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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 21, 2009 7:36:07 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1146702&format=textCeltics get it together By Steve Bulpett | Wednesday, January 21, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matthew West They still don’t have that same air of invincibility as during that 19-game winning streak. Like the rest of the NBA, the Celtics [team stats] are caught somewhere between heaven and Secaucus. But with five straight wins, the last a total eclipse of the Suns, there’s been a global warming of the Shamrock planet. “Yeah. I mean, we’re obviously not where we want to be, but we’re starting to trend in the right direction,” said coach Doc Rivers, whose lads take on the Heat tonight in the start of a two-game Florida swing. “You could see it even in that last loss to Cleveland. I said then I liked where we were going. Now we’ve won a few and this is a great week for us. We’ve got some tough games, Miami and then Orlando and Dallas. We got off the track for a little while and gave some people a little hope. Now we have to keep improving and try to dash that hope.” If anything, the 104-87 decision against Phoenix helped dash the notion the league has found the blueprint to ground the Green. The theory was based on guarding Rajon Rondo [stats] with a bigger player and smothering his drives (and kick-outs to shooters). But Rondo and the Celts have found the best, and perhaps only, way to combat that is to fight fire with speed. And experience. “There is no blueprint,” Rivers said. “Different guys will guard him, and they’re going to help different ways off of him. He’s got to figure that out and he will. He just went through a tough stretch, but he’s figured the quicker he is in games, the less they can help off of him. But when the game gets down to the last four minutes and they slow it down, that’s where he still is working on trying to be a threat.” All agree, however, the threat begins at the other end of the floor. “We have to run to be effective, especially Rajon,” Rivers said. “And to do that we have to get stops. We’re killing Rondo if we don’t get multiple stops, consecutive stops.” After scoring 23 points and orchestrating an up-tempo symphony against the Suns, the little guy is looking much healthier. “With the way some teams are playing me, it makes stops more important,” Rondo said, “because if you don’t get stops then they get to set their defense up and they get to use their game plan. I think transition is where we can really get things done if we do it right. I’ve just got to pick and choose when I can be aggressive. “It’s the same as when we were on our long winning streak. I was trying to get everyone the ball and make everyone happy, but at times I have to be aggressive in the offensive end and keep the defenses honest. So it’s something that goes back and forth. “Hopefully I can get it together on a more consistent basis.” During the span of seven losses in nine games, Rondo willingly stepped up to take the heat. “I don’t consider it pressure, but I take a lot of the blame when things don’t go well,” he said. “I just look myself in the mirror and try to get better. That’s how it should be. I think it’s fair. I’m the point guard. I’m the leader of the team, you know, whether I like it or not. People may consider (Kevin Garnett), Paul (Pierce) and Ray (Allen) the leaders, but I’m the point guard of the team. When things aren’t going well, I’ve got to make the adjustments and make the right decisions.” And he’s fine with whatever defense gets thrown his way. “Teams are putting a bigger guy on me, but that’s really nothing new,” Rondo said. “The Lakers put Kobe (Bryant) on me in The Finals.” And that seemed to work out all right.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 21, 2009 7:40:48 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1146713&format=textRay Allen, Steve Pagliuca in middle of history By Steve Buckley | Wednesday, January 21, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone Guard Ray Allen and Celtics [team stats] general partner Steve Pagliuca had what the latter called “just about perfect seats” for the inauguration of President Obama yesterday. “We were right in the middle, about 150 yards away,” Pagliuca said. “We could see everything. It was a very emotional moment for Ray, and for myself as well.” According to Pagliuca, Allen turned to him after the swearing-in ceremony and said, “This is an example for the country. It shows all the possibilities, that if someone works hard and is competent they can rise to the highest office in the land and set an example for everybody.” Fellow attendees in the vicinity of the Celtics party included actors Halle Berry and Michael J. Fox, Pagliuca said. “Both Ray and I at times were choking up during the ceremony,” he said. “You had the color guard, you had Aretha Franklin singing (‘My Country ’Tis of Thee’). She sang it so beautifully. It was a very emotional moment, I think, for all Americans.” Pagliuca and Allen were joined by Allen’s sister-in-law and Celtics strength and conditioning coach Brian Doo. They took a charter flight to Washington on Monday night, following the victory against Phoenix at the Garden. Following the ceremony, Allen and Doo caught a commercial flight to Miami, where they were to rejoin the Celtics. Pagliuca remained in Washington and planned to take part in the New England inaugural ball.