down to the end, where we have the advantage." This was a continuation of a season-long setting of standards, the Celtics (17-2) extending their winning streak to nine going into tomorrow's game against Indiana. Pierce took up where he left off two nights earlier in Charlotte, where he had a strong fourth quarter in an 89-84 win. He posted his highest point total since mid-November, and nearly outscored the Magic in a 29-19 third quarter. He had 17 points in the period and missed a 3-pointer before being replaced with 27 seconds remaining. The combination of Pierce's offense and team defense - the Magic scored just once from the field over a 5:14 period spanning both halves - gave the Celtics an 11-1 start to the second half and the momentum to coast in the final quarter. With Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo, and Pierce on the bench, the Celtics extended their advantage to 89-73 on Leon Powe's dunk, which turned out to be the clinching points, with 8:26 to go. Most of the statements were made with on-court plays, but there were plenty of verbal ones, also. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy got the technicals started 5:07 into the game. Van Gundy was whistled as Dwight Howard was called for goaltending and Anthony Johnson for a foul on Pierce's banker, leading to a 15-5 Celtic lead following a 4-point possession. Rondo earned the first of five Celtic techs with 2:04 left in the opening quarter. Even Sam Cassell, who has yet to play this season, got into the act, ejected from the bench with 4:40 remaining in the first half. Celtics coach Doc Rivers began his postseason press conference with self-interrogation. "Well, that was an interesting game, a lot of technicals, didn't you think?" Rivers said. "I thought so, too. "I was really proud of our guys, because I told them it was going to be a physical game. We had to make it as physical as we could, and just hang in there. There's going to be calls made and calls not made when it's played that way." The Celtics set the tone early, but the Magic rallied to pull within 2 at halftime. The Celtics seemed to have everything going their way early in the second quarter. But after Glen Davis's 16-footer gave them a 37-22 lead 2:37 into the quarter, things took a turn for the worse. First, Tony Allen sprained his right ankle on a drive. Then Rashard Lewis (30 points) sparked the Magic, Allen returning late in the quarter to defend him but being unable to slow him down. Lewis scored 7 points in a 70-second span, his 3-pointer with 32 seconds to go cutting the Magic deficit to 48-46. But Pierce led the way after halftime, compiling his best scoring total since he had 28 points in a 102-97 overtime win at Milwaukee Nov. 15, and his best at home since a 34-point performance in a 103-102 win over Atlanta Nov. 12. Pierce scored 9 points in the first 3:37 of the half, while the Magic missed their first seven shots, the Celtics taking a 59-47 lead. Orlando, playing without starters Keith Bogans (thumb) and Jameer Nelson (hip flexor), had a four-game winning streak broken "You like playing teams like them because it gives your team something, too," Rivers said. "Both teams are up. And that's always nice. "I call it a 'free speech night.' You don't have to talk a lot before a game when you play teams like that. But they have some injuries, and we understand that, too. "The tough part about the regular season, compared to the playoffs - and this is why I always say you can't read into regular-season wins - is because you don't know during the regular season if teams have injuries, you don't know if they've played four in five. "You don't have that problem in the playoffs. Everyone's rested, everyone plays, and it's different.
