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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 7:37:12 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1147796&format=textAll goes right in Celtics’ rout of Mavericks By Mark Murphy | Monday, January 26, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Lisa Hornak Paul Pierce’s last scoreless second half wasn’t so long ago. The Celtics [team stats] captain rolled his right ankle during the second quarter of the team’s 17-point home win against Phoenix on Jan. 19, and continued to play in a blowout in which he wasn’t needed. Yesterday there wasn’t even a reason for his second-half goose egg. The C’s were so well-stoked, they simply were fine despite him - again. If the Celtics’ 124-100 win against Dallas yesterday at the Garden is any indication, then they have reached the rarified stage they occupied last season - where their sum now easily trumps the individual value of their parts, or their stars. Any more of this, and Pierce will start feeling unwanted. “I didn’t score in the second half?” said Pierce, who apparently didn’t miss himself, either, after scoring eight points in the first half. “There was no need for it today, with the way the ball moved and the way we shared the ball.” One glance at the stat sheet demanded a clarification. “I did a good job fouling today, though,” Pierce said of his five personals. But Pierce’s numbers were mere oddities in the face of yet another home bonanza. By the time Gabe Pruitt began to dribble out the clock with 14 seconds left - his team two points shy of matching its season-high - other numbers had piled on top of the Mavs like dirt on a grave. After making a season high 15 3-pointers two games earlier in Miami, the Celts had 16 yesterday. Their 74-point first half not only was a season high but also their highest 24-minute total since Nov. 7, 2007, against Denver. Their 103-point total after three quarters was the most since that night, too. And they shot at a .538 pace (50-for-93) from the floor, a number only diluted by garbage time. The C’s defense - with Kevin Garnett taking the lead due to his tight coverage of Dirk Nowitzki (4-for-17, 18 points, no 3’s) - didn’t lose a drop of stubbornness, either. “Boston was great and we need to be better,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said after his team shot 42.1 percent from the floor and managed only 12 assists. “We haven’t come across a team that plays at this level defensively.” Even Garnett had to tip his hat to the support. “If you give (Nowitzki) any kind of space he is going to let the 3 go,” Garnett said. “That’s probably one of the most unorthodox, deadliest step-backs in the game today, and all I did was try to pressure him. “But tonight I played Dirk the way I did because I had Paul behind me telling me things, and I didn’t even have to turn to look. I just had so much communication behind me that I was able to be aggressive in denying the wings.” As such, the numbers continued to erupt. Garnett scored seven of his 23 points during a 23-5 first-quarter run that gave the Celtics a 33-17 lead. Ray Allen, Brian Scalabrine and Eddie House (two) combined for four treys in a 21-3 second-quarter burst. House and Allen (23 points each) shot a combined 11-of-16 from downtown. Sometimes a team just has to go with the flow.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 7:40:41 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1147815&format=textGreen set bar high in victory Golden standard By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat | Monday, January 26, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Lisa Hornak Kevin Garnett reached for a cup of Gatorade yesterday, and by the time he brought it to his lips it had turned into Chateau Lafite Rothschild. The Celtics [team stats] went out to dinner on Newbury Street, and each player found parking spaces. Twenty-five seconds after he entered the game, Brian Scalabrine took a pass in the corner and drilled a 3-pointer. The Celts have won eight straight games, the last six by double figures, but yesterday’s 124-100 it-wasn’t-nearly-that-close devouring of Dallas was on a different plane: they could do no wrong. The Celtics were Midas without the final act where lunch turns into an inedible precious metal. The Mavericks were wondering what hit them even after the game when their complementary beverage chest had just Bud Light Lime for alcohol. “Man, the Celtics really want to rub it in,” one Dallas type said. Everything the Celts touched turned to gold. Everything the Mavericks touched turned to Bud Light Lime. “It’s like a thing of beauty,” Paul Pierce [stats] said after being part of a first half in which his team hit 10-of-13 treys and scored 74 points. “It’s like we’re all on the same page. It’s like we’re communicating on both ends. It’s like perfection. “That’s what we try for each and every night. We know we’re not perfect, but this is something we try to reach for.” They touched the edge of perfection in this one, with 103 points on 61.4 percent shooting from the field through three quarters before the remainder devolved into a preseason game of benchmen getting the requisite minutes to earn their letter. Some of it, too, was a harmonic convergence. Once the Mavericks knew they had no chance, you could hear their bus revving - in the second quarter. After a long road trip, they were wishing they were homeward bound. Simon and/or Garfunkel would have given them a more concerted performance. Were it not for Jason Terry going for 22 cosmetic points in the third quarter, this would have been an industrial accident. “Today was one of those days,” coach Doc Rivers said. “No. 1, we caught Dallas on a day when this is their last game of a four-game road trip. And on an afternoon game. I don’t know if that’s the toughest scenario you can have, but it’s close. “And then we were just making everything. But the ball was moving, too. There were at least eight possessions where the (shot clock) was down to five and we made two more passes and still found the guy - and no one panicked. No one grabbed the ball and said, ‘I’ll make the play.’ But then you have to make those shots, too. They actually have to go in and they were going in.” The Celtics’ lead stretched to 35. They were making all the hustle plays. And they seemed to be living in a parallel universe that allowed them to track each Dallas pass a split-second before real time. “It’s pretty to watch,” said Eddie House, who hit 7-of-11 treys on the way to 23 points. “It’s fun to be a part of it. It’s like poetry in motion, everybody just moving the basketball and being selfless out there. You have an open shot, but you see a teammate with a cleaner one. You give him the ball, and he knocks down the shot. It feels good.” The Celtics were feeling like they could do anything they pleased and it would work. If they called Gisele, she’d tell Tom they should start seeing other people. But Kevin Garnett still said he wasn’t going to stop and buy a lottery ticket. “Man, he done won the lottery already,” cracked Pierce, who makes a paltry $18 million to Garnett’s $24.7 million. “I knew him when he had a jean jacket.” Yesterday, the Celtics pulled on their adidas warmups and watched them turn into Armani threads.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 7:42:33 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1147813&format=textIs Eddie House a shooting star? By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Monday, January 26, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Lisa Hornak Combine Eddie House’s 7-for-11 performance from 3-point land against Dallas yesterday with his 7-for-11 downtown extravaganza in Miami three games ago, and you have someone with a two-game total of 42 points on 14-of-22 shooting from beyond the arc. And House, now in his ninth season, has never received an invitation to take part in the 3-point contest on All-Star weekend? This year’s field, which will be announced next week, just wouldn’t be the same without the NBA’s hottest 3-point shooter, according to his teammates. “Hopefully this year they will open their eyes and call him in,” Rajon Rondo [stats] said. Added Paul Pierce [stats]: “He needs to, man. He’s one of the greatest (3-point shooters) in the league. If Ray (Allen) doesn’t do it, then he deserves to be there.” Diminished role Gerald Green was in an all-too-familiar role during yesterday’s 124-100 Dallas loss - in street clothes. Though the ex-Celtic has had his moments this season for the Mavericks, his role has diminished as the team has struggled. “I have to stay positive,” he said. “Sometimes I have my down days. But my fiancee, mom and dad (in Houston) are there to pick me up. I don’t know how it’s going to go from here, but right now we have a rotation that seems to be one they want. I just have to stick with it.” Green will be a free agent this summer, meaning that time is short to play for his future. “I guess I have to look to that,” he said. “In a way I’m playing for that, but I’m also playing team basketball. That’s how the Celtics [team stats] got their championship - with team basketball. They had unity.” No one was happier than their former teammate, too. “These are my guys, man,” he said. “The people I’m the most happy for are those sitting in those black and yellow seats. We lost 18 straight games and they stayed with us. Win, lose or draw they stick with you. “But that team was so popular that even people who weren’t playing for the Celtics wish they were part of that championship.” Eager Allen Today figures to be an ordinary day of practice for all but one Celtic. Tony Allen, who missed his 11th straight game due to a sprained right ankle, hopes to go through his first full run in almost two weeks. “The 10 or 12 days that I took off was a long time, but I think it was really helpful in trying to get back,” he said. “I’m going to try and give it a go (today). My plan is to make it through a full practice.” This naturally isn’t up to Allen - at least not unilaterally. Coach Doc Rivers, who is fond of saying he doesn’t know about a player’s status until said player steps onto the floor, will be listening far more to trainer Ed Lacerte than his anxious swingman. To that end, Allen tested his ankle with a series of exercises before yesterday’s game, and was somewhat happy with the result. “I did some jogging and planting exercises where I stopped on the ankle and took off again,” he said. “I could still feel it. It was kind of sore. But the doctor told me that it was going to be this way - that I was going to go through this kind of thing - so hopefully I can move on with it now.” Odd man out Leon Powe was at his most evident yesterday after drawing a double technical foul during a garbage-time tussle with Dallas’ James Singleton. Such is the current state of Powe’s place in the rotation. His time has declined as Glen Davis has flourished. “I like where the bench is at right now,” Rivers said. “I’m trying to get Scal (Brian Scalabrine) in every night. Right now the competition is very much like it was last year when P.J. (Brown) was here. You have competition between Baby and Leon, and that’s not a bad scenario.” . . . Here’s one last statistical illustration of yesterday’s blowout win: The Celtics finished with a 34-12 edge in assists.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 7:48:02 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/26/celtics_heady_times?mode=PFCeltics: Heady times Mentally focused, they race to 8th straight win By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | January 26, 2009 Coach Doc Rivers tells the Celtics to consider themselves their own opponents in each game. In other words, don't worry about adjusting to the other team, just live up to your own standards. And that is essentially what the Celtics did in a 124-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks yesterday at the TD Banknorth Garden. The Celtics, it turned out, had scored enough points to clinch the result and extend their winning streak to eight games by the end of the third quarter. The starters set such a blistering pace - a 74-47 halftime lead, their highest point total for a half this season - the contest quickly evolved into a glorified scrimmage. The Celtics set the pace defensively, causing Dirk Nowitzki to miss his first seven shots on the way to a 2-for-12 first half. Paul Pierce provided proof positive about the Celtics' defensive emphasis by producing more personal fouls (5) than field goals (3). And, following the Celtic blueprint, the defensive stops turned into offense - Ray Allen, who converted 8 of 9 shots in the opening half, Kevin Garnett, and Eddie House each scoring 