News 4/16

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1165976&format=text
Celtics roll, move on to Bulls
Eddie House sets trey mark

By Steve Bulpett | Thursday, April 16, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
The Celtics [team stats] had to wait out some anxious moments last night.

And that was after Eddie House had shot them to a 115-107 win over Washington in their regular season finale. In a set of unexpected events, the Bulls lost at home to Toronto and Philadelphia went overtime for a win in Cleveland. The 76ers leapfrogged Chicago, bringing the seventh-seeded Bulls to Boston for the first round of the playoffs. (The Sixers win also prevented the Cavs from tying the 1985-86 Celts’ NBA record of 40-1 at home.)

“We looked forward to it either way, whether we went to Chicago or Philly,” said Ray Allen, who, along with Paul Pierce [stats], was a healthy scratch last night. “We know it’s going to be a tough first round opponent, a young team. Like we talked about all year, it’s really about what we do here. We have our work cut out for us, and I think all of us are ready for the challenge.”

With the Celtics trailing the Wizards by eight in the fourth quarter, House faced two challenges - getting his team a win and beating GM Danny Ainge’s 22-year-old franchise record for best 3-point percentage in a season. House was in a bit of trouble after going 0-for-3 from the distance the night before in Philadelphia, but he made his last four here to finish 6-for-9 and 44.4 percent for the season. Ainge is now second at 44.3.

“I felt extremely good,” said House after scoring 17 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. “On top of that, setting a record with a historic franchise, beating D.A. The way that I had to get it, I started off so slow and I had to hit my last four to get it so you know it felt good.”

With last night’s game rendered meaningless for the Celts, House said he did the math on the flight home from Tuesday’s win.

“I was thinking 3-for-3 ties it, 4-for-5 I’ll have it and 5-for-7 I had it,” he said. “When I was 4-for-7, I knew I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got to make two more out of two.’ And I did. I asked Mr. (Jeff) Twiss (Celtics vice president of media relations) on the sideline, ‘Where am I at?’ And he said, ‘Don’t shoot no more.’ I was like, ‘Doc (Rivers), get me out of the game.’ I haven’t talked to Danny yet, but it feels good.”

If there was any doubt the Celtics were looking past their date with the Wizards, it was swatted into the balcony before tipoff when Pierce went to center court to address the crowd. Wearing a fine suit and tie.

The captain proceeded to get the crowd geared up for what would be taking place three days - not three minutes - hence.

“It’s that time of year. It’s that time of year,” Pierce repeated as the 100th consecutive sellout raised the volume. “Yeah. Yeah. We’re getting warmed up.”

He thanked the fans, saying, “We want you to know how much we really appreciate you guys making this arena a tough place for opponents to come in and get a win. As we conclude the regular season tonight, you’re going to ask us to step up. But we need you to step up, too. . . . Now it’s time for our journey for banner No. 18.”

As for Game No. 82, the outcome clearly wasn’t a primary concern for the locals, who rested Allen and Pierce and held out Kevin Garnett yet again. Kendrick Perkins [stats] and Rajon Rondo [stats] played 13 and 10 minutes, respectively. But House got hot, Glen Davis had 21 points and Leon Powe added 18 points and 13 rebounds. Caron Butler had 29 points for Washington.

After filing the tax day triumph, the Celts finished with a 62-20 record, just four wins shy of last season, which is impressive when you consider their injuries.

“Terrific,” Rivers said. “Terrific. I told our guys, ‘Obviously the playoffs will define the season, but, for me, if you rank regular seasons, this year was better than last year, because I thought it was far more adversity.’ We talk about champions taking punches, and how many punches are you willing to take and keep moving forward. And I thought we moved forward all year. So I was really proud of them.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1165992&format=text
Celtics tough to figure without healthy Kevin Garnett
A big ‘What if?’

By Steve Buckley | Thursday, April 16, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
The NBA didn’t come right out and call a press conference last month to announce that the Celtics [team stats] would be the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed come playoff time, but the league might as well have.

“Thirteen or 14 games ago, when we lost in Orlando, I couldn’t read a paper or go online or turn the TV on without hearing that we’re the third seed,” coach Doc Rivers said last night at the Garden, prior to the Celtics’ regular-season finale, a 115-107 win over the Washington Wizards. “Everyone just assumed that that’s where we would be. And we’re the second seed.”

Rivers ticked off the roll call of injured players whose absence from the lineup would surely doom the Celtics to third-seed status come playoff time.

Leon Powe. Tony Allen. Brian Scalabrine.

Kevin Garnett.

“We went through that stretch without Kevin and Leon and Tony and Scal, and we won 10-of-11 to get (the second seed),” Rivers said. “I thought that said a hell of a lot about our team.”

That’s a great point by the coach, and it shows, once again, that executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge did a lot more than acquire Garnett and Ray Allen when he rebuilt the Celtics and forced the national media to focus anew its spotlight on the parquet.

But while we can agree it’s commendable that the Celtics had the depth needed to maintain their regular-season panache, we can also agree that life is different, harder, much harder, in the postseason. And that’s why this Garnett injury business is so tricky. Until he is playing, and playing in a way that doesn’t have you worrying that he’s one hard foul away from a hospital gurney, it’s impossible to make even an educated guess as to this team’s playoff chances.

It was easy last year. Rivers’ Big Three of Garnett, Allen and Paul Pierce [stats] were all healthy all at once. After the first-round hiccup against the Atlanta Hawks that lasted seven games, working as they were to get their playoff sea legs, the Celtics played historically good basketball against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.

When the NBA Finals arrived, anyone who had followed the Celtics with any kind of regularity picked them to overtake the Los Angeles Lakers. Anyone who hadn’t seen them went with the Lakers.

This time around, an entire season’s worth of watching the Celtics, in good times and bad, does not prepare the observer for making the big prediction about banner No. 18.