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 9:51:45 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/12/02/sizzling_pierce_gave_magic_the_third_degree?mode=PFSizzling Pierce gave Magic the third degree By Barbara Matson, Globe Staff | December 2, 2008 The shape of last night's basketball game was defined by Paul Pierce. Simple as that. Pierce scored 24 points in 33 minutes and 26 seconds of play as the Celtics subdued the Orlando Magic, 107-88, at TD Banknorth Garden for their ninth straight victory. The Celtics shot 54.1 percent from the field while holding their beat-up opponents to 42 percent. But it was Pierce's entry and exit from the court that paced the offense. In the first half, Pierce got in foul trouble, picking up his second personal at 8:27 of the first quarter, and taking a seat a minute later. He played only 4:33 of the second quarter and scored no points; he had collected just 5 points before halftime, when the Celtics held a 48-46 lead. Then he came back to work. Pierce knocked down an 11-foot jumper, a pair of free throws, a 24-foot 3-pointer, and a 15-foot turnaround fadeaway at the start of the second half, scoring 9 points while the Magic countered with a single point from a free throw. When Pierce was done, the Celtics had a 12-point lead at 59-47, helped by a slam dunk from Kevin Garnett. "It wasn't something I just decided to do; we were taking advantage of matchups," Pierce said. "We saw something that was working and we decided to go with it. "My teammates did a good job of setting me up. We ran set plays to get me the ball in a position where I could score and I took advantage of it." Pierce wasn't done. He took a pass from Garnett and drove to the basket for a layup, added four more free throws (he was 9 for 10 at the line), then a 16-foot jumper that restored the Celtics to a double-digit lead at 68-57. He dropped in two more free throws before his third quarter was complete at 17 points, and Tony Allen replaced him with 27 seconds left. And Pierce wasn't the only smoothie on the court; Ray Allen floated in 21 points, including three 3-pointers, Garnett had 15 points and 9 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo was so slick in distributing the ball that it came back to him enough for the quick point guard to score 16 points. Rondo had 12 assists. "I think Rondo is doing a great job of pushing the ball up, finding the open guy," Pierce said. "He's causing havoc, getting into the paint. When he's doing things like that, our offense is really unstoppable. "His assists are up, his turnovers are down, and he's just improving right before our eyes." As for Rondo, he recognized the direction in which Pierce was taking the game. "Definitely, feed the pig, you know, until he stops," Rondo said. "Even if he misses one possession, if it's a good shot, I'm still going to him again." The Magic are one of the Celtics' top Eastern Conference rivals, but they came to Boston shorthanded; four players are sidelined with injuries, including Keith Bogans (broken thumb), Jameer Nelson (strained hip flexor), and Mickael Pietrus (torn thumb ligament). "We realized the Magic aren't at full strength," Pierce said. "They're missing two starters. "They played us really well last year. It was like a statement game for us." For coach Doc Rivers, the game had a balance that made the Celtics hard to stop. Pressure on one end was countered by energy at the other. "The balance tonight on both ends was terrific," Rivers said. "I thought it was one of those nights where we had great offensive balance, you know, to shoot 54 percent, and great defensive balance. "When you have that combination, you're probably going to have a really good night. And we did."
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 9:53:02 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/12/02/technically_rondo_keeps_improving?mode=PFTechnically, Rondo keeps improving By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | December 2, 2008 Rajon Rondo posted a double-double (16 points, 12 assists) and also earned a technical foul in the Celtics' 107-88 win over the Orlando Magic last night. Asked why he received the technical, Rondo replied, "I don't know. Everyone got a technical." There were eight technicals issued - five to the Celtics (Sam Cassell had two, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins one each), and three to the Magic (coach Stan Van Gundy, Dwight Howard, and Rashard Lewis). Rondo was probably the least likely to receive one, though, since he had only one previous technical (last season), and has been opening eyes with his play. "I think Rondo is doing a great job pushing the ball, finding the open guy," Paul Pierce said. "He's causing havoc, getting into the paint. When he's doing things like that, our offense is really unstoppable. "He's