News 12/30

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1142020&format=text

Portland a key test
Tough stop left on trail

By Steve Bulpett | Tuesday, December 30, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Celtics [team stats] are facing the additional opponent of fatigue as they wind their way up the West Coast, but they have a few miles to go before they sleep.

And a promise to keep.

“We have to finish this off right,” said Paul Pierce [stats] as the Celtics ready themselves for tonight’s trip finale against the Trail Blazers. “We have to get this one.”

Half the Celtics’ four losses this season have come on the current journey that is three games old, and the lads can expect a frosty reception from the team they beat up by 15 on Dec. 5 in Boston. The Celts outscored Portland 50-30 over the middle two periods to essentially close it out.

“They play well on their own floor, and they’re probably definitely waiting for us,” Ray Allen said. “They’re watching whatever Golden State did, what LA did, and they’re definitely going to try to adhere some of the same tactics.

“I told the guys during the game when we were up 30-plus (in Sacramento) that this game may be over, but we need to focus and play like this is our practice to get ready for Portland.”

The Blazers could be without two of their starters, however. Brandon Roy injured his right hamstring in Portland’s game against Toronto Saturday and participated in only a portion of the Blazers’ practice yesterday. Greg Oden injured his left ankle near the end of practice and was taken for X-rays, which were negative.

Both are listed as questionable for tonight.

Pierce expects there to be no problem with motivation. Even with the 45-point crushing of the Kings, the Celts still owe this trip a little something.

“It’s easy to be focused for this last game because obviously when we come on a trip we want to go 4-0,” he said. “Being that we’re behind the 8-ball a little bit, we want to kind of make up the game that we lost. We felt like we could have won the Golden State game, and the Laker game, so we want to kind of make it up right here in the last of the road trip.

“We’re not one of those teams that pack it in for the last game ready to go home. We take it one game at a time and we try to finish the road trip on the right note.”

Doc Rivers plans to lighten the load on Kevin Garnett, if possible. The idea is to get him fresher for the more critical points in the game.

“That’s something we’re going to do more, just to give him more rest,” the coach said. “I just think playing him less than eight minutes in a row is solid because it gives him a chance to come back in the game. We’re finding the longer you keep him on the floor, then he doesn’t have much coming back in. So if we can keep doing it, it would be great.”

The C’s regulars were able to get a break against the Kings and they were given yesterday off here.

“Whenever you sit down in the fourth quarter as a starter, you know that you’re doing something good,” Pierce said. “We were able to get the lead and the bench was able to sustain it. It’s good to get some rest, especially on a long road trip like this.”

Added Rivers, “That’s always nice. Any chance you get to rest those guys, it’s great. It was needed. I think you can see we’re a little tired right now. We’ve got to get through this stretch.”

Celtics notes

Sacramento’s 19 field goals Sunday were second-lowest ever by a Celtics opponent, ahead of only the 17 by Miami last March. Their 27.9 percent shooting was an NBA low this season.

“That’s our staple,” Pierce said. “We feel like the last couple of games we haven’t been living up to what we’ve been doing most of the year. We wanted to get back to that and establish our defense.”

The Celts easily eclipsed their previous high margin of victory this season - a 34-pointer in Washington on Dec. 11. Their biggest lead Sunday - 48 - also was the high of the year, topping the 36-point edge from that same win over the Wizards. . . .

With 6:40 left in the fourth quarter and the Celts ahead by 39, Rivers picked up the ball during a timeout and faked a pass to radio commentator Cedric Maxwell.

The coach smiled broadly and repeated Max’ now famous interruption of Sean Grande in the moments after Game 6 against the Lakers: “I got the ball.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1142019&format=text
Scouting report, Celtics at Trail Blazers

By Herald Staff | Tuesday, December 30, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
CELTICS at TRAIL BLAZERS

TONIGHT - 10, The Rose Garden, Portland, Ore. TV - CSN. RADIO - WEEI-AM (850).

THE NUMBER

7: Straight wins by the Celts over Portland.

78: Points by the Trail Blazers in the first game vs. the Celtics [team stats] this season, their lowest total ever against the C’s.

WHO’S HURT

For the C’s, Kendrick Perkins [stats] (strained left shoulder) is expected to play. For the Blazers, Raef LaFrentz (right shoulder) and Martell Webster (left foot) are out, while Brandon Roy (hamstring) and Greg Oden (ankle) are questionable.

WHO’S HOT

For the C’s, Kevin Garnett (10-for-11) and Ray Allen (7-for-8) combined to make 17-of-19 shots in Sunday’s rout over Sacramento.

WHO’S NOT

For the Blazers, point guard Steve Blake has committed 11 turnovers while posting just 16 assists over his last three games.

BOTTOM LINE

The key for the C’s could be hitting the boards as well as they did at home against Portland (43-31 edge, with a 17-9 spread on the offensive glass).