With a reasonably healthy Garnett . . . why not?

Without Garnett, or with a Garnett who is not that Garnett . . . who knows?

Near the end of his pregame hallway briefing last night, Rivers was asked by an out-of-town reporter if the Celtics would miss their “swagger” without Garnett.

“Well, we’re assuming we’re going to have him,” Rivers said. “And obviously if we didn’t, it would have to effect us some way.”

Pause.

“Obviously we wouldn’t have his talent,” he said. “Forget the swagger.”

Follow-up question: But if Garnett is not 100 percent?

That one is always a land mine, if only because, come the postseason, in any sport, 100 percent of the participants are not playing at 100 percent. It’s just we never hear about it. It’ll be different with Garnett, since, given his absence from the lineup, we know he won’t have that magical 100 percent quality going for him.

“He probably won’t be 100 percent,” Rivers said, without hesitation. “But I think his intensity will be 100 percent, and that’s so important to our team.”

But intensity on the bench is not the same as intensity on the floor.

Garnett’s swagger and his intensity are intact. Now we wait to see if he is healthy enough to add his enormous talent to the equation.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1165991&format=text
Kevin Garnett still a question for playoff opener

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Thursday, April 16, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Lisa Hornak
He is the overriding issue as the Celtics [team stats] conclude the regular season, so the question was put directly to Doc Rivers last night before the C’s 115-107 win over Washington at the Garden.

Is Kevin Garnett going to play in the opening game of the playoffs?

“I think so,” said Rivers, before pausing briefly and adding, “I don’t know, honestly.”

Knowing that may not be enough for curious fans, the coach was asked, if Garnett suffers no further injury to his right knee or otherwise in practice today or tomorrow, will he definitely play?

“Yeah, he’ll play,” said Rivers. “And if we don’t like what we see he won’t. We haven’t seen him play, so we don’t know how it’s going to turn out (today). And then we don’t know how it’s going to feel the next day. We just don’t know that, so we’ll wait and see.

“Right now we’re thinking that there will be no minute limitation. But, again, we don’t know that until (today).”

Rivers has been led to believe Garnett’s ability to play isn’t anything more than a discomfort issue.

“No, I know that that’s what it is,” Rivers said. “But it can be pretty bad obviously, because if it wasn’t he’d have been playing.”

Even though all involved parties believe Garnett will be playing, the team is making contingency plans.

“It’s no fun for any of us,” said Rivers. “You guys have to cover it, and as a staff you have to really think of two game plans.

“You have to prepare yourself for the worst and the best.”

Not lying down

Ray Allen plans to appeal his one-game suspension without pay for striking Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao in the groin Sunday. Allen wasn’t satisfied by a conversation he had with NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson.

“He really didn’t give me a great explanation, or one that I thought rationalized why I was suspended and there was no infraction on the other guy,” said Allen of Varejao, who threw Allen to the court before the elbow.

“So I just have to deal with it. We’ll file a grievance. I felt as though it was unjust, but I can’t do anything about it.”

As for Jackson’s explanation, according to Allen, “He said that it looked like I hit him in the groin and that hitting a player in the groin is an automatic suspension. But if the guy didn’t cringe or he didn’t bowl over, obviously I didn’t hit him (in the groin). It was just my reaction of being thrown to the ground.

“It wasn’t intentional,” Allen added. “I said my track record is one that hasn’t (done things) of that nature.”

Stars out

Allen and Paul Pierce [stats] were held out of last night’s game so they could rest. Not that it would have been issue had he played, but Allen finished the season with a 95.2 free throw percentage.

That’s a C’s record, surpassing the 93.2 posted by Bill Sharman during the 1958-59 season.

“I think any time in this franchise that you can hold any record, it’s a magnificent accomplishment,” said Allen. “(With) all the Hall of Famers that have played here . . . to put something in the record books, it’s an amazing accomplishment.”

Rivers had planned to keep Pierce out the last two games, but the captain played and scored 31 points Tuesday in Philadelphia.

“That was his idea more than mine,” said Rivers. “He just said he didn’t want to sit two games in a row. He wanted to play. That way he kept his rhythm.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1166006&format=text
Kevin McHale’s future up in the air

By Patrick Reusse / Star Tribune (Minneapolis) | Thursday, April 16, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage

Photo by AP
MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin McHale was the assistant general manager for the Timberwolves in 1994-95. The tall man from Hibbing was such a popular figure in Minnesota basketball that he was honored that winter as the Gophers’ Player of the Century.

This came from fan voting held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of Gophers basketball. The votes were based on McHale’s NBA success with the Boston Celtics [team stats] and his winning personality, since there were a minimum of a half-dozen other Gophers from the 1950s to the 1990s who had more impact as college players.

McHale received the U of M honor in mid-February, and two months later he became the replacement for Jack McCloskey as the Wolves’ vice president for basketball operations.

His first important personnel move was to select high schooler Kevin Garnett at No. 5 in the NBA draft. A year later, again with the fifth pick, he took Ray Allen and then traded him to Milwaukee for Stephon Marbury, the fourth choice.

We had seen enough from Garnett during the second half of his rookie season to become optimistic. And teaming him with Marbury, the point guard with one dynamic season at Georgia Tech, gave fans a vision of a long-running combination that would rival Karl Malone and John Stockton in Utah.

This was June 1996, McHale had been in charge for 13 months, and it appeared he had the same genius for personnel as he had operating in the post for the Celtics.

Thirteen years later, that opinion has changed. McHale has gone from a hero to a culprit with Minnesota’s sporting public. Another vote on the Gophers’ greatest player might have McHale running neck-and-neck with Zebedee Howell to land in the top 50.

There was a litany of personnel blunders that became incomprehensible. Finally, in early December, owner Glen Taylor gave McHale the option of becoming the coach — and coach only — or leaving the organization.

