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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 7, 2009 6:50:22 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1164020&format=textTony Allen’s tired of comebacks By Mark Murphy | Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone This wasn’t a happy - or even a pleasant - workout. Tony Allen, the last man standing on the floor following yesterday’s practice, ran through a long, taxing series of shooting drills. Another miss meant another walk off to talk to the walls, or the sky, as assistant coach Kevin Eastman and a battery of helpers patiently waited for Allen to demand the ball again. He finally walked off the floor in a state of irritation. Was he frustrated? “No, I’m just tired right now,” said the Celtics [team stats] guard, who played last Friday for the first time since tearing ligaments in his left thumb. Yesterday marked Allen’s first full practice, and clearly he finished the day with an empty tank. But there isn’t much satisfaction in this stage of the process anymore. Comebacks get old when you have to go through one every year. From two knee surgeries, then a bad ankle, and now his thumb, Allen is also tired in another way - tired of starting over. Again. Doc Rivers, typically cynical when it comes to the stops and starts in Allen’s development, is still waiting for the guard to show him something beyond the athletic gifts that come so naturally. Consider the coach’s response to this latest comeback. “He looks OK, but we have to get him playing right,” said Rivers. “The things he was starting to do just before he got hurt are the things that he has to do consistently. He’s just had a tough go of it.” All sides, however, agree on this much. Once the playoffs start, and it’s time for someone to come off the bench as the designated defender against big wing players, Allen is the obvious choice. Forget about his inconsistent ability to finish. That may always be the most nebulous part of Allen’s game. But big guards, especially, are expected to be his domain. James Posey, who could seemingly guard anyone away from the basket, had this job last season. Celtics management allowed Posey to sign with New Orleans with the belief Allen could step in and fill that role. Wing forwards could ultimately be too tall an order, but the Celtics don’t have another player beyond Ray Allen to handle big guards. Hello, Kobe Bryant - if the Celtics last that long. “(Defense) has to be his No. 1 focus,” Rivers said. “I’m sure of that. It never has been with him, but it has to be.” Allen shrugged. He was feeling a little isolated yesterday. “They don’t even really talk to me,” he said of Rivers’ comment about his defensive focus. “I just have to do what I have to do.” Right now, that would appear to be a lot. “I would say that,” Allen said of the long road back he faced, yet again. “I just was healthy,” he said of the last time he was starting to play well, before the thumb injury. “Right now, I just have to get back to being healthy.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 7, 2009 6:51:56 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1164021&format=textNo Kevin Garnett for Cavs, ABC Plan is for next week By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone The network, for a change, is the loser. Doc Rivers yesterday ruled out Kevin Garnett’s return to action through Sunday’s game in Cleveland, depriving ABC of KG’s presence in the anticipated preview of the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics [team stats] coach, however, refused to declare Garnett a scratch for the rest of the regular season, leaving open the door for a return either next Tuesday in Philadelphia or Wednesday in the season finale against Washington. Garnett, Leon Powe and Brian Scalabrine - all on the shelf with various injuries - are expected to travel with the team to Cleveland and Philadelphia, and may even practice. “He won’t play in at least the next three games,” Rivers said. “But he might start practicing. “Our hope is that we can get the entire team practicing on this trip. Maybe we can even get Scal on the floor for drills.” Rivers added that Powe, suffering from a sore right knee, may be able to make his return in the Washington game. Rondo limping A brief alarm was sounded late in yesterday’s practice when Rajon Rondo [stats], who is attempting to play through a sprained right ankle, landed the wrong way and limped off the floor. As Gabe Pruitt was called in to take his spot, Rondo made several attempts to put weight on the ankle before heading into the weight room. He returned, talked with Celtics trainer Ed Lacerte, and appeared ready to go back out on the floor when practice ended. Rivers didn’t seem concerned. “Not anything bad,” Rivers said. “So we’ll be fine.” Great class, no D.J. Yesterday’s announced Hall of Fame class - Michael Jordan, John Stockton, David Robinson, Utah coach and former Bulls legend Jerry Sloan and Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer - would have been a tough group for anyone to crack. But that doesn’t ease the disappointment felt by those mystified by why Hall voters continue