23 points. As for matching standards, the Celtics (37-9), who play host to Sacramento Wednesday, equaled the pace they set on the way to a 66-16 regular season last season. "It's the last game on a four-game road trip," Rivers said of the Mavericks' schedule, "which, on an afternoon game, I don't know if that's the toughest scenario you can have, but it's close. And we were just making everything. "The ball was moving, too, and our guys - there were at least eight possessions where the clock was down to five and we made two more passes and still found the guy. No one panicked." If the Mavericks' alarm clocks had not gone off, the Celtics gave them jolts of 18-3 over 3:33 in the first and 21-4 over 5:04 in the second. Dallas went without a field goal over a 6:51 stretch before Jason Terry's 20-footer cut the deficit to 66-39 with 2:43 to play in the opening half. By the time the Mavericks awakened, the Celtic reserves were in the game and House was converting five successive 3-pointers for the second time in three games - he tied a team record with six 3-pointers in a quarter during a victory at Miami Wednesday. Nowitzki (18 points) was averaging 26.7 points on this road trip, the Mavericks' wanderings taking them to Philadelphia (95-93 win), Milwaukee (133-99 loss), and Detroit (112-91 win). "With Dirk, I noticed he gets a lot of space," Garnett said. "If you give him any kind of space he is going to let the three go, and that's probably one of the deadliest, [most] unorthodox stepbacks in the game today. All I did was try to pressure him - you put a hand in his face and contest whatever shot he has and make him go to his second moves." Which is what the Celtics have been doing since Jan. 11, when they broke a 2-7 slump with a 94-88 victory in Toronto. The Celtics' passing set up several options for shots, often relegating Pierce to the role of a smiling spectator, both while he was on the court and on the bench. Pierce played 22 minutes, and only Allen and Rajon Rondo (34 each) exceeded 25 minutes among the starters. "It's a great feeling," Pierce said, "because you don't have to work as hard when guys are making the extra pass. It's like a thing of beauty and it's like we are all on the same page. We are communicating at both ends and it's like perfection - but that's what we strive for each and every night. We know we aren't perfect, but it's something we try and reach for." The Celtics are outscoring teams by an average margin of 16.25 points during this winning streak. Against Dallas, the Celtics scored 5 more points in the opening half than their previous high - 69 in the second half of a 126-108 victory over Chicago Dec. 19. And they matched their second-highest point total for the season, set two days later in a 124-105 victory over New York. But those contests were unlike this blowout - the Celtics led the Bulls, 57-55, at halftime and the Knicks 66-58. "We work hard at practice, man, and I'm glad Doc doesn't let the cameras in there," Garnett said. "We expect when we come in the games to carry that over. This may sound a little cliché, but when we have practices the way we have, we expect to carry that over, and, when we do, it is very hard to beat us."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 7:50:20 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/26/routine_though_not_commonplace?mode=PFRoutine, though not commonplace By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist | January 26, 2009 The routine doesn't change much. That is the nature of a routine. Ray Allen will shoot in an empty gym. Got to make 10 threes from this spot. Got to make five midrange jumpers from this spot. In between, go to the line and make five. It goes back to when he was an 8-year-old kid in England. Allen's parents were ballers and when they gave up the floor to little Ray, he'd pledge to make five straight lefty layups, then five straight righty layups. They couldn't leave 'til he did it. "Sometimes I had trouble doing it and people would walk by and see me crying out there, trying to do it," he remembered. There's no crying in basketball anymore. The only guy moved to tears at the Garden yesterday was Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, watching his sorry team's matador defense against the scalding Celtics. John McCain and Sarah Palin would have been mortified. Carlisle's team was an insult to Mavericks everywhere. Allen scored 23 in Boston's 124-100 decimation of Dallas. He was one of three Celtics with 23 points. He made 9 of 13 floor shots, hitting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. The Celtics led, 38-23, after one and 74-47 at intermission. It was the kind of game that made you wish Johnny Most was around to describe the action. Johnny would have launched into his dogwhistle voice several times in this one. The Celtics displayed magical ball movement, building a 35-point lead, while Mavericks owner Mark Cuban balled his fists behind the bench. The nationally televised game was a warning shot fired across NBA America. Greg Kite would have gotten some quality minutes in this baby. If there was ever a fear that the Celtics are going away, there can be no doubt now that they are back. They have won eight straight and they are annihilating the opposition. Games are performance art more than competition. This is the way it was in the early 1960s when the Green had Hall of Famers coming off the bench. The best Celtic shooter in those days was Sam Jones. Now it's Ray Allen. He's shooting over 50 percent from the floor, over 40 percent from international waters, and over 90 percent from the line. Thursday he should be named to the All-Star team for the ninth time in his career. He scored 28 points in 19 minutes of last year's classic in New Orleans. "Ray's been phenomenal for us this year," said Paul Pierce. "Usually when we win big it's because he's shooting the ball the way he is, as you saw tonight." Allen was good for the Celtics last year, but he's better now. Another year removed from double ankle surgery, he's got more explosiveness when he goes to the basket. He's more comfortable with his teammates and the Garden. Allen made 8 of 9 from the floor and had 20 at the half yesterday. The Mavs couldn't do anything. Dirk Nowitzki - the guy Cedric Maxwell says is better than Larry Bird - was on his way to a 4-for-17 afternoon. No one from