There were 63 games remaining. McHale lost his first eight, then the Wolves went 13-9 through January and into February. Everything came crashing back down on Feb. 8 when Al Jefferson [stats] injured a knee in a loss at New Orleans.

There were now 32 left. The television view of McHale on the sideline made it appear that each game was adding a month of wear-and-tear. He was hobbling on a damaged knee and the dark circles around his eyes seemed permanent.

You would watch as many minutes of a Wolves game as could be tolerated, and see the shots of McHale and say to yourself: "He shouldn’t be doing this to himself. He should be hanging out in Scottsdale in the winter, playing golf."

A few months of sun and golf, maybe McHale could regain that former personality and start getting some TNT time as a fun-loving fill-in for Charles Barkley.

I haven’t been able to muster proper enthusiasm for bashing McHale, because there were so many years when he was a man filled with wonderful mischief and not the obvious resentment of recent seasons.

McHale was a freshman at Minnesota when newspaper columnist Sid Hartman was proudly escorting Chuck Foreman around the Gophers locker room after a victory. When Sid made the introduction to McHale, Kevin responded: "Nice to meet you, Mr. Foreman. What do you do for a living?"

It took Hartman and Foreman several seconds to realize they were being agitated, Iron Range-style.

Later, McHale’s nickname with the Celtics’ beat reporters was "411," since he was the player they went to for information.

Kevin retired after 13 seasons, came back to Minnesota, worked the Wolves’ telecasts and was fabulous. Sadly, the word association is now "futile" when McHale is mentioned to today’s lost legion of Wolves fans.

The Wolves finished with a 97-90 loss to Sacramento that put the final record at 24-58. There have been five seasons without the playoffs — costing McHale his position as the basketball boss and making his future as the coach uncertain.

"We’ll see," was all McHale had to offer again Wednesday when asked if he would like to be back as coach.

Either way, what you would hope for with McHale would be a return of his former personality.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1166007&format=text
Bulls fall, will face Celtics in playoffs

By K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune | Thursday, April 16, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
CHICAGO — For weeks, Vinny Del Negro and his players have acted like scoreboard watching was hazardous to the Bulls’ health.

Ask a question about the Bulls’ seed or potential first-round opponent and the response would be a dismissive smile and Cliche Fest 101.

The cliches gave way to forced smiles Wednesday night when the Bulls finally learned they will face the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics [team stats]. And they certainly need to play better than how they concluded the 43rd season in franchise history Wednesday night.

Toronto brought a decisive end to the good United Center vibes the Bulls had been riding with a 109-98 victory, ending the Bulls’ home winning streak at seven.

The loss became even more painful when Philadelphia rallied to beat a Cleveland team that rested most all its regulars, dropping the Bulls to the seventh seed. The 76ers, a 111-110 victor in overtime, will face Orlando.

"From the jump ball, we got outworked," Del Negro said. "They had better energy, moved the ball better. We couldn’t get stops and didn’t move the ball. They outhustled us on the glass.

"We were lackadaisical. I’m disappointed with our effort and our urgency, which has been good. It’s a hard lesson that we learned."

Indeed, the loss recalled the Bulls’ season-ending defeat in New Jersey that cost them a 50-victory season in 2006-07 and dropped their seed from second to fifth. It also prevented them from posting their first undefeated month since January 1996 and their first eight-game home winning streak in more than four years.

The Bulls finished 41-41 and lost two of three to Boston. They have never beaten the Celtics in the postseason, or even won a single game, in three previous series.

"Boston would want to control and get it to (Paul) Pierce and (Kevin) Garnett," Del Negro said. "Boston is going to win 60-plus games and Garnett is going to miss 20-some games.

"The motivation is to improve. We’re not the first or second seed. We’re the sixth or seventh. So we need to get better. The way you do that is by preparing and executing."

For only the second time in 16 home games since the All-Star break, the Bulls failed to do that, playing defense as if it were optional and even surrendering a shot-clock-beating long jumper to Tim Floyd-era Bull Jake Voskuhl.

Shawn Marion led Toronto with 34 points, abusing a clearly laboring John Salmons, who has a sore groin. Chris Bosh added 21 points and 19 rebounds.

Derrick Rose’s 20 points and 11 assists led the Bulls.

"It was tough knowing we lost this game," Rose said. "But we can’t hold on to it. We have to look at the playoffs. We can’t come out sluggish."

Bosh scored 11 points in the first 4 minutes 5 seconds with a nifty mixture of jumpers and drives. Toronto continued a season-long problem area for the Bulls by establishing a double-digit, first-quarter advantage, leading by 15.

That lead grew to 20 at 44-24 on Jason Kapono’s second straight three-pointer. That’s when the Bulls finally awoke. They ripped off a 21-4 run highlighted by Gordon’s seven points and a nice three-point play from Joakim Noah.

But Toronto extended its lead from that three-point advantage to 61-49 by halftime.

Still, the Bulls tried to look ahead positively.

"The experience is going to be invaluable for our young players," Del Negro said.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1165986&format=text
Cavaliers fail to match Celtics mark

By Herald wire services | Thursday, April 16, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage

Photo by AP
LeBron James watched as the Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t quite make history.

With their superstar, All-Star guard Mo Williams and other regulars resting for the playoffs, Cleveland lost for just the second time on its home floor this season, 111-110, in overtime last night to the Philadelphia 76ers [team stats].

That left the Cavs at 39 home wins, one shy of tying the 1985-86 Celtics [team stats]’ all-time home record of 40-1.

Andre Miller scored 30 points and Andre Iguodala 24 for the Sixers, who snapped a six-game losing streak and grabbed the East’s sixth seed in the playoffs, where they will meet the Orlando Magic.

Raptors 109, Bulls 98 - Shawn Marion scored a season-high 34 points, Chris Bosh grabbed 19 rebounds while scoring 21, and Toronto closed its season with a win in Chicago.