just constantly getting layups or constantly finding guys. His assists are up, his turnovers are down, and he's just improving right before our eyes." Cassell, who has yet to play a minute for the Celtics in either the preseason or regular season, was ejected with 4:40 remaining in the first half, after he contested a call by official David Guthrie, who had whistled a foul on Perkins. "I told him he took a bullet for me," coach Doc Rivers said. "Because I thought it was on me and I wasn't saying anything, so I was upset. "I think they were trying to clean the game up," Rivers said. "There was a lot of complaining going on. Unfortunately, when that's happening, the first guy who talks gets the tech. And Sam was that guy." Magic moments for Rivers Rivers moved to Orlando to coach the Magic in 2000, and his ties to the area remain strong, though he was fired in 2004. "Great memories," Rivers said. "I won Coach of the Year, we made the playoffs every year but one. The end wasn't great - we were struggling, we were banged up. But you think about the injuries we had - you take Kevin [Garnett] off the team for three years and still make the playoffs, and that's what we did. That's what got me a job." After the Celtics won the NBA championship last season, Rivers brought the O'Brien Trophy to his home. "I did have it for a couple days," Rivers said. "I set it at the breakfast table. I didn't have a party or anything. I just had it in the house, because I wanted to look at it and be very close to it. Because I had refused to touch it - I had been in the room with it a lot, I just didn't think you should touch it unless you win it. "Those are neat moments. Every time I see it - I keep calling it 'that thing,' you know what I mean? - it has an emotional effect when you see it. The great thing about it is that it can never be taken away." Keeping a healthy distance Reserve guard Gabe Pruitt remained out with an illness. "If someone is sick with a virus, I don't want him around the other guys," Rivers said. . . . J.R. Giddens scored a game-high 34 points and Bill Walker chipped in 14 but it wasn't enough as the Utah Flash fell to the visting Bakersfield Jam, 102-100, in an NBDL game last night.
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 9:57:30 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/ot/2008/11/the_whole_truth.htmlThe whole truth Email|Link|Comments (7) Posted by Tony Massarotti, Globe Staff November 27, 2008 05:59 AM The truth is that now, years later, Paul Pierce is better than we might have believed. The truth is that so much as the Celtics were bad, for as long as they were, Pierce's game suffered. The truth is that even those of us who watched Pierce regularly made the mistake of underestimating his talent, his skills, his desire. And the truth now is that Pierce has awakened an entire nation, served notice that he belongs among the most elite group of basketball players in the world. Here is a quick story for you: Last year, during the NBA Finals in Los Angeles, many reporters and credentialed onlookers were relegated to watching the game on a large-screen television in an impromptu workroom. The Celtics already had completed a stirring comeback in Game 4 and were on the verge of another in Game 5, and it was dawning on the basketball world that most of the experts had been wrong, that the Celtics were the superior team, that the best player in the Finals was not Kobe Bryant but rather Pierce, who entered the Finals on the undercard. Here was the star of the Lakers, the otherworldly Kobe Bryant. And there was Pierce, the other guy. “I’ve got to be honest,” one NBA employee said in the midst of Pierce’s scintillating, 38-point performance in the Celtics’ eventual Game 5 loss. “I had no idea he was this good.” No shame there. After all, let’s be honest. When you get right down to it, neither did we. Just give him a chance For Danny Ainge, all along, the idea was to build around Pierce, whom Ainge regarded as one of the greatest players in franchise history. The assessment sometimes seemed like something of a stretch. For all of the talents that Pierce demonstrated during the first nine years of his Celtics career, he turned the ball over too much, made relatively little commitment to defense, seemed to prefer the supporting role. Antoine Walker was seen as having more leadership skills. The positives? Pierce could shoot, drive to the basket, and rebound. Above all, with the game on the line, he was positively fearless. He made one hell of a vice president. In retrospect, given what we know now, let that serve as indisputable evidence that losing taints reality as surely as winning enriches it. During the spring of 2007, when Ainge traded the No. 5 pick in the draft to the then-Seattle Supersonics for Ray Allen, the move was met with skepticism