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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 6:53:31 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1166990&format=textCeltics dodge a Bull-et By Mark Murphy | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone The first two rounds of last year’s playoffs were filled with road games this contentious. But the Celtics [team stats] haven’t left home yet and already are squeaking by. The good news for Celtics Nation this morning is that Ray Allen broke out of his one-game slump by scoring 28 of his 30 points in the second half, including the clinching 3-pointer with 2 seconds left in last night’s 118-115 win against Chicago at the Garden. The tough news is that the C’s narrowly avoided their second straight overtime, barely tied this first-round playoff series at 1 and still are confounded about how to stop the young, athletic Bulls, who now host Game 3 on Thursday. In successive games the Celtics have surrendered 36 (Derrick Rose) and 42 points (Ben Gordon) to different players - almost unheard of for a team that considers itself one of the best defensively. Instead, Chicago has dictated the pace, with the Celtics straining to keep up. In that respect, Allen’s eruption couldn’t have been better timed. The veteran guard and fellow UConn alumnus Gordon hooked up in a shootout reminiscent of Paul Pierce [stats] and Cleveland’s LeBron James in Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals. “If (Allen) doesn’t have the game he has tonight, we’re probably going to win that game,” said Gordon, a tad stunned that his 14-for-24, six trey performance wasn’t enough. “The only comment I have is that I pray Danny Ainge didn’t watch this game,” Celts coach Doc Rivers said of his boss, who was back home recovering from a mild heart attack. “What a great shot by Ray. That was terrific. We really needed somebody. At halftime you have (Rajon) Rondo landing in the trainer’s room (with a sprained ankle), and Leon (Powe) injured, and guys in foul trouble. “All I said was, ‘I need one volunteer - you know, one volunteer to score for us, to step up for us.’ And it was Ray Allen. And that was terrific. Shooters shoot. They just keep shooting.” Allen’s last shot - a fadeaway bomb near the top of the circle over the outstretched Joakim Noah - validated a lot of good work all night. Rondo left in the second quarter with what appeared to be a badly sprained right ankle, returned in the third and broke ground on a 19-point, 16-assist, 12-rebound triple-double - the third of his career - by the end of the quarter. Powe, who left for good with a sprained left knee later in the second quarter, wasn’t as fortunate. He went to the hospital for an MRI, the results of which weren’t available. Each team took the lead four times in the fourth. Rondo’s steal and fast-break drive cut Chicago’s edge to 109-108 with 1:54 left, but Gordon hit from the baseline. Glen Davis drained two free throws to trim the margin to one again. Noah missed before Rondo buried a 21-footer for a 112-111 advantage with 1:01 to go. Gordon put the ball to the floor against Allen and stepped back for a 20-footer and a 113-112 lead. Rondo missed from the top of the circle while falling to the floor, but the point guard grabbed the loose ball and fired a pass left to Allen, whose 3 put the C’s ahead 115-113. Gordon, in double coverage, tied it at 115 from the foul line. Eddie House then inbounded to Rondo with 12.3 seconds left. He again swung it to Allen - this time for a 3 and the win with 2 seconds left.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:09:34 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167032&format=textRay Allen stuck in a dream By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone As he left the floor at halftime last night, Ray Allen had two points on 1-for-4 shooting. That made him 2-for-16 from the parquet for the last six quarters. Hard as it may have been to fathom at that point, he was, in the words of the guy playing the Garden tonight and tomorrow, “working on a dream.” With two seconds left, Allen came off a pick and threw in a 3-pointer that completed a 28-point half and a 118-115 Celtics [team stats] victory to even the first-round series with the Bulls at 1. Bruce Springsteen can only hope to get the ovation that carried Allen off the court. “There’s nothing greater than hitting the game-winning shot,” said the Celts guard, who lost the battle with fellow UConn product Ben Gordon, 42-30, but won the war. “We all talk about it. We’ve all dreamt it. We’ve all been on the playground with the countdown, 5-4-3-2-1. There’s nobody out there and then the ball goes in the hole and you make the crowd noise and you put your hands in the air. And then you’ve got to go get the ball because there’s nobody really out there and there’s nobody watching. “We’ve all been there whether you play professionally or not, because it’s just a childhood dream. That was that moment for me, and no matter how many times you do it . . . being able to electrify a building and bring everybody to their feet