The Bulls, who had their five-game win streak snapped, fell into the seventh spot in the East and will face the Celtics in the first round.

Spurs 105, Hornets 98 - Michael Finley hit a 3-pointer as time expired to force overtime, and Tim Duncan put on a dominating show from there, leading host San Antonio to a Southwest division-clinching win over New Orleans.

Coupled with a Houston loss to Dallas, the Spurs clinched the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and will take on the Mavericks in the first round. The Hornets fell to the seventh seed after letting this one slip away late.

Mavericks 95, Rockets 84 - Jason Kidd notched a triple-double and Jason Terry was superb in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of his 23 points and powering Dallas to a win over visiting Houston.

Kings 97, Timberwolves 90 - Ike Diogu had 28 points and 13 rebounds to help Sacramento finish a sorry season with a victory over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

The Kings (17-65) snapped a nine-game losing skid, but still finished with the league’s worst record.

Knicks 102, Nets 73 - David Lee had 12 points and 12 rebounds for his NBA-best 65th double-double, and host New York routed New Jersey.

Wilson Chandler added 16 points for the Knicks, who missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

Heat 102, Pistons 96 - Filling in for Dwyane Wade, Chris Quinn made a huge 3-pointer late in overtime and scored a career-high 26 points to give host Miami a victory over Detroit.cw-3cw-3

Pacers 115, Bucks 108 - Danny Granger scored 35 points, helping Indiana overcome a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beat Milwaukee in Indianapolis.

Grizzlies 98, Hawks 90 - O.J. Mayo scored 26 points and Rudy Gay added 20 to lead host Memphis over an Atlanta team that rested 4-of-5 starters.

Magic 98, Bobcats 73 - Tony Battie had 21 points, Mickael Pietrus scored 19 and Orlando tuned up for the playoffs with an easy win over Charlotte.

Elsewhere in the NBA - Oklahoma City said Scott Brooks will continue as the team’s head coach next season.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/16/celtics_finish_on_high_note_will_face_bulls?mode=PF
Celtics finish on high note, will face Bulls
By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff | April 16, 2009

The issue wasn't the team the Celtics were playing last night. It was the one they will be playing this weekend.

If you needed a sign of where the Celtics were going into last night's 115-107 win over the Washington Wizards, Paul Pierce was in a sand-colored suit, orange hues in the shirt and tie, pocket square professionally fluffed - no plans of touching a basketball, simply of being the host on fan appreciation night.

The Wizards, meanwhile, were the NBA's definition of limp. Their coach, Ed Tapscott, has been working with the interim tag since taking over Nov. 24. Gilbert Arenas, the player they committed $111 million to over the offseason but has been hampered by knee woes, decided to sit out his 80th game of the season. And their 63d loss, in the season finale, confirmed that this was the worst team in franchise history.

Caron Butler's 39 points couldn't save them. Eddie House had made 3-point shooting look like archery. He pumped five fourth-quarter threes into the Wizards' chests on a night when he scored 20 points and set the franchise record for 3-point percentage in a season. Then he went to the locker room to watch the 76ers-Cavaliers game like everyone else.

Locked into the second seed win or lose, the Celtics knew the only variable was whether Chicago or Philadelphia would settle into the seventh seed as their playoff opponent, and it depended on that game.

Everyone who suited up was still in uniform with the game in overtime on the locker-room flat screen. Celtics managing partner Steve Pagliuca watched from Ray Allen's locker. Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe snacked on the postgame spread.

Mouths full or not, when Cleveland's Daniel Gibson went to the hoop for a layup with his team down 3, the feeling in the room was, "What are you doing?"

When 76ers guard Andre Miller missed two free throws, "Wows" bounced from Mikki Moore's side of the room to Allen's.

And when Gibson lost the ball and wound up scrambling on the ground, no one yelled, "Foul," louder than Moore.

When the Sixers finally won, 111-110 - and the Celtics' first-round opponent was decided - everyone went about their normal business.

There was some gratification. Cleveland's loss meant the 1985-86 Celtics who went 40-1 at the Garden still stood alone as the best home team in league history.

"You always want to keep those type of records at home," Perkins said. "I didn't want Cleveland to get it, honestly. I'm going to keep it real."

Even if that team was well before his time, Allen said, "It's still my organization. Any time you look up and see your team name, you have a greater feeling for it when you know that you're part of that team that was on there."

But the primary focus was on the playoffs.

"Whether we went to Chicago or Philly, we knew it was going to be a tough first-round opponent," Allen said. "We have our work cut out for us."

Chicago dropped to the seventh seed by losing, 109-98, to Toronto.

The shift didn't much matter to Celtics coach Doc Rivers, even though the trip to Chicago will be a homecoming. "That'd be a ticket issue," he said.

"We scouted basically everybody in the Eastern Conference," said general manager Danny Ainge. "We've been scouting the last few weeks. We have them all scouted since we may play anyone. We scouted every team and we're very familiar with them."

The Celtics won two of the three regular-season meetings with the Bulls, but after trading for Brad Miller and John Salmons at the deadline, Chicago won 17 of its last 28.

"They're a tough young team," said Rajon Rondo. "They had a great trade, bringing in Brad Miller. He's helped them tremendously as far as all aspects of the game. John Salmons is playing extremely well as well. And Derrick Rose runs the show. I'm sure he has a lot of pressure on him as a rookie, a lot of expectations, and he's lived up to them."

Said House, after shooting 6 of 9 from 3-point range and erasing Ainge's franchise 3-point percentage with a mark of .444, "Chicago is going to have to come in here. We feel extremely confident about who we have to play. We'll prepare tomorrow, prepare Friday, and lace 'em up Saturday."

For Rivers, running the regular-season gantlet was an accomplishment in itself. The win put a lid on the Celtics' first back-to-back 60-win seasons since the 1985-86 team followed a 63-win season with 67 victories. Rivers said he's more proud of this season's 62 wins than last season's 66.