Dallas played any defense. When Doc Rivers gave Allen and Co. some well-deserved rest in the second half, Eddie House picked up the long-range game for Ray. Remember those country fair booths where you'd pay a dollar for three shots with a chance to win a big stuffed animal for your girlfriend? House was that guy yesterday. He hit 7 of 11 3-pointers, scoring 23 in 28 minutes. He'd have won a lot of big teddy bears at the Marshfield Fair. House can fill it up, but nobody looks better shooting a basketball than Ray Allen. Recently, 190 NBA players were asked to name the best pure shooter they've ever seen. Twenty-six percent voted for Allen. Reggie Miller was second with 15 percent while Larry Bird and Jason Kapono tied for third with 10 percent each. Allen was unaware of the poll, which was published in the Jan. 26 issue of Sports Illustrated. "That's a great honor," he said. He was not one of the players polled. He said his favorite shooter ever is Dell Curry, with Miller second, and Dale Ellis third. House went with Curry. Me? I'm going with Ray Allen. He can even help fix others' shots. Last year, he noticed a hitch in the shot of Glen Davis - "it looked like Charles Barkley's golf swing" - and he helped Big Baby smooth things out. Allen's routine must have something to do with his success. While you were reading the Sunday papers in bed (do people still do that?) Allen already was shooting jumpers in the empty Garden. ABC's cameras captured him on the parquet floor at 9:45 a.m., more than three hours before tipoff. Trust me when I tell you the Garden is meat locker cold when it's empty in January. Even the Celtic Dancers had to bundle up for yesterday's matinee. "It's always cold in here," Allen said, smiling. "Today I was thinking about wearing two sleeves." Ah, yes, the sleeve. Allen started wearing it when he was in a horrific slump during the Detroit series last spring. He wears the sleeve on just his left arm - sort of like Michael Jackson without the creepiness. "Rip Hamilton grew his fingernails long and he was scratching me," explained Allen. "I needed the sleeve to shield me from those nails. And I've stayed with it." No sense changing now. It's part of the routine.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 7:51:24 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/26/for_the_record_they_agree_its_a_better_time?mode=PFFor the record, they agree it's a better time By Marc J. Spears | January 26, 2009 With eight straight victories after a recent skid, could the Celtics possibly be playing as well as they did during their 19-game win streak earlier this season? The answer is no. Actually, the Celtics believe they are playing better now. "Yes, we are playing a little better just because of the losses and the little drought we've had," said forward Kevin Garnett after Boston's 124-100 win over Dallas yesterday at the Garden. "I think we're playing a little better than where we were with 19 in a row." Added center Kendrick Perkins, "Right now, we are playing a lot better. The starters are playing well. The bench is playing well. Nobody cares about who is taking what shot. We are playing real well right now." The Celtics put together the longest winning streak in the illustrious history of their franchise with 19 straight victories from Nov. 15-Dec. 23. Even so, coach Doc Rivers said time and time again during that span that he wasn't happy with the way his team was playing. Part of the problem was a lack of practice time to work on what Rivers called "slippage." He also was not happy with the play of the bench, and spent lots of time after rare practices working with the reserves. The defense was good, but not as stingy as Celtics fans were accustomed to seeing during the 2007-08 championship season. While the 19-game streak was loaded with blowouts, the Celtics also won four games by 5 points or fewer. "I keep going back to the [19-game] streak," Rivers said. "I said we were winning games, but we weren't playing, in my opinion, the Celtic way that we established last year. After that streak, the Celtics fell backward, losing seven of nine games, including four straight at the end. But despite losing, 98-83, at Cleveland Jan. 9, their most recent defeat, Rivers believed his Celtics were finally getting on the right page and winning ways were on the horizon. "We lost the [Cleveland game] and then we started playing well. In that loss, I thought we turned the corner," Rivers said. "The ball was moving. Defensively, we were not trying to make it up. Everyone was on the same page and everyone started trusting each other on defense and trusting each other on offense." One thing that has been a constant during the team's current eight-game streak is blowout victories. After a 94-88 win at Toronto Jan. 11 and a 115-109 overtime triumph vs. the Raptors the next night at the Garden, Boston has won six straight games by double digits - and five of those by 15 or more. But actually the bigger statement has been made on the defensive end, as the Celtics have only allowed two teams to score more than 88 points during the current streak, and no team has passed 100 in regulation. With the Celtics able to get more practices in to work on defense, Garnett is not surprised that his team is hammering its foes, in large part, because of its play on that end. "Our foundation is our defense and we got back to that," Garnett said. "That's what holds us up. Coming back home, sort of refocusing, getting back to that. We've gotten to that wholeheartedly to say, 'Hey, we might not score a lot of points tonight, but we are going to get stops.' I think that's the difference. We've carried it over." Another key for the Celtics of late is better bench play. Eddie House scored 23 of the bench's 49 points yesterday and 25 points in the recent win over Miami. Glen Davis scored a season-high 16 points off the bench against Orlando last Thursday. And all this has come with reserve guard Tony Allen, considered the best bench player, out with a sprained right ankle for 11 straight games. "Our bench, over this streak, has played the best they've been playing all year," Rivers said. "It's because there is no ball stoppage. The ball is moving on offense. They're sharing the ball. They're cheering for each other. Everyone is falling back into the role [we] needed them to play. I thought early in the year, it