and cynicism. Before the addition of Kevin Garnett, many thought the Celtics were needlessly spinning their wheels. At the time, Ainge acknowledged that the Celtics had reached a crossroads with Pierce, that the club needed to build around him or trade him. Many Celtics followers believed that the latter was the more prudent course of action, but Ainge went so far as to say that Pierce “deserved” the chance to have a good team around him, again elevating his player to elite status. “If we weren’t able to do [the Allen deal], we would maybe go a different direction at some point and move Paul and continue to build young,” Ainge said. “But there are teams like Chicago who are in the ninth year of that plan.” Roughly two months later, when the Celtics acquired Garnett, a peculiar thing happened: The centerpiece of the Celtics once again became a supporting actor, right-hand man to the omnipresent Garnett. The question then was whether Pierce (along with Allen and Garnett) could subjugate his ego, accept a lesser role as scorer and greater role as player, whether he could become that most defining of all things, a winner. Oddly, as much as the 2007-08 Celtics season was supposed to be about Pierce, it became more about Garnett, the proverbial new sheriff in town, whose assimilation into green was met with nightly chants of “M-V-P.” Garnett became the focal point. Garnett became the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Garnett became the face of the new Celtics franchise. Quietly, along the way, Pierce enjoyed one of his most efficient seasons as a member of the Celtics, if not his most productive. His shooting percentages went up. His defense improved. His turnovers went down. By the end of the regular season, the Celtics were a stellar 66-16. A star is born Then came the playoffs. Of all the storylines of last year’s NBA postseason, none was more captivating than Pierce’s growth into a star of Jamesian (as in LeBron) proportion. At many points, he was downright Kobe-like. While matched against James for much of the time, Pierce scored 41 points in the Celtics’ breathtaking 97-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Pierce shot 13-of-23 from the field, 4-of-6 from 3-point distance, and 11-of-12 from the line with five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. He did it all while guarding James, who had to work a good deal harder for his 45 points. At that moment, Pierce was everything at once: the familiar scorer, the far more efficient shooter and passer, the newly impassioned defender. The winner. By the time the Celtics wrapped up their 17th championship and Pierce was named MVP of the Finals, the nationwide perception of Pierce had changed entirely. Garnett was starting to look like the supporting actor now. Pierce followed his 38-point performance in Game 5 with 10 assists in a decisive and lopsided Game 6, propelling the Celtics to a 131-92 victory that was more like an annihilation. Pierce spent much of the final few games guarding Bryant, whose stock dipped as Pierce’s rose. Even the Celtics seemed to take note as ground shifted. “No doubt,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “I think Paul was viewed upon only as a scorer, and now I think people see him as a complete basketball player. He had eight assists the other night [in Game 5]. The game before that, he guarded Kobe and did a terrific job. I think he’s one of the best rebounders at small forward in our league, and he’s a lethal scorer. He did it all.” But then, isn’t that what the great ones do? A complete player Today, Paul Pierce is a wonderful combination of the old and the new, the scorer who could carry the Celtics when necessary and the complete player who can win when he does not score. Already this season, Pierce has made a handful of last-second, game-winning shots to rescue the Celtics from themselves. The “M-V-P” chants at the Garden once aimed at Garnett are now directed at Pierce. Beyond the city limits, Pierce’s image similarly has changed. Prior to last postseason, Pierce jerseys traditionally ranked among the top 15 sold. Pierce now ranks fifth behind Dwyane Wade, James, Bryant, and Garnett, the last of whom had the additional advantage of having changed teams (hence, a new jersey). With that higher profile comes a new awareness of the power of banner No. 17. “[The championship] means everything,” Pierce said last summer in the wake of the Celtics’ Game 6 victory. “You know, I’m not living under the shadows of the other greats now. I’m able to make my own history with my time here and, like I said, this is something that I wanted to do. If I was going to be one of the best Celtics ever to play, I had to put up a banner. And we did that.” Along the way, with regard to his place in basketball worlds past and present, he removed all doubt.