"Playoffs will define the season," he said. "But for me, if you rank regular seasons, this year was better than last year because I thought there was far more adversity. We talk about champions taking punches and how many punches are you willing to take and keep moving forward. I thought we moved forward all year."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/16/with_or_without_garnett_repeat_unlikely?mode=PF
With or without Garnett, repeat unlikely
By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist | April 16, 2009

Last night at the Garden felt like the final day of school.

Remember? It was nonstop recess. No rules. Windows open. Books closed. No more teacher's dirty looks. You could pretty much do anything you wanted. It was just a day to legally complete the school calendar.

Same deal with the Celtics last night. The skeleton crew C's beat the Washington Generals/Wizards, 115-107. Ray Allen got the night off. Paul Pierce got the night off. Kevin Garnett sat out for the 22d time in the last 26 games. It felt almost like a Patriots exhibition game. Good thing it was "fan appreciation night" or there might not have been any stars on the floor.

Allen and Pierce sat on the bench wearing suits that cost more than my car. Pierce addressed the crowd from center court before the game, acknowledging, "It's been a long year, a trying year," then asking for the fans to step up their game in the playoffs. Garnett's only appearance was on the videoboard - the famous footage of him yelling ("AGHHHHHHHHHHHHH") before the starters are introduced.

There weren't a ton of regulars in the stands, either. This was a night to give tickets to the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. A lot of mail carriers and car mechanics were rewarded for years of loyal service.

The real games start Saturday, when the Celtics open a best-of-seven series against the Chicago Bulls. Most of us don't think the Celtics are going to repeat as world champions. Why? Because Garnett (sprained knee) won't be 100 percent and might not be a factor at all if things turn for the worse when he resumes practice today in Waltham.

Two other reasons they won't win: the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Both are better than the Celtics. And both have home-court advantage over Boston.

This feels like Cleveland's year just like last year felt like Boston's year. The Cavs have the best record and the best player. They went 39-2 at home. The only team in NBA history to go 40-1 at home was the 1985-86 Celtics. Some of us believe that team was the best in the history of basketball.

The Celtics are good. They won 62 games, which is the same number won by the 1983-84 Celtics; that's the only Larry Bird team that ever beat the Lakers in the Finals. This year's Green started 27-2 and won a franchise-record 19 consecutive games. Late in the season, they successfully wrestled for the second seed and won a ton of games even though they didn't have Garnett, Leon Powe, and a raft of other talents.

"It seemed like we were having a bad year at some points, compared to what we did last year," said Allen, who made 95.2 percent of his free throws this season, shattering a 50-year-old franchise record set by Bill Sharman.

"It's been a good year in a lot of ways," said coach Doc Rivers. "Our resolve has stuck out to me. Everybody said we were going to be the third seed. Well, we won 10 of 11 and we're the second seed.

"The toughest part of this year was the intensity of our opposition, the way they came at us, especially on the road. And not only the teams - the crowds. They all wanted to knock off the champs, and that was exhausting."

Ultimately, of course, the thing that matters most is Garnett. He hurt his knee in the first game after the All-Star break and was rendered useless for the rest of the regular season. He came back once, but the Celtics kept "shutting him down." And now nobody knows for sure that he'll even play when the postseason commences here Saturday afternoon. "I think he'll play, but we don't know," said Rivers. "If we don't like what we see [in practice today and tomorrow], he won't . . . Right now, we don't know. It's no fun for any of us. As a staff, we have to think of two game plans."

"KG will be rested," said general manager Danny Ainge, trying to put a light touch on the heavy situation.

What about the idea of shutting Garnett down for the first round since the Celtics can probably win without him?

"That really hasn't been discussed yet," said Ainge.

"I try not to think about it or worry about it," said Allen. "It becomes unfair to Leon, Glen [Davis], Kendrick [Perkins], and Mikki [Moore]. I am expecting him to play, but we don't know how he feels."

Nobody knows anything. That's the scary thing as the Celtics go into the playoffs. Garnett is intensely private (how does he live here for two years without seemingly ever being seen in public?) and recoils when asked about injuries.

Can they win without him?

"No," said Ainge, later qualifying that with, "It would be a difficult task."

We all know they can't win without him. And there's considerable doubt about their ability to win with him this year.

Garnett is to this team what Bill Russell was to the old Celtics. The Celtics won it in 11 of Russell's 13 seasons. The two years they didn't win? 1958, when Russell was hurt, and 1967, when the Philadelphia 76ers were simply better.

That's what this feels like. Garnett is hurt. And the Cavs are better.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/16/for_rivers_its_guessing_game?mode=PF
For Rivers, it's guessing game
Nothing is a given regarding Garnett
By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff | April 16, 2009

The fact Kevin Garnett and his right knee are rested does nothing to make things more certain for Doc Rivers entering the playoffs.

Garnett could look fine in front of Rivers and his staff when the Celtics practice today in Waltham, but then there's tomorrow. Then there's the next day.

They'll look to see how he moves after being out for most of the time since February. They'll wait to see how fast the knee becomes sore. But Rivers isn't guaranteeing that what they see in the next two days will be the same as what they'll see once the playoffs start. He's only hoping.

"We don't know how it's going to turn out tomorrow," the coach said. "And if it does [go well], we don't know how it's going to feel the next day. So we'll wait and see."

The uncertainty puts the team in a position of having to prepare for both Garnett's presence and his absence.

"That's the tough part about this whole thing," Rivers said. "It'd be easy to know the injury, know exactly how it's going to respond.

"We just don't know. It's a gray area, and it's no fun for any of us. As a staff, you have to really think of two game plans. You have to prepare yourself for the worst and the best."

Ray Allen acknowledged that in Garnett's absence, he's tried not to let thoughts of the forward's return cheat teammates like Glen Davis, Leon Powe, or Mikki Moore of the attention they've needed on the floor.