is probably the greatest feeling playing this game, besides being in the locker room with your teammates after a win like that.” For the longest time it seemed as if Allen would never get there. He was up on Gordon, but it didn’t matter, as the Bulls guard went for 14 in the last quarter. “He’s one of those guys that shoots better with a hand in his face,” said Allen. “He doesn’t worry about a defender on him. He just goes to his move.” Gordon gave the Bulls the lead with 46 seconds left and, after an Allen trey, he tied the game with 12.3 seconds on the clock. But this night would give truth to the basketball adage that he who shoots last, laughs best. Allen was one of many options as the Celts inbounded the ball at midcourt, but there were no doubts in his mind. “I saw (Rajon) Rondo and I was thinking, ‘Just throw me the ball and this ball’s going in the air,’ ” Allen said. “When I saw he was in pass mode, I just knew that (Kirk) Hinrich was trailing me. I didn’t know if he had stopped or kept going, but he was trailing me - and that’s all I needed. I know I’m going to get up a shot or I’m going to drive if (Joakim) Noah is too far on me. Once I knew that, the rest was history.” Allen hit 6-of-9 treys after the break, turning the beat around from a horrible start to his postseason. After Sunday’s practice, he chose not to speak with the media, lest he deal with 15 minutes of negativity after his 1-for-12 opener. “I was just in a really good place,” Allen said. “After practice I got my shots up. I felt great. I just was in a good place - and I wanted to stay there.” Still, it took him two more quarters to make it to the promised land. “That’s as good as I’ve seen,” said Doc Rivers of Allen’s second half. “Especially when you factor in he had to chase Gordon all around, who was on fire as well. . . . So, I mean, he had to be exhausted on one end and then making shots on the other. But Ray makes big shots, and that’s what we said in the timeout.” Allen got a bit of space before hitting his last shot. This time there were other people around to retrieve the ball.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:12:22 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167030&format=textLeon Powe’s other knee acts up By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone Leon Powe’s return from a strained right knee was shortlived. The Celtics [team stats] forward sprained his left knee while driving to the basket in the first half of last night’s 118-115 Celtics win at the Garden against the Chicago Bulls in Game 2 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. At halftime, he was taken to the hospital for an MRI. Though Doc Rivers hadn’t heard any particulars about the test, the coach did say the results didn’t look good. “The bad news is Leon,” Rivers said. “He’s at the hospital. It doesn’t look great, I can say that, but we’ll find out.” Powe had two points and a rebound in eight minutes before the injury. Ainge home Danny Ainge’s appearance at the morning shootaround was followed by a night at home, presumably in front of the television set. Though the Celtics president of basketball operations is recovering from a mild heart attack, and though he was under doctor’s orders not to watch Game 1 against the Bulls while still in Mass General, something told Rivers that last night was different. “He came in, said hi and then we told him to go home and get off his feet,” Rivers said. “It was great to see him. I guarantee you if he’s at home, no one is going to turn that TV off. It was nice for all the guys who know him just to see him looking normal.” Ainge’s incident, which started when he woke up Thursday morning with chest pains, has had a sobering effect on the players. “It’s amazing as athletes with the way we go through our lives,” Brian Scalabrine said. “We really do think we’re invincible. We know that Danny doesn’t drink, smoke or hang out late. But this makes you pay attention.” Garnett watch Kevin Garnett could be spotted jumping on the sideline during the shootaround. He then showed up roughly an hour before Game 2 at the Garden and immediately headed into the trainer’s room. Rivers, who on Sunday told the Herald that management would prefer that the forward put off surgery on his sore right knee, has left the possibility open that Garnett could return before the end of the playoffs. Garnett walked through a late workout under the direction of strength and fitness coach Brian Doo and trainer Ed Lacerte long after Sunday’s team practice had broken up. Scal to practice Scalabrine, whose wife, Kristen, gave birth to the couple’s second daughter, Adria Raine, Sunday night, will take part in his first full practice today after missing the past two months to post-concussion syndrome. Judging from his workout before Game 2 with Doo and former C’s guard Dana Barros, Scalabrine is ready to return to the fold. “For me, movement is my biggest concern,” Scalabrine said. “Brian (Doo) is helping me work on my lateral quickness. . . . Mentally I’m pretty engaged in the game right now. What I have to get back is my lateral quickness.