was a fight to get guys in a role. "They wanted to do more. They wanted to do extra. They see we are a better team when we do [get guys in a role]." The last key for the Celtics lately is hot starts. Boston scored 38 points in the first quarter to Dallas's 23 and a season-high 74 points in the first half. In the last week, the Celtics have also won first quarters 24-19 at Orlando, 29-10 at Miami, and 30-15 against Phoenix. "We are starting off the games better," Perkins said. "When we won 19 straight, we had a lot of mess-ups and were still just getting through the game." Guard Rajon Rondo said, "A lot of the games during the 19-game win streak, we were close. But lately we're pushing out to a great lead, getting a head of steam, and pushing games out for all 48 minutes of a game." The way the Celtics look at it, maybe the better question to ask is whether Boston is playing better now than at this time a season ago. Last Feb. 6, the Celtics were also 37-9 after a home win over the Clippers. "I don't even know," Rivers said. "I can't even tell you where we were last year at this time. I just know where we are right now and I like where we are at record-wise. "I just want to keep getting better."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 7:54:30 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/26/garnett_ever_the_defender?mode=PFGarnett ever the defender He won't apologize for spot as All-Star starter By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | January 26, 2009 Kevin Garnett yesterday defended his selection as a starter for the NBA All-Star Game Feb. 15; Garnett was the only Celtic voted in as a starter. Asked about criticism from former Celtic Gary Payton, now a television commentator, Garnett replied, "I didn't get myself to be in the All-Star Game or be a starter. That's [Payton's] opinion. In a situation where fans get to vote you in, and it's out of your control, then it's just that. "I'm not going to apologize for something people want to see or for [them] showing appreciation for myself. But I'm grateful. That's [Payton's] opinion and, some things we know, everybody has one, and that's what it is." Solid pine The loss of P.J. Brown and James Posey after last season raised major questions about the strength of the Celtics' reserves. But Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said before the Celtics took a 124-100 win yesterday that he has not noticed a dropoff on the Boston bench. Asked about the Celtics' recovery from a 2-7 slump, Carlisle said, "They are back now. "Every team is going to go through a tough stretch, even when you are winning 85 or 90 percent of your games. "They are experienced and they are deep, well-coached. They look plenty deep to me. Tony Allen [currently injured] is a very good player. Posey didn't play the same kind of game, but [Allen] is a young player and he's gotten good experience the last two or three years. "They are going to make it work. I know Danny Ainge, and he's going to be aggressive to help the team get better, with trades, if he can, and if he can't, by making them better in other ways." Turn for the better Allen (right ankle) returned to practice, watched by strength and conditioning coach Bryan Doo, before missing his 11th successive game. It was the first time Allen had jogged on the ankle since injuring it. He said the swelling has been reduced but he is unable to go full speed or cut side to side. "I am moving a lot better," Allen said. "That was my first time testing it. The swelling is fine. The tendon is still strained. We have to do a little bit more [electrical stimulation], a little more massaging. That's why it's day to day. When it feels good when I plant, that's when I know I really can play." Coach Doc Rivers said Allen's style of play might have to change to fit into the team's recent emphasis on ball movement. "The bench has been playing well the last two or three weeks," Rivers said. "They have a great rhythm, great trust, the ball moves. When Tony gets back he is going to have to get into that rhythm." Barea: 'Home' game The Mavericks' Jose Juan Barea, who attended Northeastern, said he considered the game a homecoming. "I just saw a couple teammates and some friends," said Barea, who scored 8 points. "We just went out to dinner. I visited the school and just hung out. It's always good to be back home. I love where I'm at - great team, great owner. I just want to keep doing what I'm doing." . . . Former Celtic Gerald Green has been trying to improve his game from a mental standpoint by working with Dallas assistant Mario Elie, a former American International College star who won three NBA titles. "It's every day," said Green, who was on Dallas's inactive list yesterday. "We've come to games 45 minutes before our first bus since the preseason. After practice we get our extra work in. Every day, he is always on me. Even when I'm not playing, he's asking me about the defensive schemes. He tells me I always have to be prepared at all times. Early in my career when I was here I wasn't really prepared for the intensity. But now I know you have to think this game." Really perking up Center Kendrick Perkins (shoulder) has played in three straight games after missing five games. "It hasn't been a long time, but it's amazing how fast you lose conditioning," said Rivers. "He has his game rhythm back, and playing the back-to-back [Wednesday and Thursday] was good for him; it's a shock to the system." Perkins had 8 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes . . . The Celtics' 74-point first half was their highest total in a half since scoring 77 in a 119-93 victory over Denver in the third game of last season.