"We've got to start preparing the best way we can with these guys," Allen said.

At the same time, he said, he was expecting Garnett to return.

"It's his decision," Allen said. "We don't know how his body feels, so it's unfair for me to discuss his injury."

When Garnett returns, Rivers said he has no intention of limiting his minutes. He also acknowledged that he didn't expect Garnett to be at full strength but expected him to go full throttle.

"He probably won't be 100 percent, but I think his intensity will be 100 percent, and that's so important to our team," Rivers said.


It didn't sit well
Allen woke up Tuesday, ironed his suit, called room service, showered, packed his clothes, flipped on the TV, napped, then the phone rang.

He had been suspended by the NBA, and he got the word in the middle of a routine he goes through before every game.

"They tell you you're suspended and I was upset," he said. "I needed an explanation."

He called Stu Jackson, the league's executive vice president of basketball operations.

"He really didn't give me a great explanation, or one that at least I thought rationalized why I was suspended and there was no infraction on the other guy," said Allen.

Jackson told Allen video showed him elbowing Cleveland's Anderson Varejao in the groin Sunday, and that if a player hits an opponent in the groin, it's an automatic suspension.

"I felt it was unjust but I can't do anything about it," Allen said.

Per Rivers's orders, Allen sat out again last night ("This one was free, though," he joked), locking in his 95.2 free throw percentage as the best in Celtics history, topping the mark set by Bill Sharman in 1958-59.

"Any time in this franchise that you can hold any record, it's an accomplishment," Allen said. "You look at the record books, the banners, and the retired jerseys, you can barely find a jersey to play in. So to put something in the record book, it's quite an accomplishment."


House on the mark
Eddie House knew the numbers he needed to set the Celtics' season 3-point shooting percentage record, which amazed Rivers.

House did the math on his way to the Garden.

"I was thinking 3 for 3 ties, 4 for 5 I'll have it, 5 for 7 I'll have it," he said.

Then House went out and outdid his projections, going 6 for 9 from the arc for a .444 percentage - and the record.

"When I was 4 for 7, I knew I was like, 'OK, I got to make two more out of two,' and I did it," said House. "So I asked Mr. [Jeff] Twiss [the team's media relations director] on the side, 'Where am I at?' He's like, 'Don't shoot no more.' I was like, 'Doc, get me out of the game.' "

Knowing it was his boss, Danny Ainge, who held the record, Rivers joked, "I was thinking if I let I let Danny keep the record, then I get another two- or three-year extension. And if I let Eddie get it, then I might be gone. But I took the gamble. I let Eddie get it."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/
Celtics playing the Bulls
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff April 15, 2009 10:46 PM
The Celtics open Saturday against the Chicago Bulls. They were 2-1 against them in their regular-season contests.

Celtics vs. Bulls playoff schedule
Game 1 Sat. at Bos. (ESPN) 12:30
Game 2 Mon. at Bos. (TNT) 7
Game 3 Thu. at Chi. (TNT) 8
Game 4 April 26 at Chi. (Ch. 5) 1
(if necessary)
Game 5 April 28 at Boston
Game 6 April 30 at Chicago
Game 7 May 2 at Boston (TNT)

Celtics to play Bulls in first round of playoffs
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff April 15, 2009 10:27 PM
The Eastern Conference second seed Celtics will be playing the seventh seed Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. A Bulls home loss tonight against Toronto combined with the Sixers road win at Cleveland (without All-Stars LeBron James and Mo Williams) allowed Philadelphia to leap frog Chicago for the sixth seed. The Celtics won the season series over Chicago 2-1.

House beats Ainge's 3-point shooting record
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff April 15, 2009 10:07 PM
Celtics guard Eddie House finished with a new single season 3-point shooting percentage for the franchise at .444. Ex-Celtic Danny Ainge held the previous record at .443 during the 1986-87 season.

Allen likely to break team free-throw record
Link|Comments (1) Posted by Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff April 15, 2009 03:22 PM
If all goes as expected, Celtics guard Ray Allen will finish the regular season with a franchise-record for free-throw shooting and the fourth-highest mark in NBA history.

Allen has shot a career-best .952 after making 237 of 249 free throws. He isn't expected to play in the season finale tonight against Washington.

Previously, only Houston's Calvin Murphy (.958, 1980-81 season) and Denver's Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (.956, 1993-94) have had higher free-throw percentages. Toronto guard Jose Calderon, however, enters tonight's game against Chicago having shot an NBA-record 98 percent after making 149 of 152.

Bill Sharman previously owned the Celtics free throw percentage record, shooting .932 (342 of 367) during the 1958-59 season.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x1774896635/Megliola-Whats-past-is-prelude-for-the-Celtics
What's past is prelude for the Celtics
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By Lenny Megliola/Daily News staff
MetroWest Daily News
Posted Apr 15, 2009 @ 11:42 PM

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BOSTON — Round 1: Chicago.

The Celtics, after disposing of the woeful Wizards 115-107 last night, hung around the locker room to watch the Cavaliers-76ers OT thriller. You could say they were casually interested, since the result would determine who Boston would open the playoffs with Saturday at the Garden.

The Sixers held on, which allows them to avoid the Celtics in the first round, the honor left to the Bulls, who lost to Toronto.

"I had no preference who we play," said Tony Allen. "The object in the playoffs is to win."

"We've got to respect (the Bulls), they know how to play the game," said Ray Allen. "We have our work cut out for us."

Boston was 3-1 against the Bulls this season, and 4-0 vs. Philly.

"We look forward to it," said Allen. "We know it's going to be a tough first round opponent."

For the Celtics, it's been all about Kevin Garnett lately, yet there are still no definitive answers - not even close - regarding his status. He could play 40 minutes Saturday, or 15, or none. He could play, then re-injure the knee, and that'll be that.