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 21, 2009 7:42:08 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1146693&format=textSports world takes note By Associated Press | Wednesday, January 21, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage WASHINGTON - Muhammad Ali and Magic Johnson had prime seats at the Capitol. LeBron James watched from a hotel room in Los Angeles with his two sons. Across the country, coaches rescheduled practices, and even the Super Bowl had to take a back seat yesterday to the inauguration of Barack Obama. “This day means a lot to inner-city kids, to African-American kids, to everyone,” said Cleveland Cavaliers star James, who contributed $20,000 to Obama’s campaign but couldn’t attend the swearing-in because his team is on a West Coast road trip. “This day will last forever. It will be in books. It will be in schools. It will be in classes. It will be on test questions. It means a lot not only on this day, but for the rest of the days to come and the years to come.” It takes a lot to bring the sports world to a standstill, but there was no ignoring the magnitude of the moment. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin pushed back his first pre-Super Bowl news conference one hour so it wouldn’t conflict with the inauguration. “What we’re doing here today pales with what’s going on in our nation’s capital,” Tomlin said. Even ESPN deviated from its sports programming to broadcast the swearing-in. Sports metaphors were heavily in play. Louisville basketball Rick Pitino, who campaigned for Rudy Giuliani during the primaries, said he was thrilled by Obama’s speech but noted the challenges he faces. “I think, unfortunately, he’s taking over a bad program with bad players right now,” Pitino said. Baseball players found it easier to attend because their sport is out of season. Free agent reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who had a seat about 100 yards from the Capitol, said he thought of his grandmother, who died in 2006, as he watched Obama take the oath. “It has to do with race,” Hawkins said. “A lot of African-American people feel now they can relate to someone in the White House, and that somebody in the White House can relate to them. He can understand their struggles. He can understand what it means to be black in the United States.” New York Mets GM Omar Minaya also had a good view. “I hope all kids will look at today and realize how great a country we have,” said Minaya, who was appointed this month to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports by outgoing President George W. Bush.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 21, 2009 7:45:09 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/21/one_packed_trip_by_the_celtics_allen?mode=PFOne packed trip by the Celtics' Allen By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff | January 21, 2009 The beauty of stuffing more than 1 million people into a city that on any other day holds 500,000 is that eventually they all blend together and the sight becomes a cluster of colorlessness. Because they were packed shoulder to shoulder for blocks, the view wasn't of a black man and then a white man. It was of people wearing peacoats, knit caps, and mittens identifiable more by their collective emotions - bubbling eagerness, then teeming excitement - than their faces. Somewhere in a crowd larger than the record 1.2 million that flooded the capital for Lyndon B. Johnson's inauguration 44 years ago were Celtics guard Ray Allen, managing partner Steve Pagliuca, and strength and conditioning coach Bryan Doo. Allen and Pagliuca realized two weeks ago that they were heading to Washington to see President Obama's inauguration. Pagliuca is a longtime Obama supporter who fancies himself a student of history. He is the type to give friends history books as gifts. For almost a year, Allen has been trying to work this inauguration into his plans and couldn't help seeing the stars align. The day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a successful white man and a successful black man traveled together to Washington to see the nation swear in its first black president. "Basketball has grown to such a level, but never will it ever compare to the impact that our government has on the whole world, and our president," Allen said yesterday. Pagliuca said he and Allen arrived in Washington at about 2:30 a.m. yesterday. After a 6:30 wake-up call, they departed for the inauguration. In fact, after defeating the Suns Monday night at TD Banknorth Garden, the Celtics voted to take an early flight to Miami to watch Obama's speech on television. "When you have the legacy of Red Auerbach, who was a pioneer in civil rights, it gives the Celtics a connection with a historic day like this," Pagliuca said. Their private car could only get them about 17-18 blocks, so Allen and Pagliuca walked the rest of the way. Pagliuca had a seat next to Allen, about 20 yards from where Obama took the presidential oath. Pagliuca said he and Allen got a little emotional when Aretha Franklin sang, and both truly enjoyed the experience. "Ray is a very cerebral basketball player and person with