to snub the late Dennis Johnson. Part of Johnson’s problem, according to Rivers, was that the guard so willingly sacrificed his game for Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. “I’m disappointed in that,” Rivers said. “I thought he absolutely deserved it. “I think the problem is that they only look at his time with the Celtics. They forgot about his time with the Sonics.” That included the young Johnson’s triumph as MVP of the 1978 NBA Finals, which stands as Seattle’s only NBA title. “He was called on here to fulfill a role when he came here,” Rivers said. “It’s a lot like the way we called on Ray (Allen) to fill a role. But he absolutely deserves it.” That said, Rivers admitted that there may have never been a greater class voted into Springfield. “They were first-ballot Hall of Famers - all of them,” Rivers said. “Michael may be the greatest player ever, and Stockton may be the greatest point guard ever. (Robinson) helped redefine the center position.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 7, 2009 6:54:15 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1164026&format=textMichael Jordan heads ’09 Hall class By Herald Wire Services | Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage Photo by AP It was only a matter of time, and now Michael Jordan is in the Hall of Fame. Jordan was elected to the class of 2009 yesterday with David Robinson, John Stockton, coach Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer. The announcement was made in Detroit, site of the men’s Final Four. Induction is Sept. 10-12 in Springfield, home of the Naismith Hall of Fame. Jordan’s Hall of Fame selection was a slam dunk after he retired as perhaps the greatest player in history. He gave plenty of credit to his college coach. “There’s no way you guys would have got a chance to see (me) play without Dean Smith,” he said. Jordan finished a 15-year career with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards with 32,292 points - the third-highest total in league history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. Elsewhere in the NBA - San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili will miss the rest of the season and playoffs after tests revealed that his troubled right ankle has gotten worse. . . . The Los Angeles Clippers suspended forward Zach Randolph for two games after he was arrested for investigation of drunken driving hours after the team’s 88-85 loss to the Lakers on Sunday.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 7, 2009 6:55:49 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1164054&format=textLakers nearly allow a 19-point fourth-quarter lead to evaporate against Clippers but hold on to win By Art Thompson III / The Orange County Register | Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage LOS ANGELES - Blowing huge leads has become a habit for the Lakers and one seemingly they are having difficulty in breaking. What appeared to be another lopsided yawner over their injury-riddled Staples Center co-tenants, the Clippers, turned into a tense, late-game struggle The Lakers nearly blew a 19-point fourth-quarter lead but held off the Clippers, 88-85, on Sunday night. Lakers swingman Trevor Ariza hounded the Clippers’ Baron Davis into an off-balance 3-point try at the buzzer that was well off the mark. It was a game in which both teams’ offenses were deficient. The Lakers only shot 42.3 percent from the field but the Clippers, who are last in the NBA in field-goal shooting percentage, misfired at a 37-percent shooting rate. The teams sloshed through a woeful third quarter, with the Lakers scoring only 14 points but holding the Clippers to an opponent season-low 12 points. Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 18 points apiece but while Odom made 6 of 10 field-goal tries, Bryant was off the mark, sinking only 5 of 15. Asked his assessment of the overall team play, Bryant said, "Disappointed. We’ve got to do a little bit better job than that." The victory secured a four-game season series sweep for the Lakers over the Clippers for the second consecutive year. But Lakers coach Phil Jackson’s jaw was tight after yet another performance in which the Lakers had a huge lead whittled to almost nothing. After meeting with his team for the required 10-minute cooling off period after the game, Jackson emerged from the locker room, steaming from his team’s near pratfall. No sooner than he entered the interview room, Jackson exited. It took a mere 35 seconds. "I don’t think I’m going to entertain any questions tonight," he said. "I’m just going to tell you that I was not happy with the ball game. We didn’t do the game plan the right way." After a couple of more statements, Jackson ended the short session by saying, "We’ll have practice tomorrow." The penchant for scuttling big leads has not damaged the Lakers. They lead the Western Conference with a 61-16 record and are one game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA’s best record, with the reward being home-court advantage throughout the playoffs for the team that finishes on top. And yet, there is righteous reason for concern. "It’s turning into something