KG's knee is the first round of the playoffs storyline.

"We're looking for movement (from Garnett)," said coach Doc Rivers. "He hasn't played. (We're looking) for him not to be sore, the next day too. Right now, there are no minutes limitations (on him)."

Simply, nobody knows how this KG thing will go down. "You have to prepare yourself for the worst and the best," said Rivers.

Ironically, Garnett's a May cover boy. The mag? Men's Fitness.

Rivers said he'd been warmed by other coaches about what it would be like this season for the Celtics as defending NBA champs. "They said, 'You'll be amazed by the intensity (of the games) on the road. ... The crowds want to beat the defending champions."'

To that point, and with how Rivers has dealt with the injuries, Ray Allen speaks highly of the job Rivers has done. "He definitely deserves a nod as Coach of the Year."

Glen Davis knows he's a lucky guy to have made the playoffs in his rookie year. He didn't know what to expect, when Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks approached a year ago.

"It was a whole different experience, the intensity of play," he said. "The focus was up high. The fans' energy went through the roof.

"It was a whole different sensation."

After a laundry list of exhibition games and 82 regular-season games last season, Davis said, "I tried to imagine how it was going to be (in the playoffs)." It was more than he thought. "Unbelievable. I can't explain it."

Ray Allen was a young buck, and a Milwaukee Buck, in 1999 the first time he played in the playoffs. "We lost in three games to the Pacers," said Allen, and yet that Bucks team had helped the city turn a page. "The Bucks hadn't been in the playoffs for a few years. The city was excited. We realized we had transformed the fans and the city."

Playoff games are old hat to Allen now. He's played (and started) in 63 of them.

Davis can't match that, but at least he's got one playoff season behind him and is looking forward to another one, starting Saturday. "I know what to expect now; (I know) what's going on." For one thing, Davis, who has played well with the extra minutes given him in Garnett's absence, figures to play more in the postseason this time.

And so it begins. The Celtics didn't win the most games in the league; they had plenty of injuries, including one to a player with whom they have no hope of winning another title if he's not right; a lot of people think that, KG or no KG, the Cavaliers and Lakers are better than Boston anyway. The Celtics are targets again.

Ray Allen summed it all up this way. "We kept together, and here we are."

Starting Saturday. Starting over.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1774896693/Celtics-115-Wizards-107-House-lifts-Green
Celtics 115, Wizards 107: House lifts Green
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By Howard Ulman/Associated Press
GHS
Posted Apr 16, 2009 @ 12:25 AM

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BOSTON — Eddie House sank five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and the Boston Celtics ended the Washington Wizards' terrible season with a 115-107 win despite playing without their three top players last night.

Caron Butler scored a season-high 39 points but couldn't keep the Wizards from matching their worst record for an 82-game season, 19-63, last in the Eastern Conference.

House had 20 points and set a single-season club record with a 44.4 percentage on 3-pointers. He was 6-for-9 to pass current Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, who hit 44.3 percent in 1986-87.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen rested and Kevin Garnett missed his 22nd game in 26 with a sprained right knee but could be ready for the playoff opener. The Celtics will play the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

Pierce, who had played every game this season, and Allen, who set a team record with a 95.2 free-throw percentage, watched from the bench in business suits as the Celtics finished the game with a 24-8 run after the Wizards had taken a 99-91 lead.

House's last two 3-pointers turned a 99-95 deficit into a 101-99 lead before Butler's basket tied it with 3:56 remaining. Leon Powe then hit two free throws and Glen Davis followed with a layup for a 105-101 advantage before House left the game to a standing ovation with 2:58 remaining.

Davis led the Celtics with 21 points and Powe had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Nick Young and JaVale McGee scored 17 each for Washington, which played without top scorer Antawn Jamison. He hurt his right ankle in a 97-96 loss to Toronto on Monday night in which the Wizards squandered a 93-80 lead.

Garnett is critical to the Celtics' chances of repeating as NBA champions. The club will see how he handles practice Thursday before deciding whether he'll play in the postseason opener.

" If he's not 100 percent and he probably won't be his intensity will be 100 percent and that's so important to our team," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said before the game.

Wizards interim head coach Ed Tapscott was 18-53 after replacing Eddie Jordan, who was fired with a 1-10 record. Tapscott is expected to be replaced by former Minnesota and Detroit coach Flip Saunders.

Washington also played without Brendan Haywood and Gilbert Arenas, who missed his fifth straight game after playing just his second of the season following knee surgery.

The Celtics led 57-52 at halftime but trailed 83-79 after the third quarter. A 16-3 Wizards run had given them a 79-73 lead.

Notes: The Celtics were 15-7 in the 22 games Garnett missed. ... Washington's Javaris Crittenton did not return after spraining his right ankle with 3:45 left in the third quarter. ... The Celtics posted their 100th consecutive sellout.

Loading commenting interface...

[FLCeltsFan]

www.nba.com/celtics/game_recap/recap041509-wizards.html
House Sets Three-Point Record As C’s Grab Win No. 62

Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett all sat out tonight's game in order to rest up for the playoffs. Rajon Rondo was on the court for only nine mutes of the game so that he could rest, too. Tonight was supposed to be a walk-thru for the Celtics, right?

Wrong.

Eddie House scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, including five three-pointers, electrifying the TD Banknorth Garden crowd and sending the Celtics into the playoffs on a high note.

He and Caron Butler went back-and-forth with jumpers from the outside in an attempt to lead their team to a victory to end the regular season. Butler finished with a game-high 39 points and scored 15 of those in the final period, but it was House and the Celtics who had the last laugh.

In the process of lighting up the Wizards' defense, House also vaulted himself into Boston's record books by beating Danny Ainge's single season three-point percentage mark set in 1986-87 (44.3%). Without his streak in the fourth quarter, making five of his six three-pointers, House would have been short of the record. He did exactly what he needed to do and finished the year with a stellar 44.4% average from downtown.