compassion for history," Pagliuca wrote in an e-mail yesterday. "Ray said that this showed that if someone is smart and works hard they can get to the highest office of the land. "[Allen] was very happy to come down to the historic event. It was a fantastic experience. People will look at this event the same way they did when Martin Luther King said his 'I have a dream' speech over 40 years ago." The temperature was frigid. The crowds were enormous. The day was long. But even before leaving, Pagliuca said the day would be immeasurable. "This feels like kind of a culmination," Pagliuca said Monday. "We desperately need some new leadership in the country. We have a tough economic situation. We've got the war in Iraq going on and Obama has a lot of issues to face, but he's a very, very smart guy." But the symbolism of celebrities and strangers, black people, white people, all people uniting meant more. "The American people want to be held in high esteem around the world," said Allen, who hopped on an afternoon flight to Miami to join his teammates for tonight's game against the Heat. "They want America to get back to the days when we held our heads high around the world. As soon as I got down there, I was like, 'Wow. We're back.' Not necessarily world dominance, but world acceptance."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 21, 2009 7:46:15 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/21/heat_thumbnails?mode=PFHeat thumbnails January 21, 2009 When, where: Tonight, 7:30, at American Airlines Arena, Miami. TV, radio: CSN, WEEI (850). Scoring: Dwyane Wade 28.9, Michael Beasley 13.5, Shawn Marion 12.3. Rebounding: Marion 9.2, Udonis Haslem 8.9, Beasley 5.2. Assists: Wade 7.4, Mario Chalmers 4.5, Chris Quinn 2.3. Head to head: This is the first of four meetings. Boston swept four games last season. Miscellany: Wade did not record a steal in Miami's victory over Oklahoma City Sunday, breaking a streak of 18 consecutive games with at least one . . . Haslem needs six rebounds to pass Grant Long (3,281) for third place on the Heat's all-time list . . . Miami is coming off a seven-game road trip during which it went 4-3. The Heat haven't won at home since beating Cleveland, 104-95, Dec. 30.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 21, 2009 7:50:32 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x626862701/Celtics-Rondo-back-in-formCeltics: Rondo back in form -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Fenton'Gatehouse News Service MetroWest Daily News Posted Jan 20, 2009 @ 10:45 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — When the Boston Celtics were struggling over a recent 16-day stretch, the search was on to find explanations for their rare dip. One theory was that opponents were starting to figure a way out to neutralize the quickness of point guard Rajon Rondo. The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks defended Rondo with bigger bodies, and other teams made it a priority to keep him out of the lane. It appears Rondo has figured things out since then, and he's been a catalyst to the Celtics' five-game winning streak following their 2-7 slump. After averaging 8.1 points, 8.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds in those nine games, Rondo has increased his productivity since. He's averaging 13.6 points, 10.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds during the winning streak, helping the Celtics get back on track and improve to 34-9 heading into tonight's game in Miami against the Heat (CSN, 7:30 p.m.). Rondo flirted with a triple-double on Saturday afternoon in New Jersey, getting eight points, 14 assists and nine rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter. He outplayed Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns in Monday night's rout, getting 23 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Making things uncomfortable for Nash at both ends of the floor, Rondo set the tone for the Celtics. "When Rajon is up and he's pressuring the ball and he's active, you can see it in his eyes," said Kevin Garnett. "He is going to sort of take the game over and he wants the ball. "He has a good flow with the pick-and-roll and he's good with diversifying the ball with everybody and at the same time being aggressive with himself. He's was doing it at both ends." The quickness of Rondo is a weapon that few teams have been able to handle. The experience he gained during the championship season a year ago has made Rondo a tough assignment for point guards, even former most valuable players like Nash. "He's improving all the time," Nash said after Monday's loss at the TD Banknorth Garden. "He's emerging as one of the elite guards in the league. "I think, regardless of whether he's shooting the ball well - and he needs to improve there - his game has improved. I think it's made the shooting not as big a question. He's become a better and better passer. He's a great athlete who does a lot of things for his team on the floor." It was Rondo who established a quick tempo early against Nash and the Suns, who never recovered. That's the way the Celtics were getting things done during a 19-game winning streak that preceded their rare slump. "It was a lot of fast-break opportunities for me," said Rondo. "They missed shots and that was key for us. All night long, we got