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 10:01:55 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x777792963/Celtics-107-Magic-88-Cs-dont-believe-in-MagicCeltics 107, Magic 88: C's don't believe in Magic -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Scott Souza/Daily News staff The MetroWest Daily News Posted Dec 02, 2008 @ 01:33 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — Ask Rajon Rondo how the Celtics offense has made up so much ground on its vaunted defense over the past three weeks and he cites being more aggressive as a team and keeping things simple. Ask his teammates about the biggest improvement in the games of late , and they cite Rajon Rondo. The point guard paced the offense last night with 16 points (on 6-of-10 shooting) and 12 assists as the Celtics picked up their ninth straight victory with a 107-88 pasting of the Magic in a battle of teams with two of the top three records in the Eastern Conference. It was the sixth time in the last nine games the Celtics hit the century mark after doing it just three times in the first 10 games. And it's no surprise the run has coincided with Rondo's recharged battery. After getting off to a slow start - shying away from shots at times - Rondo has attempted at least 10 shots in six of the last eight games. More importantly, he has been driving and finding the hot hand with 64 assists against only 14 turnovers. "Rondo is doing a great job of pushing the ball, finding the open guy," said Paul Pierce. "He's causing havoc, getting into the paint. When he's doing things like that, our offense is really unstoppable." "He's as good as any point guard right now in the Eastern Conference," declared Ray Allen, who scored 21 points. Kendrick Perkins had eight points and 13 rebounds while putting up quite a fight against Orlando's MVP candidate Dwight Howard (14 points, 15 boards). Kevin Garnett had 15 points and nine rebounds, as the Celtics turned away their latest conference challenger in a contest that included eight technical fouls. The third quarter was the difference for the Celtics as Pierce woke up from a foul-plagued first half with 17 out of his 24 on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor, and 7-of-8 from the line. As was the case during Allen's 15-point explosion on Friday night against the Sixers, a major assist for the outburst came from Rondo's feeds. "It's obvious, you try to get them the ball," the point guard said of finding the teammate with the sizzling hand. "I just try to think of sets, different sets to get them in situations, to get them the ball. We have quite a few plays to get Ray, Paul or KG the ball at any position on the court." Rondo and the Celtics made good use of those options in the third when the Celtics turned a two-point halftime lead into a 77-65 gap heading into the fourth. "We were taking advantage of the matchups," Pierce said. "We saw something that was working and we continued to go with it." Pierce took only four shots in the first half, but struck for seven points in the first 2:37 of the second half (a drive, 3-pointer, and pair of free throws) as the Celtics took a 55-47 lead. Rondo's drive and another Pierce jumper made it an 11-1 run over the first 3:32 out of the break. The Magic got back within six on a J.J. Redick 3-pointer with 6:46 to go in the third. Then Pierce ignited another big run with six points during an 11-3 spurt that led to a 71-57 lead with 3:32 left in the quarter. With Pierce and Garnett on the bench to start the fourth, Tony Allen finished a pair of acrobatic drives, Ray Allen knocked down a long jumper and Eddie House followed with a 22-footer for an 87-71 lead with 8:54 left. A House steal and trailing 3-pointer gave the Celtics their largest lead to that point, at 92-75 with 6:45 left. The Magic never made it a game from there. "I told them it was going to be a physical game and we had to make it as physical as we could," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "So, I'm proud of our guys. I thought each guy kind of played his role completely tonight, and that's what we have to do every night."