"It just felt good, especially getting the win," House said. "The way that I had to get it, I started off so slow and I had to hit my last four to get."

At one point, after House had made his final two threes of the game, he asked Celtics Vice President of Media Services/Alumni Relations Jeff Twiss where he stood in regards to the record.

House jokingly told reporters, "He said don't shoot no more and I asked Doc to get me out of the game.".

While House took over in the fourth quarter, the rest of the Celtics' squad had quite a night, too.

Leon Powe, in his second game back from injury, dominated the start of the game by scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds in the first quarter. He and Stephon Marbury teamed up to keep the Celtics' offense on the attack in the early going. Marbury had four points, three assists and two rebounds in the first and finished with an impressive nine points and eight assists. Powe finished the night with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Glen Davis and Tony Allen followed up their solid performance on Tuesday night (a total of 33 points and nine rebounds) with another great game tonight. Davis came off the bench to lead the Celtics with 21 points while Allen recorded 15 points, three assists and three rebounds.

The Celtics' bench players showed heart from start to finish, displaying the intensity and energy level Boston fans have become accustomed to over the past two seasons. Rivers considers this season's regular season accomplishments to be even more impressive than the last.

"I thought it was far more adversity," he said. "We talk about champions taking punches, and how many punches are you willing to take and keep moving forward, and I thought we moved forward all year. So I was really proud of them."

Heading into tonight's game, it seemed nearly certain that the Celtics would face off with last night's opponent, the Philadelphia 76ers, in the first round of the playoffs. The only way it wouldn't happen was if the Raptors knocked off Chicago tonight combined with a Philadelphia win in Cleveland.

Well if you thought that wasn't going to happen, think again.

Toronto dominated the Bulls from start to finish and knocked them off 109-98 on the road. Meanwhile, in Cleveland, the Cavaliers sat LeBron James and Mo Williams and limited Delonte West and Anderson Varejao to only 31 combined minutes. With their best players on the bench, Philadelphia had a shot to win and they took full advantage of it.

The Sixers pulled out a 111-110 overtime victory over the Cavs, becoming only the second road team to win in Quicken Loans Arena this season. With the win, they leapfrogged the Bulls in the standings and secured the No. 6 seed in the East.

That means that Chicago is now the No. 7 seed and will be in Boston to take on the Celtics in Game 1 of the first round this weekend.

Boston is 3-1 against Chicago this season. The series schedule will be announced by the NBA Thursday morning.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/sidebar041509-powe-braced.html
Leon Powe Braced For Playoff Run

There was one question on most minds Wednesday night:

Pizza or cheese-steak?

It wasn't until after the Boston Celtics had finished beating the Washington Wizards, 107-115, and were sitting comfortably in their locker room that they would get the answer. They will be playing the Chicago Bulls, not the Philadelphia 76ers, in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

As important as that seems, another question might have the greatest impact on the Celtics' postseason hopes. You only need to know the answer.

Leon Powe is back.

In his second appearance since missing 13 games with a strained right knee, Powe made the start in place of Kevin Garnett and dropped a cool 18 points and 13 rebounds on the Wizards. It didn't matter as much what he did or how he did it -- though his explosiveness was present and accounted for -- just that it was done. Because now Celtics coach Doc Rivers is wealthy with big men, and can choose between Powe, Glen Davis and Mikki Moore to round out his playoff rotation.

The rest, it seems, that had fans clamoring for more Powe, was all Powe -- a veteran of knee-related injuries -- needed.

"It would just get tight and stiff, and I'd just be miserable the next day," Powe said. "So that's why I wasn't playing, to try and get that soreness out of it. So far it's been no soreness."

But not everything was sunshine and roses on the last day of the regular season. Powe now has to wear a large bionic-looking brace on his right knee, and while it hasn't appeared to affect his play, the brace can play mind games.

"I hate the brace," Powe said, half-joking. "I want to take it off, they won't let me."

"I just hate it. I don't like nothing on my knees. It just feels like there's something there. I got to strap it on and strap it off. It's just a headache."

Headaches or not, the Celtics will need Powe, just as they did last postseason, for a title run. He has a unique skillset, a unique energy and a comprehensive understanding of the Celtics system that, coming off the bench, he can work wonders in a grind-it-out series. Besides, after tonight's performance, he might just want to lock that brace up at night.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1166036&format=text
Doc Rivers: ‘No way’ Kevin Garnett ready for playoffs

By Steve Buckley | Thursday, April 16, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone (File)
Celtics forward Kevin Garnett is not ready to play and may be out for the entire NBA playoffs, coach Doc Rivers said on WEEI this morning.

“I don’t see it. I just don’t,” Rivers said. “I’ve flipped completely, because I was watching him move (before) and he looked great. But after today, there’s no way he can play.”

Asked if he would tell Kevin he can’t play, Rivers said, “I did today. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t keep getting treatment and see where he can go, but there’s no way he can play.

“He was frustrated. He was mad at me, mad at everybody. Then he understood. He put up a fight. He’s really frustrated, but that’s Kevin. That’s why we got him, because he cares so much.”

The Celtics [team stats] open defense of their NBA title Saturday against the Chicago Bulls. They practiced today, leading to Rivers determination.

“The guy’s a warrior and you can see him trying to mask it, but after 20 minutes of running, there’s just no way,” Rivers said.

Garnett injured his right knee Feb. 19 and missed the next 13 games before returning. However, he played just four games of limited minutes before the Celtics shut him down again to rest up. That was nine games ago. The Celtics hinted at possible returns, but Garnett did not play another game in the regular season.

This morning, Rivers raised the serious possibility that the layoff would extend through the playoffs.

“It may send a message to our guys that there’s nobody you’re waiting for,” Rivers said in reference to his team’s reaction. “And it can help us in that way. That’s the only way it can help us.”