usual, something we have to definitely get rid of. It’s a negative tendency," Lakers forward Pau Gasol said. "It happened last year in the (NBA Finals) at home and we took ourselves out of the series after that. It’s concerning because it’s a bad sign. We have to stop it and right now because if we don’t, it could happen at a time that is regrettable." The Lakers led 81-62, with less than six minutes remaining to play and the Laker fans started chanting for free tacos, the reward a Southland fast-food chain makes good when the Lakers win and hold the opponent under 100 points. But a blazing 20-2 Clippers’ run took away the appetite for tacos, replaced merely by a yearn for victory. Clippers rookie Eric Gordon helped lead the charge. His game-high 24 points included a corner 3-pointer, with 5.8 seconds left - over the outstretched hand of Kobe Bryant - that pulled the Clippers to within two points, at 87-85. Derek Fisher left the Clippers a potential opportunity to tie the game, when he only made the second of two free-throw tries, with 5.2 seconds left. But on the Clippers’ ensuing possession, they were unable to get the ball back to designated 3-point shooter Steve Novak and Jones ended up with the ball, with Ariza all over him. "We can’t give up leads like we’re doing it," Ariza said. "If we keep doing it in the playoffs, it’s going to come back and bite us." NOTES The news surrounding Lakers center Andrew Bynum is getting more positive by the day. Earlier last week, Bynum progressed from playing two-on-two, to full-court five-on-five in a matter of days. Before Sunday’s game, Jackson said there is an outside chance that Bynum could be activated before the end of this week. "I anticipate him going back in as a starter," Jackson said, when asked what initial role Bynum would assume once he is activated and ready to play. Jackson said Bynum’s timing is certain to be off when he comes back and even when the playoffs begin in a little less than two weeks, Jackson said he does not expect Bynum to be in tip-top shape. Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy must have received some bad information because he believed that Bynum was going to play Sunday. Bynum has been out since Jan. 31, when he suffered a torn medial collateral ligament of the right knee against Memphis. Although Bynum has made great progress in the past week, Jackson said he would not accompany the team for its road game Tuesday at Sacramento. ... Fisher suffered an injury to his left foot in the first quarter. He was held out for the remainder of the first half but returned to start the third quarter.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 7, 2009 6:59:13 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1164053&format=textCavaliers see encouraging signs with Ben Wallace By George M. Thomas / Akron Beacon Journal | Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Power forward Ben Wallace is just a little bit closer to returning to the Cavaliers’ lineup. Wallace, who broke his right leg against the Houston Rockets in February, participated in a light five-on-five pickup game Wednesday at Cleveland Clinic Courts. He will have a tougher practice with the team on Tuesday, participate in a shootaround and get evaluated for Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards. Right now he’s listed as questionable. "It’s encouraging to see him out there going through some contact now," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "I’m assuming if he has practice and has contact (that he will play), but I don’t know. I have to see how he does tomorrow. I have to see how he does in shootaround." If Brown sounds a bit noncommittal, it’s because he is. He learned his lesson a few years ago with guard Larry Hughes, who had an injured finger. On the date Brown expected Hughes to return to the lineup, he had decided how many minutes each player would get, only to be told that Hughes needed more surgery and would be lost for another two months. "Maybe that Larry experience really scared me," Brown said. "You just don’t know. From that point on, I told myself I don’t need to know a target date for anybody any time," he said. "When a guy can practice, then we’ll go from there. When they say a guy can play, we’ll take the next step." Wallace sounds as if he’s ready. "I got most of my strength back so that was one of the biggest things, keeping strength in my leg. I got most of that back," he said. Wallace has a pragmatic attitude when it comes to his injury time. Many players would have been frustrated by the lost playing time. Although he’d prefer to be out there, he’s not frustrated about it. "I think only guys on bad teams get frustrated. I could sit on the side and watch this team win all night," Wallace said. Different look Brown made a small, yet significant, switch in the rotation in the game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. He put Delonte West and Mo Williams on the court at the same time with the second unit. It’s a move that Williams said improves the team. "I think it gives us, especially in the second quarter when LeBron (James) goes out, a (faster unit)," he said. "We