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:18:48 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167031&format=textRajon Rondo makes his point In complete control By Steve Buckley | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone The crowd around Ray Allen’s locker looked like the starting line at Hopkinton, and for all the right reasons. The veteran guard just made an overnight transformation from question mark to exclamation point, scoring 30 points in the Celtics [team stats]’ 118-115 Game 2 victory against the Chicago Bulls last night at TD Banknorth Garden, including a three-point game-winner with two ticks remaining in regulation. So yeah, sure, everyone made reservations at Allen’s locker. And Allen talked. But on this night his talking came with a disclaimer: If you’re smart, he seemed to be saying, you’d be talking with Rajon Rondo [stats], too. “I know that a lot of attention will go to me for making the last-second shot, but he had a triple-double,” Allen said almost apologetically after the Celts evened the series at 1. “I told him his focus was there all day today. From early this morning he was zoned in, and I said to him, ‘That’s how I love to see you. You’ve taken your game to the next level. Just remember that people are watching. You continue to do that, we’re going to be in a good place.’ ” Allen’s right about the zoned-in bit. For it wasn’t just the numbers with Rondo last night. Yes, he had the 19 points, the 16 assists, the 12 rebounds, but he also had a way about him that suggested he’s been through many, many of these high-stakes postseason showdowns. And while Allen’s game-winner was the shot that led the news, it was Rondo who put the ball in play, who read the defense, who put the ball in Allen’s hands. And it was Rondo, with 1:01 remaining, the Celtics down by one, the shot clock on the verge of being a memory, who hit on a 21-footer. All this on a bum ankle that required treatment at halftime, and for a good 45 minutes after the game. “Before the game,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, “Rondo was asking all kinds of questions about what he needed to do, and I told him a bunch of stuff. And then when he left, I got to thinking that that’s too many questions.” And? “And I walked into the locker room and told Rondo he has the keys to the team, and just go play,” Rivers said. “And stop asking me questions.” Perfect. It was the sports equivalent of the bestowing of a knighthood. Seemingly always the kid sharing playing time with the ballyhooed Big Three, now Doc was ripping away the kid’s training wheels, this because the kid’s no kid any more. And Rondo loved, just loved, hearing these words. “I’ve played almost 300 games under Doc, so it’s great to get a compliment like that,” he said. But there was more from the coach. Doc, sounding just like a doc, said, “His ankle is huge, and he sucks it up and plays the way he plays. That was such a gritty game by him.” Let’s be honest: This is going to be a rocky playoff road for the Garnett-starved Celtics. And the news on the Leon Powe front is not good. He went to the hospital last night for an MRI on his knee, and, as Rivers said, “It doesn’t look great.” But in a time of crisis, Rajon Rondo delivered. Twice now. Doc Rivers gave him the keys to the team, and Rondo got in, fired up the engines, and drove. Did he ever.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:21:22 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167050&format=textClock runs out on great Bulls-Celtics game By Rick Morrissey / Chicago Tribune | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Matt Stone BOSTON — The Bulls didn’t lose Monday night. They ran into a clock that didn’t have a romantic bone in its body. This game deserved a clock that didn’t know when to stop. When Ray Allen hit a three-pointer over the outstretched hand of Joakim Noah with two seconds left in the game, it was only right that Ben Gordon get a chance to answer. They had been going at it all night, and the battle could have gone on into infinity, like some sort of basketball heaven. It was Boston Marathon day, after all. The clock is supposed to go up, not down, right? But the Bulls had run out of timeouts, and Tyrus Thomas’ desperation shot from halfcourt fell short. The scoreboard said the Celtics [team stats] won this game 118-115, and I suppose that’s technically right. Everybody knew, however, that Boston was going to come out with everything it had, short of Kevin Garnett, and spank the Bulls for their Game 1 insolence. Well, guess what? It didn’t happen. And the Bulls should return home overflowing with confidence after what they accomplished at Banknorth Garden. This playoff series is tied 1-1. Advantage, Bulls. "To do what we did (Monday night) and know we’re headed back to the United Center is a good feeling for us," Thomas said. They’ll bring with them the good feelings that come with watching a man do what he was born to do. Gordon had 42 points, shooting from everywhere and from every angle_jumpers, runners, three-pointers_and he was scary down