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 7:59:27 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2009/01/celtics_streak_3.htmlCeltics' streak at eight Email|Link|Comments (1) Posted by Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff January 25, 2009 04:38 PM Coach Doc Rivers tells the Celtics to consider themselves their own opponents in each game. In other words, don't worry about adjusting to the other team, just live up to your own standards. And that is essentially what the Celtics did in a 124-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Sunday. The Celtics, it turned out, had scored enough points to clinch the result and extend their winning streak to eight games by the end of the third quarter. The Celtic starters set such a blistering pace -- a 74-47 halftime lead their highest point total for a half this season -- the contest quickly evolved into a glorified intrasquad scrimmage. The Celtics set the pace defensively, causing Dirk Nowitzki to miss his first seven shots on the way to a 2-for-12 first half. Paul Pierce provided proof positive about the Celtics' defensive emphasis by producing more personal fouls (five) than field goals (three). And, following the Celtic blueprint, the defensive stops turned into offense -- Ray Allen, who converted 8 of 9 shots in the opening half, Kevin Garnett, and Eddie House each finishing with 23 points. The Celtics (37-9), who play host to Sacramento Wednesday, equaled the pace they set on the way to a 66-16 regular-season record last season.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 8:02:24 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x1099986995/Celtics-124-Mavericks-100-A-Sunday-strollCeltics 124, Mavericks 100: A Sunday stroll -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loading multimedia... Photos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Winslow Townson/Associated Press Boston forward Kevin Garnett held Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki in check during the Celtics 124-100 win over the Mavericks. By Scott Souza/Daily News staff MetroWest Daily News Posted Jan 25, 2009 @ 09:45 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — In a league where the individual matchups make the sexiest promos, yesterday's battle between the Celtics and Mavericks could have billed as one of the top offensive big men in the game - Dirk Nowitzki - against one of the top defensive big men in the game - Kevin Garnett. If there is any doubt left about whether defense trumps offense, or whether East has overtaken West as the conference supreme in the NBA, it might have been dispelled in the first half of Boston's 124-100 torching of Dallas at the TD Banknorth Garden. Garnett dismantled Nowitzki in a punishing first half that saw the C's score a season-high 74 points and go up as many as 31. Garnett hit 5-of-7 shots in the first quarter and finished with 23 points on 11-of-17 shooting in just 24 minutes. Meanwhile, Nowitzki was the unfortunate target of Garnett's defensive aggressions in much the same way Chris Bosh was in back-to-back games two weeks ago, with similar results. Nowitzki, who entered the day averaging 26.0 points per game, missed his first seven shots, was just 2-of-12 at the half, and was off line on 13-of-17 attempts overall with five turnovers in 37 tortured minutes. The C's led by as many as 35 points early in the second half of a contest that was decided in plenty of time for Garden fans to still catch a matinee. "Hell no, hell no," said Garnett when asked if he was surprised by the second nationally televised Garden blowout of a supposed Western Conference power in six days, after the C's went up 30 on the Suns at the half on Monday night. "We work hard at practice, man. I know Doc (Rivers) doesn't really let the cameras in there, but Paul (Pierce) will tell you we go really hard and we expect when we come in the games to carry that over." It did carry over when it mattered yesterday in a first-half obliteration that allowed the starters plenty of rest come mid-afternoon. Rajon Rondo had 13 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and four steals in 34 minutes, Ray Allen hit 9-of-13 shots (4-of-5 on treys) for 23 points and seven assists in 34 minutes and Eddie House hit seven 3-pointers off the bench for the second time in three games on his way to 23 points in 27 minutes. It was Boston's eighth straight victory since it lost seven of nine games in its two-week, extended case of the hiccups starting Christmas Day in Los Angeles. "I think we're just playing together," said Rivers. "I keep going back to the 19-game win streak. I said we were winning games, but we weren't playing - in my opinion - the Celtic Way, the way we established last year. In the losses (that followed), I think we turned the corner. All of a sudden, the ball was moving. Defensively we were not trying to make (things) up. We were all on the same page. "Everybody started trusting each other on defense. Everybody started trusting each other on offense. That's where we're at now. That's where we need to be to be a good team." With the Celtics down 12-10, a Pierce 3-pointer started a 28-9 run into the first pause, during which Garnett simply dominated Nowitzki. "With Dirk, I've been watching a lot of tape over the last couple of days," Garnett said. "I noticed he gets a lot of space. If you give him any type of space, he's going to let the 3s go. He probably has one of the most deadliest step-backs. All I did was just try to pressure him, put a hand in his face, contest every shot that he had, make it hard on him, make him go to his second moves." Unlike games earlier this season when the bench gave away leads in the second quarter, the unit pressed the accelerator in the second quarter to help fuel a 21-2 run for a 64-33 lead. After leading 74-47 at halftime, Boston scored the first eight points out of the break for a game-high lead of 82-47. "I thought we were really looking forward to this game," said Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle. "Boston was a great team and we needed to be better. We haven't come across a team that plays at this level defensively."