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/12/30/rivers_wants_to_keep_time_on_his_side_with_garnett?mode=PF
Rivers wants to keep time on his side with Garnett
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | December 30, 2008

SACRAMENTO - With the Celtics dominating in the third quarter against the Kings Sunday, the buzzer sounded at the 4:23 mark and Kevin Garnett was taken out of the game, his team ahead, 80-42. With his double double already in hand (21 points, 11 rebounds), the Sacramento fans respectfully applauded as Garnett walked slowly to the bench. As for coach Doc Rivers, the statistic he was most happy about was 23 minutes of play.

Garnett's minutes have been going up of late, so Rivers is making a concerted effort to reduce them in hopes of getting better production from the 11-time All-Star.

Rivers said the idea is to keep Garnett about where he was last season.

"He was at 34 or 35 or 33 on a lot of nights," said the coach. "Then that way, once in a while you could extend it. That would be a great number."

Said Garnett, "Whatever Doc says, I'm with. I wish I was perfect. But I feel really, really good. I haven't always had the chance to say that this year."

Before the Sacramento game, Garnett, 32, had played at least 37 minutes in four of the previous seven games. His minutes became a major concern for Rivers during the Celtics' first back-to-back losses of the season, to the Lakers and Warriors last week.

In the 92-83 loss to Los Angeles on Christmas Day, Garnett had a solid game with 22 points and nine rebounds in 37 minutes. But the next night the fatigue factor set in, and he had just 14 points and four rebounds in 38 minutes in the 99-89 loss at Golden State.

"The Lakers game was kind of weird," Garnett said. "They came out with a lot of calls and I thought a lot of those calls were questionable. Against the Warriors, I felt like we were a little fatigued. I felt like I wasn't even in the game.

"I told Paul [Pierce] and Ray [Allen] that I could have stayed at the hotel after the performance I gave. I pride myself about playing hard every night and I felt like I have taken a step back."

The Celtics took Saturday off and didn't have a shootaround before Sunday's 6 p.m. game in Sacramento. With lots of rest, Garnett felt a lot fresher and played that way.

"[Sunday] was bigger for me, just coming out with a lot of energy and being able to be active, rebound, blocking shots," Garnett said. "Playing, not necessarily thinking. I'm not a perfect individual. But I do work hard and I do strive for the best.

"It was just good to feel refreshed and go out there and do the things I know I can do. After having a game like that in Oakland, you want to play immediately. But it's good to have a day of rest. It totally helped. Any time you get to watch your teammates play, especially the ones that don't get a lot of opportunities, it's always a good thing."

Allen said, of all the starters, it's most important Garnett rested.

"We like him on the floor, but when we don't have to play him, I like him to take it easy because he definitely creates a presence out there," Allen said. "It definitely seems between myself and Paul we are somewhat interchangeable. We're going to need [Garnett] down the stretch."

Rivers noted that he might get the best out of Garnett by playing him in maximum eight-minute spurts.

"Playing less than eight minutes in a row is solid because it gives him a chance to come back in the game [stronger]," Rivers said. "The longer the stretches he has on the floor, the less he has coming back in. If we can keep doing it, it would be great."

Garnett averaged 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 32.8 minutes per game last season. His minutes per game were his lowest since he averaged 28.7 in his rookie season, 1995-96. Through 32 games this season, he is averaging 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds in 32.8 minutes.

When asked to grade his play this season, Garnett said, "At times I've been a B. Probably at a C right now. I could play better, but I'm playing within the scheme of what Doc has talked about.

"I think assists are up as far as the ball movement. A lot of times I'm not as aggressive as I should be. That's all in flow. My job is to get Ray open and [Rajon] Rondo open [with screens], to get Paul open, to get [Kendrick Perkins] easy shots.

"When Eddie [House] and Tony [Allen] come in, get those guys open. And then when I have opportunity on the block, make plays, whether it's getting somebody an easy bucket or being a force on the block, to bring havoc on defense.

"Right now my defense is totally ahead of my offense. I'm not worried about it. We are winning a lot of games this way."

Solid play from reserve big men Leon Powe and Glen Davis could also aid Rivers's attempt to lower Garnett's minutes.

"We just have to go out there and play together, play with everybody and make basketball plays," Powe said. "We just have to go out there and keep our group focused. If we do that, we'll be able to be out there for a long period of time together, especially if we want to keep Kevin's minutes down."