the stretch. He scored the Bulls’ last 12 points, and he did it when everyone in the TD Banknorth Garden knew he was going to shoot. "I was in a zone," Gordon said. "I really don’t remember what happened. I was in a zone. Every time I got the basketball, I tried to get a good shot and a good look at the basket." And everybody knew Allen was going to take the Celtics’ shot with the score tied 115-115. There were no mysteries Monday night. Allen scored 28 points in the second half as he and Gordon_who both played at Connecticut_went at it as if they were on the playground. And when Allen got a pass and dropped in the game-winning three-pointer, the Bulls could only nod their heads. "He hit a good shot over a 7-footer (and he was) fading back," Derrick Rose said. "If that’s not the shot you want somebody to take, I don’t know what is." The Bulls were unflappable. Absolutely unflappable. Somebody’s going to say that they were unflappaBull. OK, that too. Funny thing about these Bulls. In the face of all the evidence that suggested they might want to pack up and go home Monday night_angry, vengeful Celtics team, hostile crowd, etc._they refused to back down. Time and again, the Celtics turned it up and turned on the crowd, and still the Bulls kind of stood there and said: "That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?" Give them complete credit. Somehow they transformed themselves into a hard-nosed playoff team, and they did it quickly. From 0 to 60 mph in what seems like three weeks. By all rights, the Bulls shouldn’t even have been close to the lead. The Celtics outrebounded them 20-7 in the first quarter and outscored them 12-0 in second-chance points. Really, it couldn’t have been any grimmer. Rose had two fouls and Kirk Hinrich three. Lindsey Hunter, Mr. September, was in the game. Did we mention that Rajon Rondo [stats] was killing the Bulls? Nine points, six assists and five rebounds worth in the first quarter, 19-16-12 for the game. And yet the score going into the second was 35-29, Celtics, instead of, say, 40-0, Celtics. The Bulls caught a break when Rondo went down with an ankle injury with about five minutes left in the first half. The Bulls actually put some space between themselves and the Celtics when Gordon hit two runners and two free throws, Linton Johnson put back a missed shot and Hunter hit two free throws. Johnson? Hunter? Was this the NBA playoffs? The Bulls led 61-54. Unflappable. OK, maybe Noah’s a little flappable. He fouled Kendrick Perkins [stats] hard in the third, sent some trash Perkins’ way, got a technical for it and then found an angry Gordon in his face for it. From then on, the crowd was all over Noah. It was a mean, nasty game of bruising fouls and flying bodies. The Celtics’ Glen Davis, who is 6 feet 9 inches, 289 pounds, dived into the crowd for a loose ball in the third quarter. Scientists believe this kind of impact wiped out the dinosaurs. Are the Bulls emboldened by the absence of Garnett, Boston’s superstar? If not, they should be. No reason to apologize for a KG-less playoff series. Take advantage of it, in the same way the Celtics took advantage of Rose’s early foul trouble Monday night. And the Bulls have Gordon. "He did what he does," Thomas said. He does. Too bad he didn’t get one more shot. Damn clock.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:24:50 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/late_3_pointer_by_allen_brings_celtics_even?mode=PFLate 3-pointer by Allen brings Celtics even By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | April 21, 2009 The Celtics' home-court advantage has produced an overtime loss and last night's last-gasp, 118-115 victory over the Chicago Bulls. That would not seem to be an encouraging sign for Games 3 (Thursday) and 4 (Sunday) in Chicago. Or, maybe it is, according to captain Paul Pierce. "I think we feel very confident," Pierce said. "We feel like we haven't played good basketball yet. I feel like this is pretty much our 'C' game. We've given up 100 points two games in a row, allowed people to shoot 49, 50 percent. I think our best is yet to come in this series." But it is clear the Celtics' playoff run is either going to be shorter or rockier than last season, judging by the loss of Leon Powe (left knee) and the fact that they had to make a dramatic rally from a 5-point deficit to pull this one out. The Celtics were on top of their game at the start, Rajon Rondo jetting his way to a triple-double by early in the third quar ter. And they closed things out with some excellent execution, Ray Allen breaking out of a shooting slump to score 28 points in the second half, including the deciding 3-pointer with two seconds remaining. Until that Allen launch over Joakim Noah, though, the Bulls had matched the Celtics step for step and basket for basket for 95 minutes, 58 seconds. Ben Gordon scored 42 points although the Bulls did not counter the Celtics' rebounding intensity; Boston had a 50-36 rebounding edge, scoring 32 points off 21 offensive boards. The win boosted the spirits of the Celtics, who Thursday morning had absorbed