definitely push the ball a whole lot more. It puts another playmaker and ball-handler on the floor with me and we just make plays." Brown agreed. "You’ve got two guys who can go and get it off the dribble and you don’t have to force-feed either one of them," he said, "because you know you always have the other one to go to if need be." Injury status Anderson Varejao had an MRI on his injured right wrist and he is day-to-day. The MRI was negative. Varejao missed Sunday’s game against the Spurs but kept his sense of humor. Varejao was sporting a "Chosen 2" tattoo on his back, obviously having fun with LeBron James. Everyone, including Brown, got a kick out of it. "That’s just Andy being Andy," he said laughing. Brown on Robinson Retired Spurs center David Robinson will join Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. Brown coached Robinson while he was an assistant with the Spurs and sounded thrilled with his selection. "You talk about a terrific, terrific individual," Brown said. "He’s one of the best people I’ve been around and obviously he’s one of the all-time greatest. I’m happy and proud for him and his family because he definitely deserved it."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 7, 2009 7:00:47 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/07/for_improved_garnett_the_road_ahead_looks_encouraging?mode=PFFor improved Garnett, the road ahead looks encouraging By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | April 7, 2009 WALTHAM - The Celtics might not be at full strength again this season. But they are planning to have a full roster and going close to full speed - at least during practices - during their final road trip of the regular season next week. Kevin Garnett returned to the court briefly yesterday, displaying encouraging signs in his recovery from a right knee strain, and will join the team for visits to Cleveland Sunday and Philadelphia next Tuesday. Though Garnett will not likely play against the Cavaliers, he will attempt to practice with the Celtics after that game. The goal for Garnett is to participate in a team shootaround next Tuesday in Philadelphia. No determination has been made about Garnett performing against the Sixers that night or in the season finale the next night against Washington in Boston. "Slowly but surely," coach Doc Rivers said of Garnett's progress. "You could clearly see the difference. We were really happy, for the first time in a while, with the way it's going. "I don't think Sunday is a possibility right now, but we're just really happy with what we see. A week ago it was more of a concern, now it's less of a concern. He moved great. You can just tell the difference. "He's going to go on the road with us and he's going to start practicing. Our hope is to practice our entire team on this road trip." Before that, though, the Celtics will meet New Jersey (tomorrow) and Miami (Friday) in an attempt to hold off Orlando for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and stay as close as possible to Cleveland, which is two games away from clinching the top seed. Leon Powe (right knee) and Brian Scalabrine (concussion) also attended practice and are scheduled to travel. "Leon is moving pretty good," Rivers said. "Our goal is, hopefully, to get him to play the last game of the year, maybe. That would be a pleasant surprise but that looks like the way it's going to happen." The Celtics displayed the effects of taking two days off from practice. "It was sloppy but I thought we had more energy," Rivers said. "Right now, we'll take the energy. Guys were livelier out on the floor, but when you take a couple days off, you struggle with the timing and the precision. But I thought the two days off was really good for us." The final five games of the season are being used for playoff preparations, though with few tactical additions, because of the absence of Garnett and Powe. "We're there," Rivers said of the playoff mind-set. "That's all we talk about right now. We're not going over other teams. We're going over preparations for the playoffs. "At this point last year, we were putting in three or four new sets with a lot of options. We just don't do it right now, because it doesn't make sense." A cruel twist Guard Rajon Rondo twisted his right ankle near the end of practice. Rondo limped off the court after clashing with Stephon Marbury on a fast break, undergoing treatment for about three minutes, then returning to the sideline . . . Tony Allen went through an extended shooting drill and was the last player off the court. Allen underwent left thumb surgery in February and missed 22 games before returning for a brief appearance against Atlanta Friday. "This was my first real day of practice," said Allen, who seemed encouraged by his recovery; he has missed extended periods of play in the past because of ankle and knee injuries. "This is much different. I'm more mobile." A vote for DJ Rivers on former Celtic Dennis Johnson falling short of Hall of Fame election: "I am disappointed. He absolutely deserves it. I think, and I really believe this, they only look at him with the Celtics and forget how great he was with the Sonics. He was unbelievable." Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan, John Stockton, and C. Vivian Stringer were named on the first ballot, it was announced yesterday. "I had a lot to do with that," said Rivers. "I guarded Michael, I guarded Stockton - and they looked a lot better, I'll tell you that." The last word Garnett during a Comcast interview: "Any time you've been out with an injury for a while, at least for me, it's difficult. I want to help the guys and bring a sense of energy. When you're out, you see your value and I'm just looking to bring that value back. I'm excited about the opportunity to repeat. When I look at it, it's something that looks so far-fetched, so hard. But, at the same time, I see what kind of team we have and, even though we've lost guys like Sam [ Cassell] and Pose [James Posey] and P.J. [ Brown], we are a better group, if you can believe that or not."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 7, 2009 7:07:05 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x90676925/Celtics-Playoff-prep-slowed-by-injuriesCeltics: Playoff prep slowed by injuries -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Scott Souza/Daily News staff MetroWest Daily News Posted Apr 06, 2009 @ 09:47 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WALTHAM — Celtics coach Doc Rivers had a plan laid out a while ago about what he wanted to work on yesterday and today in practice. The only problem is that two major components of that plan - Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe - were not able to participate in it due to injuries. So that left Rivers trying to maintain his shift in focus from the regular season to playoff mode, hoping that he'll get Garnett and Powe, both out with right knee injuries - back in time to complete the task before the postseason begins in two weeks. "That's all we talk about right now," Rivers said of the second season. "We're not going over teams anymore. We're going over preparation for the playoffs." It's just that without Garnett and Powe, along with Brian Scalabrine (concussion symptoms), it's more difficult than he hoped when he looked ahead at the schedule and saw a big, fat four days off perfectly placed at the beginning of April. "It doesn't hinder us defensively, but it absolutely does hinder us offensively," he said following yesterday's 75-minute workout. "Usually, at this point last year, we're putting in three or four new sets with a lot of options. We're just not doing it right now. There's no reason to do it. It makes no sense. "But that's all right. We'll be able to catch up." Rivers said he hopes to begin catching up as early as the beginning of next week. The coach said Garnett, Powe and Scalabrine will all likely travel with the team to Cleveland on Saturday. While he determined Garnett will miss Sunday's game against the Eastern Conference leaders, Rivers said he may practice the next day. "He's doing better," Rivers said. "Slowly, but surely. You can clearly see the difference with him today, so we're really happy for the first time in a while with where it's going. "Our hope is to practice our entire team on this little road trip. That would be really nice because I haven't seen that in a while. I am including Leon and maybe even Scal, which would be amazing. We are thinking we can get Scal out on the floor for drills." One player already feverishly working his way back is Tony Allen. Allen was cleared to practice last Tuesday after missing 22 games due to left thumb surgery. While he didn't make it into Wednesday's double-overtime game vs. Charlotte, he did play 7<+>1<+>/<->2<-> minutes with mixed results Friday against Atlanta. "Right now I've got to get back to being healthy," Allen said after a 20-minute post-workout shooting session with assistant coach Kevin Eastman. "It's another aggravating thing. But you fight through it." Allen seemed upset with himself after the shooting drill, but insisted he was just tired after his first full-length workout since suffering the injury on Feb. 10. "Today was long," he said. "I tried to get no subs today (staying on the floor the entire team workout). I am pretty winded. But that's all the product of getting extra (workout time)." Allen said the coaching staff has not spoken with him about any changes in his role with Stephon Marbury now on board. "They don't even really talk to me," he said. "I know I have a job to do and that's defense. The same thing happened last year when Sam (Cassell) came in, so I am just preparing for whatever." With Rivers seemingly warming up to the reserve backcourt combination of Eddie House and Marbury, the 6-foot-4 Allen may see much of his time in the playoffs guarding bigger small forwards. "I've been dealing with it for a while," he said. "I have to take it and roll with it. I just look at it as being competitive - a challenge." Another challenge is dealing with his taped left thumb. Though he fiddled with it during much of the shooting session, he said that was due more to the awkwardness of the bandage than pain. "It feels kind of different," he said. "I have to get used to that."
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