The Celtics finish this four-game Western trip tonight at Portland. The Blazers haven't played since Saturday and will be playing the fourth game of a five-game homestand. Blazers center Greg Oden sprained his left ankle coming down on the foot of teammate Shavlik Randolph at practice yesterday. X-rays were taken and he will be a game-time decision, according to the Blazers. Guard Brandon Roy has a mild hamstring strain and is a game-time decision, too. He was injured last Saturday against Toronto and didn't practice yesterday . . . Asked about the challenge of finishing the trip strongly, Pierce said, "It's easy to be focused for this last game. Obviously, when you go on a trip, you want to go 4-0. Being that we are behind the 8-ball a little bit, we want to kind of make up the games that we lost. We felt like we could have won the Golden State game and the Laker game. We want to make it up here in the last game of the road trip. We're not one of those teams that pack it in in the last game and go home."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/

Roy & Oden game-time decision for Celtics game
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff December 29, 2008 04:41 PM
Blazers center Greg Oden sprained his left ankle while coming down on teammate Shavlik Randolph's foot at practice today in Portland. Oden received X-rays yesterday and is a game-time decision for tomorrow's game against Boston in Portland. Blazers guard Brandon Roy has a right mild hamstring strain and is a game-time decision, too. The 2008 All-Star was injured last Saturday against Toronto and didn't practice today.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=2862

Ricky Davis suspended 5 games
December 29, 2008 · Filed Under Los Angeles Clippers, News
The NBA announced today that Los Angeles Clippers guard/forward Ricky Davis has been suspended without pay for five games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. Davis’ suspension will begin with tomorrow night’s game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings.

Davis is playing 21.3 minutes per game this season, but doing very little: shooting 27.2% from the field for 4.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.columbian.com/article/20081230/SPORTS01/712309949

Blazers try to borrow formula from Celtics
Monday, December 29 | 11:17 p.m.

BY BRIAN HENDRICKSON
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

TUALATIN, Ore. — Whenever he can catch a game on a night off, Brandon Roy always tries to watch the Boston Celtics play.

It’s not that the Portland Trail Blazers All-Star has an emotional attachment to the defending NBA champions. He is simply fascinated by their approach — from their unselfish style to their tenacious defense; from the play of their trio of stars setting the pace to the reserves that match their intensity. And night after night, winning or losing, the Celtics consistently play the same.

For a young player like Roy trying to carry a team to a championship level, tonight’s opponent presents a case study for how to achieve that goal.

“Every night I look to see if they do the same thing they did against us. And they do,” said Roy, who along with rookie Greg Oden (strained left ankle) is questionable for tonight’s game with a strained right hamstring. “I think that’s pretty neat. Because something I’m trying to find in myself and in this team is how to be more consistent. And they have the formula.”

It’s a formula that embodies much of what Blazers coach Nate McMillan regularly preaches to his players.

Defense? Few teams can match the Celtics’ ball pressure, quick closeouts and physical play. McMillan regularly tells his players that their success has to start on the defensive end, and Boston is a shining example of why it works. Only Cleveland allows fewer than the 90.8 points the Celtics yield each night, and nobody in the NBA can top the 41.8 percent field-goal shooting to which Boston holds its opponents.

Selflessness? Boston’s “Big Three” — Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce — were each named to either the All-Star or All-NBA teams. They anchor an offense that averages 101.5 points per game, which ranks among the league’s top third, yet the leading scorers average only 18.2 points per game.

And consistency? Boston has won 28 of its 32 games, including a 19-game win streak. They have dropped back-to-back games once this year — last week against the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State — and responded like a champion would be expected, throttling Sacramento 108-63 Sunday.

That combination has the Celtics in the hunt for another NBA title while setting the standard for excellence in the league.

“They have figured out what they are capable of doing,” McMillan said. “A lot of people were wondering how that combination of three would work out, and it has worked out. But now they have really accepted their roles. And now the three are better than they were last year, because they are playing off of each other and they really have accepted their roles.”

Portland has seen first hand the potency of that style.

The Blazers have been competitive against the league’s other elite teams, splitting their series with the Lakers last year before Los Angeles marched to the NBA Finals, and snapping lengthy losing streaks to Phoenix and San Antonio. But Boston has presented a wall Portland has failed to penetrate.

The Blazers have dropped seven straight games to Boston, predating the “Big Three’s” arrival. The Celtics took the last three meetings by double-figure margins, and did it so methodically and consistently that Roy can explain exactly how future games will flow. First Boston will start slow, feeling out their opponent. Then they’ll make a push in the second quarter and gain some breathing room, and then make another push toward the end of the third quarter to put their opponent on the ropes.

The challenge will only get tougher if Roy and Oden are unable to play tonight. The injuries are considered minor, but each player’s availability will be a game-time decision.

Even if both are healthy and understand how Boston’s formula will play out, though, they may once again be powerless to stop the Celtics from exerting their will.

“They’re tenacious,” Roy said. “They scrap. And then the impressive thing is their bench will come in and play the same way as the starters. But it’s the same formula. ... I think we’re just trying to build our team around that concept. Because anytime you have three guys, your numbers aren’t going to be where you want them to be. But you’re gonna win. That’s what we’re trying to get to.”