the news that Kevin Garnett (right knee) would be out for the playoffs and that president of basketball operations Danny Ainge had sustained a mild heart attack. That was followed two days later by an upset loss in the playoff opener. Ainge attended yesterday morning's shootaround and Garnett joined his teammates on the bench for the entire contest. But after taking a 12-point first-quarter lead, the Celtics lost Powe to injury and faced a scare as Rondo went down with a sprained ankle. "I pray that Danny Ainge didn't watch this game," coach Doc Rivers said. "What a great shot by Ray. We really needed somebody. "At halftime, you've got Rondo landing in the training room and Leon injured and guys in foul trouble. And, you know, basically, at halftime all I said was, I needed a volunteer. And it was Ray Allen." Savior was more like it. Rondo (19 points, 12 rebounds, 16 assists) healed and outdueled Derrick Rose. Glen Davis, who played a total of 137 minutes in last year's playoffs, followed an 18-point Game 1 with 26 points and 9 rebounds. Both Kendrick Perkins and Rondo grabbed seven offensive rebounds. But Pierce had another off night, with 18 points on 19 field goal attempts. And the Celtic bench produced 9 points. The outcome was in doubt, and the fact that the Celtics have had to go to the wire at home raises questions about their ability to repeat as NBA champions. After the Bulls took a 109-104 lead, the Celtics closed with a 14-6 run, capped by a three by Allen, who had been held to 4 points in Game 1 and was 2 for 16 from the field in the opening six quarters of the series. The Celtics had taken a 104-101 lead on Pierce's second-chancer with 4:35 remaining. But Rose scored on a follow, then Gordon hit two threes after the Bulls blocked Pierce shots, the Celtics calling timeout with a 5-point deficit with 3:11 left. The Celtics failed to score on their next possession, but they capitalized on a Gordon misfire with a Davis layup, igniting an 8-2 run. Rondo converted off a steal to cut the deficit to 109-108 with 1:54 remaining. Gordon scored out of a timeout, but Davis hit two foul shots and Rondo hit a jumper over Noah with :02 on the shot clock for a 112-111 edge with 1:01 remaining. Gordon restored the Bulls lead, then Allen converted a second-chance three after Rondo controlled a tipped offensive rebound for a 115-113 lead with 25.3 seconds to go. Gordon's jumper out of a 20-second timeout tied it, and the Celtics called timeout with 12.3 remaining. Allen then fired an off-balance shot off a double pick, Noah stepping out and nearly blocking the attempt. "I actually thought Ray was going to be wide open," Rivers said. "And when he got it, Noah came out of nowhere - that was a hell of a recovery by him." And quite a recovery by the Celtics.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:26:04 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/quite_a_series_of_events?mode=PFQuite a series of events By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist | April 21, 2009 Winners all around. The Red Sox pummeled the Orioles, 12-1, in the annual Monday brunch at Fenway. The Bruins whupped the Canadiens, 4-2, to go up, 3-0, in their playoff series. More than 22,000 won the Boston Marathon by completing the 26.2-mile trip from Hopkinton to Boylston Street. And then the perfect Boston sports day ended in perfect fashion when Ray Allen came off a pick, took a pass from Rajon Rondo, and swished a 25-foot trey with two seconds remaining to give the Celtics a stayin'-alive 118-115 victory over the fearless Chicago Bulls. Kevin Garnett or no Kevin Garnett (the Ticket stayed on the bench for all 48 minutes of Game 2), we have a spectacular first-round series on our hands. The Bulls are giving the Celtics more trouble than the Lakers did last spring, and every Green fan knows how close the Celtics came to taking a 2-0 deficit to the land of Blagojevich. It will be hard to match the drama of Game 2 when the series shifts to the United Center. This one featured a whopping 18 lead changes and some spectacular individual performances from the likes of Ben Gordon (42 points on an Andrew Toney night), Rondo (19 points, 12 rebounds, 16 assists, 5 steals), and Glen Davis. Big Baby played the role of Sam Jones for Boston, scoring a career-high 26 points, including multiple jumpers from beyond the foul line. It was like watching Curt Schilling stealing bases or Vince Wilfork returning punts. But it was Allen who emerged as the man, hitting four threes in the final period, scoring 30 after starting the series with six quarters of horrible shooting. Sugar Ray went 1 for 12 in the stunning Game 1 loss, and made only one of four from the floor in the first half last night. That means he was 2 for 16 over six quarters. That also means he scored 28 in the second half, none bigger than the last 2. "He's a great shooter and we didn't have an answer for him at the end," said Gordon, who was unconscious all night. If not for the actions of Allen, Rondo, and Baby, the Celtics would be contemplating putting the parquet in mothballs for the summer. The