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 10:43:42 GMT -5
www.telegram.com/article/20081202/NEWS/812020554/1009/SPORTSRondo gifts his mom Victory over Magic best birthday present By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF wdoyle@telegram.com Add a comment Boston point guard Rajon Rondo drives to the basket against Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis in the first quarter last night. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS) Enlarge photo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON— Rajon Rondo gave his mother plenty of birthday presents yesterday, but he saved one of the best for last — directing the Celtics to their ninth consecutive victory last night, 107-88, over the Orlando Magic at the Garden. Rondo collected 16 points, 12 assists and 4 rebounds as the Celtics improved to 17-2. Rondo’s mother, Amber, has been staying with him for the past month, and she cooked their Thanksgiving Day dinner. “We didn’t have a (birthday) party because I had to do my pregame ritual,” Rondo said, “but she got a lot of presents. She got presents like every two hours.” Amber Rondo was at the game last night when a message on the overhead video board wished her a happy birthday. “I wonder if she saw it,” Rondo said. Rondo said he didn’t feel as if he needed to have an extra special game because it was his mother’s birthday, but he did anyway. “I don’t think I was under pressure,” Rondo said. “She loves me no matter what.” Ray Allen scored 21 points and combined with Rondo to outscore Orlando’s injury-depleted starting backcourt, 37-10. Don’t get the idea that the Celtics have beefed up on the league’s lower-tier teams. They are 11-1 against teams with winning records and 3-1 against the NBA’s other division leaders. In addition to Southeast Division leader Orlando, they’ve beaten Central Division leader Cleveland and Southwest Division leader Houston, but lost to Northwest Division leader Denver. They don’t play the Pacific Division leader Lakers until Christmas in L.A. Paul Pierce scored a team-high 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Celtics posted their longest winning streak since they won 10 in a row from last Feb. 24-March 12. Kevin Garnett contributed 15 points and nine rebounds. Kendrick Perkins grabbed 12 boards and scored eight points. The Celtics shot 55.1 percent. Rashard Lewis scored 30 for Orlando, which had won four in row overall and six straight on the road. Hedo Turkoglu scored 17 and Dwight Howard had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Over his previous six games, Pierce averaged only 13 points, shot just 38.6 percent and made just 2 of 16 3-pointers. He had a quiet first half last night, scoring only five points. But you can keep Pierce down for only so long. The Celtics captain returned to form in the third quarter, scoring 17 points to help the Celtics outscore Orlando, 29-19, and take a 77-65 lead into the fourth. In the third, Pierce made 5 of 7 shots and 6 of 7 free throws and fed Allen for a trey. “It wasn’t something that I just decided to do,” Pierce said. “We were taking advantage of the matchups. We saw something that was working, and we continued to go with it. My teammates did a good job of setting me up.” “We didn’t do a good job on the pick and rolls in the second half,” Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I think more than anything, it was a problem in our schemes and preparation. So I’ve got to take the blame for that.” Orlando never pulled within single digits in the fourth. Glen Davis hit a 17-foot jumper to push the lead to 37-22 with 9:24 left in the second quarter, but the Celtics made only four baskets for the rest of the half. A Lewis jumper capped a 10-0 Orlando run that cut Boston’s lead to 37-32. Rivers reinserted his starters and Allen drained a trey, but the Magic continued to battle back with a 5-0 run to pull within, 40-37. The Celtics’ lead was only 48-46 at the half. J.J. Redick and Anthony Johnson started in the Orlando backcourt in place of the injured Jameer Nelson and Mickael Pietrus. Backup guard Keith Bogans is also injured so Van Gundy used only seven players. Before the game Van Gundy credited the Celtics with playing the best defense he’s seen in 15 years and in the first quarter the Celtics limited Orlando to 26.1 percent while grabbing a 28-18 lead. But then the Magic shot 55.6 percent in the second quarter. Eight technical fouls were called, five of them on Boston. A league-high 24 technicals have been called on the Celtics and Perkins picked up his ninth last night. If Perkins reaches 16, he’ll be suspended a game. Rivers said he wasn’t too concerned about the technical fouls because the Celtics are winning. “We talk about them,” he said, “and I think it’s a learning process. Tonight was just, it was strange. I’m just going to leave it there. I don’t want to get a tech.” Sam Cassell has yet to play this season, but he dressed for the third consecutive game because Gabe Pruitt is sick. Cassell was whistled for two technicals and ejected for arguing a foul on Perkins. “It was his first impact this year,” Rivers joked.