stops on defense and it allowed me to push stuff on the break and get easy looks at the basket." Rondo, who is averaging 11 points, eight assists and 4.9 rebounds this season, will continue to be the player who makes the Celtics go with his speed. "Paul (Pierce) said it to him the best," said Garnett. "It's not just when you're playing Steve Nash or Chris Paul. It's night in and night out. Consistency is the one thing we preach to him. The kid is hard nosed. He works hard at his craft." ******** After facing the Heat tonight, the Celtics will be in Orlando tomorrow night. The Magic (33-8) and Cleveland Cavaliers (31-8) are percentage points ahead of Boston in the Eastern Conference. ... The Celtics could have center Kendrick Perkins (shoulder strain) back in the lineup after a five-game absence. ... Eleven of the next 16 games are on the road with 12 against teams with winning records.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 21, 2009 8:32:20 GMT -5
www.patriotledger.com/sports/x497800253/Speedy-Rondo-has-been-making-Celtics-go-once-againSpeedy Rondo has been making Celtics go once again -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loading multimedia... Photos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press As Rajon Rondo has rediscovered his form, so have the Celtics rediscovered their winning ways. By Jim Fenton ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER Posted Jan 21, 2009 @ 07:47 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — When the Boston Celtics were struggling over a recent 16-day stretch, the search was on to find explanations for their rare dip. One theory making the rounds was that opponents were starting to figure a way out to neutralize the quickness of point guard Rajon Rondo to make him less effective. The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks defended Rondo with bigger bodies, and other teams made it a priority to keep him out of the lane. It appears that Rondo has figured things out since then, however, and he has been a catalyst to the Celtics’ five-game winning streak following their 2-7 slump. After averaging 8.1 points, 8.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds in those nine games, Rondo has increased his productivity over the past five games. He is averaging 13.6 points, 10.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds in the winning streak, helping the Celtics get back on track and improve to 34-9 heading into tonight’s game in Florida against the Miami Heat. Rondo flirted with a triple-double on Saturday afternoon in New Jersey, getting eight points, 14 assists and nine rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter. He outplayed Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns in Monday night’s rout, getting 23 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Making things uncomfortable for Nash at both ends of the floor, Rondo set the tone for the Celtics. “When Rajon is up and he’s pressuring the ball and he’s active, you can see it in his eyes,’’ said Kevin Garnett. “He is going to sort of take the game over and he wants the ball. “He has a good flow with the pick-and-roll and he’s good with diversifying the ball with everybody and at the same time being aggressive with himself. He’s was doing it at both ends.’’ The quickness of Rondo is a weapon that few teams have been able to handle. The experience he gained during the championship season a year ago has made Rondo a tough assignment for point guards, even former most valuable players like Nash. “He’s improving all the time,’’ Nash said after Monday’s loss at the TD Banknorth Garden. “He’s emerging as one of the elite guards in the league. “I think, regardless of whether he’s shooting the ball well _ and he needs to improve there _ his game has improved. I think it’s made the shooting not as big a question. “He’s become a better and better passer. He’s a great athlete who does a lot of things for his team on the floor.’’ It was Rondo who established a high tempo early against Nash and the Suns, who never recovered. That is the way the Celtics were getting things down in a 19-game winning streak that preceded their rare slump. “It was a lot of fast-break opportunities for me,’’ said Rondo. “They missed shots and that was key for us. All night long, we got stops on defense and it allowed me to push stuff on the break and get easy looks at the basket.’’ Rondo, who is averaging 11 points, eight assists and 4.9 rebounds this season, will continue to be the player who makes the Celtics go with his speed. “Paul (Pierce) said it to him the best,’’ said Garnett. “It’s not just when you’re playing Steve Nash or Chris Paul. It’s night in and night out. Consistency is the one thing we preach to him. The kid is hard nosed. He works hard at his craft.’’ Celtics notes: After facing the Heat tonight, the Celtics will be in Orlando on Thursday night. The Magic (33-8) and Cleveland Cavaliers (31-8) are percentage points ahead of Boston in the Eastern Conference. … The Celtics could have center Kendrick Perkins (shoulder strain) back in the lineup after a five-game absence. … Eleven of the next 16 games are on the road with 12 against teams with winning records.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 21, 2009 10:08:03 GMT -5
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