Bulls are proving to be a nightmare matchup. Chicago is young and playing with abandon. Miami, Philly, even Orlando would have been a better first-round matchup for the Green. The Bulls have young legs and they are not intimidated. If they hadn't allowed the Celtics 21 offensive rebounds last night, the Bulls would be up, 2-0, easily. The Celtics had 32 second-chance points. Chicago had 12. "That was the key," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. It's more than just the Kevin Garnett factor now. Chicago knows it can beat Boston. Garnett's 7-foot shadow didn't seem like that big of a deal when this one finally ended. This is a good thing. Better we talk about the guys who are playing. After Saturday's loss, Rivers said he wasn't taking any more questions about KG, but when asked about Garnett Sunday, he told one reporter, "You never know." Taking questions after shootaround yesterday, Rivers put a small percentage on the possibility of The Franchise returning before the end of the playoffs. Rondo went down with an ankle sprain late in the first half but came back for a terrific final two quarters. The Chicago backcourt is proving to be problematic for Boston. Derrick Rose had 36 points in Game 1 and Gordon 42 last night. Gordon scored the Bulls' final 12 points. "It's definitely encouraging the way we played," said Gordon. "We just need to continue to do that and make some adjustments at the defensive end." It has not been a defensive series. But it has been a spectator's delight. Unless you have a heart condition. Unfortunately, Celtics president Danny Ainge does have a heart condition. He suffered a mild heart attack last week and was advised by doctors not to watch these games. Ainge was at the Celtics' Waltham practice facility yesterday morning. "We told him to go home," said Rivers. "It was nice to see him looking normal, and you know if he's home, there's no way he's turning his TV off tonight." No one could turn away from this game. The perfect ending to the perfect day in Boston sports.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:26:42 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/speculation_wont_sit_still?mode=PFSpeculation won't sit still Garnett is down but curiosity is up By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 21, 2009 If you thought Game 2 between the Celtics and Bulls was intense, you should have been at the Celtics' practice facility yesterday morning. There was a fierce, one-possession one-on-one game between two regular-sized men. The rules were simple. A basket by video coordinator Brian Adams made him a winner. A defensive stop by strength and conditioning coach Bryan Doo gave him the spoils. Nearby, a limping Kevin Garnett hooted and hollered in favor of Adams, while Paul Pierce cheered for Doo. As Adams went to the hole for a lay-in hotly contested by Doo, an excited Garnett leaped, came down gingerly, and then limped. Doo, however, was a stand-up guy and called his own foul. But to Garnett's dismay, Adams missed another lay-up attempt on the next try. Last Thursday, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Garnett was done for the season because of a right knee strain. An NBA source said Garnett has decided to hold off on bone spur surgery to see if he can make one last-ditch effort at playing in the playoffs. But judging by the way Garnett limped yesterday, it doesn't look like as though he will be coming back soon. "If he gets healthy, he gets healthy," Rivers said. "But I don't see it. If he does, it will be phenomenal. But that's not anything I'm focused on at all." You can't blame the ultracompetitive Garnett for not throwing in the towel with back-to-back titles on the line. Garnett was initially expected to return, after a long hiatus, for Game 1 of the playoffs. But a source said recently that he was only "70 percent" and that he had not responded well to rehabilitation of late. After watching him struggle to move during a workout last Thursday, Rivers said Garnett was done for the season and that separate bone spur surgery was also needed. He was expected to pick a surgery date soon. But now this seems more like a Willis Reed day-to-day situation. Garnett's teammates have become comfortable with the notion that they are more likely to see him in a suit during games than wearing No. 5. "Honestly, I've programmed in my mind that he's not coming back because he's doing what he has to do to try to get himself better," Ray Allen said. "The worst-case scenario is that he's not coming back. So we have to plan that way." Said Kendrick Perkins: "They just say he's out, so I just know he's out. There is nothing else. I just know he's out. If he does make a miraculous comeback, that would be cool for us." A jittery Garnett sat on the bench for the first half of the Game 1 loss. He was encouraging to teammates and voiced recommendations to the floor during play and during timeouts. But when the second half came, Garnett was not back on the pine. "Watching the game from the bench was tough for him," Allen said. "If it was us, if he needed to do some