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 10:45:11 GMT -5
www.telegram.com/article/20081202/NEWS/812020467/1009/SPORTSDoc’s Coach of Month 14-2 November mark a record for franchise CELTICS NOTES By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF wdoyle@telegram.com Add a comment Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers was named NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for November. (ASSOCIATED PRESS File photo) Enlarge photo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON— Celtics coach Doc Rivers was named NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for November for the second consecutive year, but he didn’t let it go to his head. “It doesn’t mean much,” Rivers said. “There are so many other coaches that can win it as well.” Rivers was also honored as Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for the final two months of last season so he became only the third coach since the award’s inception in the 1981-82 season to win the award in three consecutive months. Flip Saunders of the 2005-06 Pistons and Larry Brown of the 2002-03 Sixers were the others. “Whenever you win something like that,” Rivers said, “it has a lot to do with a lot of other people and not just you. I have an unbelievable coaching staff, and I have some pretty good players, too. It usually means that that month your players made shots and they got stops more than the other teams.” Celtics guard Tony Allen said he thinks Rivers would rather be named Coach of Month for June when the NBA Finals are held. “That would be a good reward,” Rivers agreed. The league doesn’t hand out such awards in the playoffs, however. If it did, Rivers would have won it last year when the Celtics captured the NBA championship. The Celtics set a team record for most victories in November. They went 14-2 to top their 13-2 November of last season and their 13-1 November 1985. The club record for most wins in any month is 16. The Celtics went 16-1 in March 1982. The Celtics would have to win all 15 of their games this month to tie the team record for most victories in December. The Celtics won all 15 of their December games in 1982 to post the franchise’s best record in any month without a loss, and they went 15-2 in December of 1961 and 1964. The Celtics were 13-1 in December last season. “Coach of the Month is sort of a strange award,” Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I don’t know if coaches really change from month to month. I got that award in Miami a couple of times, and I remember thinking, ‘Did I coach better this month than last month?’ It goes to the team with the best record in each conference. It’s not like a panel sits down and picked it. Doc’s a great coach, but it’s a strange award.” Rivers didn’t need to win an award for his players to appreciate him. “We always say it will be tough for us to play for anybody else,” Ray Allen said. “Myself, Paul and Kevin, we talk about it quite a bit.” Allen thinks Rivers knows how to treat his players because he played in the NBA. “He understands how to manage who we are as players,” Allen said. “At the same time, he makes sure he gets the best out of us, at the same time he makes sure we get the proper rest, at the same time he knows how to push the proper buttons. He has a perfect balance of it all.” “If you’re messing up out there,” Tony Allen said, “he’ll tell you. If you’re doing good, he’s going to tell you. He’s a real upfront coach. No matter who you are. He gives some guys a little leeway, but I’ve seen him get in everybody’s cabbage.” “He puts each player in the right position to get the best out of him,” Kendrick Perkins said. “Doc’s a real film guy. He breaks it down. He’s helped me so much since I got here. As a head coach, he really gets involved as far as the individual stuff.” Three other Celtics coaches have been honored as coach of the month, K.C. Jones in January 1984 and March 1986, Jimmy Rodgers in April 1990 and Chris Ford in April 1992. Doc finally touches trophy Rivers had the NBA championship Larry O’Brien Trophy at his Orlando home for a couple of days last summer. “I wanted to look at it and be very close to it,” he said. “I had refused to touch it up to that point. In my life, I had never touched that trophy. I had been in the room with it a lot, but I just didn’t think you should touch it unless you win it.” Rivers didn’t go as far as to sleep with the trophy, though. “I was worried about it at night, though,” he said. “I got up to check on it.” Rivers opened his pregame news conference by saying, “I will never brag again. That was a tough loss. My gosh, how did that happen?” Rivers was talking about his alma mater Marquette losing to Dayton, the alma mater of Boston Herald reporter Steve Bulpett. Magic guards injured The Magic played without starting backcourt duo Jameer Nelson (strained hip flexor) and Mickael Pietrus (torn thumb ligament), and backup guard Keith Bogans (fractured thumb). Nelson worked out without pain prior to last night’s game, but is still expected to be out for another week while Pietrus and Bogans could be sidelined for another month. J.J. Redick and Anthony Johnson started in the backcourt last night for Orlando. Ex-Celtic Tony Battie sprained his left ankle Saturday night against Indiana, but played last night.