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 8:04:08 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1099987071/Celtics-Notebook-Allen-makes-case-for-HouseCeltics Notebook: Allen makes case for House -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Scott Souza/Daily News staff GHS Posted Jan 26, 2009 @ 12:02 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — Fresh off a trip to the presidential inauguration on Tuesday, Ray Allen was ready to start another campaign yesterday. And it had nothing to do with his own candidacy to be named an All-Star reserve this week. "We need to get Eddie House in the 3-point contest - that's what we need to do," Allen declared after House hit seven 3-pointers in yesterday's 124-100 victory over the Mavericks at TD Banknorth Garden. "That's something that needs to happen. He's never been in it. I think he's been one of the best shooters in the league over the last couple of years, so it's important that the league - somebody - put Eddie House in the 3-point contest because I think he can win it." Despite his second game of seven treys in the last three games, House's candidacy could be a darkhorse one considering he entered the day 41st in the league in 3-pointers made per game at 1.6, with Paul Pierce right ahead of him in 40th place. A more logical candidate might be Allen, who was sixth in the league at 2.4 makes per game before yesterday's 4-for-5 effort, but the second-leading 3-point shooter in NBA history would rather defer that honor. "Before I get in it, I would rather see him in it first," Allen determined. "I would rather see him represent us because he deserves to be in it and he's fun to watch shoot. Watching him shoot is a joy and I think people in Boston appreciate it. He's quick, he's unpredictable, and he makes a lot of tough shots." Allen, of course, will have his eye on a bigger prize as he hopes for his ninth All-Star Game selection, just as Pierce seems assured of his sixth trip, while Rajon Rondo holds out hope for his first. "Obviously, I'll play close attention to it," Allen said, "because it's going to determine what my plans are going to be over the next couple of weeks. I've dealt with this for a lot of years. It's always an honor to become an All-Star - to be named as one of the best at this point of the season. It's one of those things where (it allows you to) leave a lasting legacy on the league." *** One Celtics player already making plans for Phoenix on Feb. 15 is Kevin Garnett, who outlasted a nationalist push for Yi Jianlian last week to be named a starter and All-Star for the 12th time. Informed that former Celtic Gary Payton had questioned whether Garnett deserved the nod this year on national television last week, Garnett respectfully disagreed. "I didn't pick myself to be in the All-Star game, or to be a starter," he said. "That's his opinion. I never get upset about what you guys (the media) want to write, or what you guys have to say about what it is, but in a situation where the fans get to vote you in and you have a certain way that things are done that's out of your control, it's just that. I'm not going to apologize for something that people want to see, or people have done, or people are showing their appreciation for myself. But I'm grateful. Everyone has an opinion and that's his." *** Tony Allen (sprained right ankle) seems no closer to returning to the lineup despite now missing four weeks with what was originally expected to be a one-week injury. ... The Celtics hit 16-of-27 3-pointers in the game (59.3 percent), including 10 of their first 12. Boston shot 65.2 percent in the first half (30-for-46) and finished at 53.8 percent for the game. ... They managed a 24-point margin of victory despite taking 24 less free throws than the Magic (36 attempts to 12). ... Former Red Sox star Nomar Garciaparra had a frontrow seat under the home basket alongside Framingham's favorite son, Lou Merloni. The pair received a mostly enthusiastic response when shown on the Jumbotron to the strains of Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" in the first half.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 8:41:10 GMT -5
Garnett proves his worth
He scores 23 points and holds Nowitzki in check
By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
wdoyle@telegram.com
BOSTON — If anyone doubted that Kevin Garnett deserves to start in the All-Star Game — yes, TNT’s Gary Payton, we’re talking about you — his play during the Celtics’ 124-100 blowout of the Mavericks yesterday showed why the fans who voted for him got it right.
After it was announced on TNT last week that the fans had voted Garnett an Eastern Conference All-Star starter, Payton claimed Garnett didn’t have the credentials. Garnett’s numbers are down, but he’s sacrificed them for the good of the Celtics’ balanced attack and he continues to play shut-down defense.
Yesterday, Garnett made 11 of 17 shots to score 23 points in less than 25 minutes and helped limit Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki to 4-of-17 shooting and 18 points as the Celtics embarrassed the Mavericks before a nationally televised audience on ABC.
Garnett refused to allow Payton’s criticism to bother him.
“That’s his opinion,” Garnett said. “I’ll never get upset (about) what you guys want to write or what you guys have to say.”
Garnett said he didn’t vote himself a starter, but he’s happy the fans did.
“I’m not going to apologize,” Garnett said, “for something that people want to see.”
The 7-foot Nowitzki came in averaging 26 points, including 30.5 in his last six games, and shooting 47.7 percent for the season, but he missed his first 7 shots and never got rolling.
While watching tape the previous couple days, Garnett noticed that teams had given Nowitzki too much room to operate.
“If you give him any kind of space,” Garnett said, “he is going to let the 3 go. That’s probably one of the most deadliest, unorthodox, step-backs in the game today and all I did was try to pressure him. You put a hand in his face and contest whatever shot he has and make him go to his second moves.”
“I still had some good looks,” insisted Nowitzki, who missed all three of his treys. “I have just got to make some turnarounds. Then, obviously, we were falling down a little bit, couldn’t stop them, they were making every shot and I was just trying to force some stuff, probably taking some shots I shouldn’t have taken.”
The Celtics have won eight games in a row. Outscoring the opposition by 12.5 points a game in the first quarter has helped them win their last six by an average of 19.7 points. They improved to 22-2 at home and came within two points of their season high even though they were outscored, 30-8, at the foul line.
With yesterday’s game well in hand, Garnett came out for good with 3:17 left in the third quarter. Nowitzki stayed in until 8:47 remained in the fourth and scored the last six of his 18 points against the Celtics’ subs.
The Celtics led, 74-47, and scored their most points in a half this season and the most allowed by Dallas in a half.
Rajon Rondo’s 20-foot jumper capped a 15-0 run that boosted Boston’s lead to 58-31 midway through the second quarter and the Celtics led by as many as 35 early in the second half.
Garnett wasn’t the only Celtic who played like an All-Star yesterday. Ray Allen, who was voted recently by NBA players as the best pure shooter they’ve ever seen, made 9 of 13 shots and finished with 23 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Rondo collected 13 points, 14 assists and 7 rebounds. Eddie House made 7 of 11 treys and finished with 23 points and afterward Allen lobbied for House to take part in the 3-point shooting contest during All-Star weekend in House’s hometown of Phoenix.
“It would be nice to be a part of that,” House said. “I’ll be going there to try to win it, of course, but if I didn’t get invited, I’ll be home relaxing spending time with my family.”
Jason Terry led Dallas with 27 points and Josh Howard chipped in with 18 in front of a sellout crowd that included ex-Red Sox Nomar Garciaparra, Patriots RB Kevin Faulk and comedian Lenny Clarke.
The Celtics shot close to 70 percent for much of the first half before “settling” for 65.2 percent (30 of 46) at the break. They made an amazing 10 of 13 3-pointers before intermission and finished 16 of 27 beyond the arc.
The Celtics found the open man as well as they have all season, collecting 34 assists, and turned it over only 8 times.
“There were at least eight possessions,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, “where the clock was down to five and we made two more passes and still found the guy. And no one panicked. No one grabbed it and said, “I’ll make the play. But then you’ve got to make those shots, too. They have to go in and they were going in.”
Many of the Celtics think they’re playing better now than when they won 19 in a row earlier this season. Even Payton would have to agree with that.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 8:41:48 GMT -5
www.telegram.com/article/20090126/NEWS/901260403/1009/SPORTSAllen’s sprain is a pain Guard doesn’t know when he’ll play again CELTICS NOTES By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF wdoyle@telegram.com Add a comment I’m not in the right type of shape no more. I had to be sat down for like 12 days. I have to get my wind back. Tony Allen BOSTON — Before yesterday’s game, Tony Allen ran the length of the Garden parquet floor several times under the guidance of Celtics strength and conditioning coach Bryan Doo. When Allen walked off the court, he admitted the right sprained ankle that has sidelined him for the past 11 games still bothered him. “It’s getting better, but I just felt pain when I was running right now,” Allen said. “The swelling is down completely, but it’s something with my tendon they said.” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he hoped Allen could practice today and tomorrow in order to be ready to play Wednesday night at home against Sacramento. Allen wasn’t as optimistic. “I really can’t even give you a time when I can come back,” Allen said. “When I feel like I can make those pivotal moves turning, cutting, then I will know. It’s real frustrating. For an injury that’s so small, it feels so painful.” Rivers said he wasn’t surprised that a sprained ankle has kept Allen out for so long “The same injury for different people can react differently,” Rivers said. “I don’t ever worry about that stuff. It literally is what it is and there’s nothing I can do about it.” Getting his ankle to feel better isn’t Allen’s only concern. “I’m not in the right type of shape no more,” Allen said. “I had to be sat down for like 12 days. I have to get my wind back.” Allen also missed two other games earlier this season after turning the same ankle. The good news is the Celtics have won their last eight games without Allen. Second-year guard Gabe Pruitt has played more while Allen has been out, but hasn’t taken full advantage. He made 2 of 7 shots for 5 points in 14-1/2 minutes in yesterday’s win. During the last 11 games Allen has missed, Pruitt has shot only 31.6 percent (12 of 38) which is slightly lower than the team-low 31.9 percent he’s shot for the entire season. So the increased playing time hasn’t helped his shot. “I think he’s been good,” Rivers insisted, “but he has to be more aggressive, defensively and offensively. I think Gabe is probably used to being a starter all his life and eases into games. He’s learning off the bench you can’t ease into games.” Pruitt has the reputation of being a good shooter, but where he earned that reputation is a mystery. He shot only 41.6 percent his last two years of college at Southern California. Worcester Academy ties Rick Carlisle and the man who hired him as Mavs coach, Dallas general manager Donnie Nelson, both played basketball at Worcester Academy. “It’s cool,” Carlisle said. “It’s unusual to have the GM and the coach both go to the same New England prep school. It’s one of the things that has sort of formed our relationship over the years. Do I think it’s the only reason I got the job? No. But certainly it’s contributed in some way.” Nelson graduated from WA in 1982, three years after Carlisle, and whenever he messed up on defense, WA coach Tom Blackburn used to tell him that Carlisle wouldn’t have made that mistake. “I’ve heard those stories,” Carlisle said, “and when I was there, we were hearing about some guys who came before us. That’s normal.” Carlisle didn’t get a chance over the weekend to talk to Blackburn, who is retired and lives in Harwichport. “But I do talk to him pretty frequently,” Carlisle said. “He’s doing well.” Powe riding pine Leon Powe has fallen behind in the Celtics’ nine-man rotation, well behind Glen Davis and Brian Scalabrine. The 6-foot-8 forward didn’t leave the bench yesterday until he replaced Davis with 8:47 remaining and the score 110-82. “I like where the bench is at,” Rivers said. “Let’s put it that way.” Rivers said he wants to play Scalabrine because he helps the team spirit and he compared the end of the rotation to last year after P.J. Brown joined the team and Davis and Powe competed for the last spot. Green struggling Former Celtic Gerald Green has not played the last five games for Dallas and hasn’t even dressed the past four even though he’s healthy. Green, who turns 23 today, averages 5.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in his first season in Dallas.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 26, 2009 9:35:06 GMT -5
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