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 11:00:26 GMT -5
www.patriotledger.com/sports/x984837697/Rajon-Rondo-just-trying-to-keep-it-simpleRajon Rondo just trying to keep it simple -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loading multimedia... Photos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press Rajon Rondo, left, earned 12 assists in the Celtics’ win over the Magic Monday night. By Mike Fine The Patriot Ledger Posted Dec 01, 2008 @ 11:43 PM Last update Dec 02, 2008 @ 03:30 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — Paul Pierce had it going in the third quarter Monday night, scoring 17 points, just as Ray Allen had it going the other night, just as other guys get it going at certain points during every game. But while different players get hot, there’s always one common denominator. Rajon Rondo is suddenly a point guard who’s playing as well as the best in the game. No longer one thing one night and perhaps a lesser thing the next, he’s become a steady quarterback. It was Allen Friday night against Philly, Pierce Monday night. “I mean, it’s obvious,” said Rondo, who handed off 12 assists in Monday’s 107-88 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic. “You just try to get them the ball.” Yeah, obvious, but it wasn’t obvious at any point last season that Rondo had reached the level where he could go for 12, nine and 12 assists in consecutive games. He’s now averaging 7.2 assists per game, which puts him in eighth place in the league, and it’s the Celtics who are reaping the benefits. While coach Doc Rivers said he’s not concerned about points, per se, it is a lot of points that enabled the Celts to win their last eight games by an average score of 105-94. “I don’t care about that,” Rivers said of the point-scoring binge. “I just want us to be efficient.” That’s where Rondo comes in. The thing is, it’s so simple for a talented young guard to follow the lead of his All-Star teammates and his championship coach. “Definitely, feed the pig until he stops,” he said, using Celtics terminology for finding the hot shooter. “You never know, even if he misses one possession, if it’s a good shot I’m going to go to him again.” Simple as that, but on this team, with Pierce, Allen and Kevin Garnett, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out, but it might take an All-Star, and the Celtics feel they’re helping lead their third-year point guard down that path. “I don’t make cases for guys,” Rivers said, “because if everyone doesn’t see it, then it’s a shame. I mean, he’s the point guard of a team that’s doing very well. Defensively, when he plays well, we play well. Offensively, when he plays well, we’re really good. And that’s all I can say. I don’t know what else you need to say.” Well, you could say, “I think Rondo is doing a great job of pushing the ball, finding the open guy.” That’s what Pierce feels. “He’s causing havoc, getting into the paint. When he’s doing things like that our offense is really unstoppable. When he’s constantly getting layups and constantly finding guys his assists are up, his turnovers are down and he’s just improving right before our eyes.” What makes the Rondo performance even more appealing is the fact that he and the Celtics are doing it against some impressive opponents. They’ve now won five straight, and included in the streak are blowout wins over Detroit, Toronto and Philadelphia, all conference rivals that had pretensions of being able to make waves in the East. This game against Orlando was something of a statement game because the Magic came in at 13-4, on top of the Southeast Division and making some real waves themselves with six straight road victories. They were riding the coattails of league rebounding and blocked shots leader Dwight Howard, who scored seven points under his average, with 14, while picking up 15 rebounds and four blocks. The Celtics even survived Rashard Lewis’ 30-point evening and still won by 19 points. They survived five technical fouls, including one each against Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, and two to Sam Cassell, who was doing nothing but yapping on the bench. “That was his first impact this year,” Rivers said. “You like playing teams like them because it gives your team something, too,” Rivers said. “Both teams are up. And that’s always nice, when you get that. I call it a ‘free speech night.’ You don’t have to talk a lot before a game when you play like teams like that. But they (Magic) have some injuries (starters Jameer Nelson, Mickael Pietrus), and we understand that, too. And so I thought we took advantage of that a little bit.” One Celtic in particular went for it. “It’s just being aggressive and keeping it simple,” Rondo said, “not making the home run plays, but keeping it simple. Yeah, that also includes myself.”
|
|
|
|
Post by FLCeltsFan on Dec 2, 2008 11:23:07 GMT -5
|
|