things back [in the training room], I couldn't tell you." Garnett, surprisingly, was back on the bench last night. The sight of him surely made the fans at TD Banknorth Garden wonder whether they will see him again this season in his mammoth adidas instead of shiny dress shoes. And just the sight of Garnett in practice, moving even in slow, limping fashion, the past two days has caused a media storm and brought back questions about a miracle return that Rivers thought he silenced after Game 1. When asked if the Garnett speculation has been a distraction, Rivers said, "No. Not really. But the reason that I [said he wasn't coming back] the other night is so it wouldn't be. We just lost a game and we're talking about a guy in a three-piece suit that didn't look good in it. I was thinking, 'That's silly.' " Based on how Garnett has looked the past two days, the video guy might be able to give the Celtics more. Even so, until the fat lady sings, the Celtics, their fans, and lots of media will keep wondering if Garnett's catch-phrase - "Anything is possible" - can become a reality. "It's ultimately the doctor's decision," Rivers said. "It really is. And until they say go, he can't go. And they don't think anything is going to happen. Again, it's not a structural injury, like I've said earlier. You never know."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:31:19 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/bulls_had_no_answer_for_rondo?mode=PFBulls had no answer for Rondo Guard submits triple-double By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | April 21, 2009 Rajon Rondo had all the questions before the Celtics' 118-115 win over the Chicago Bulls last night. But once the game started, he provided most of the answers on the way to a 19-point, 12-rebound, 16-assist performance. "He was asking all kinds of questions about what he needed to do," coach Doc Rivers said. " 'What do you need me to do, what can I do defensively, what should I do offensively, am I dribbling too much, am I not getting the ball to Ray and Paul, are we not posting enough?' "I mean, they were terrific questions and he's a student of the game and I love when he does that. And when he left, I got to thinking, 'That's too many questions.' "And so when I walked to the locker room I told Rondo that he had the keys to the team - and just go play. And stop asking me questions." Rondo achieved a triple-double by the opening minutes of the third quarter - by then he had 15 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, his line including zero personal fouls and turnovers. But with the Celtics holding a 48-42 lead with 5:28 left in the first half, Rondo drove in transition and was blocked by Derrick Rose, landing on his right ankle. Rondo remained down as the entire Celtic coaching staff and team - including Kevin Garnett and Brian Scalabrine - gathered under the basket. Rondo then walked to the locker room with Dr. Brian McKeon and trainer Ed Lacerte. "His ankle's huge [i.e. swollen]," Rivers said. "And he sucks it up and plays the way he plays. That was such a gritty game by him." As for the Q&A session, Rivers said, "There was no way I could have played with all those freaking questions in my head. And I screwed it up by giving him answers. So, I just thought, we've got to free his mind and tell him 'just go and play basketball.' " Ainge visits practice Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge attended the team's shootaround yesterday morning in Waltham, four days after undergoing heart surgery. "He came in and said hi, and we told him to go home and get off his feet," Rivers said. "But it was great to see him, it really was." Asked if Ainge has been barred from watching Game 2 (doctors ordered his television turned off at Massachusetts General Hospital for Game 1 Saturday), Rivers said, "He probably is. I guarantee you, if he's at home, there's no one that's going to be able to turn off his TV." Rivers said he was inspired and reassured by Ainge's presence. "It was just nice for me and all the guys to see him look normal," said Rivers. Said Rondo, "It's the same old Danny. He was in a good mood. He was giving everybody hugs. He was fine." Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro is close with Ainge and Rivers, a relationship dating to Phoenix and San Antonio. "I talked to Danny and then I talked to Doc to make sure he was all right," said Del Negro, who grew up a Celtics fan in Springfield. Playoff birth Scalabrine's wife, Kristin, gave birth to a daughter, Adria Raine, Sunday night. Scalabrine, recovering from a cervical strain and concussion, participated in the pregame warmup last night and is expected to practice tomorrow. If he is cleared medically, he could play in Game 3 Thursday in Chicago. "We're going to try to get a couple guys in because there isn't any practice," said Scalabrine, who could replace Leon Powe (left knee). "I've been working my butt [off] and trying to get back and working on the things I need to do to make a contribution in the playoffs." . . . The Celtics had a 10-0 playoff record against the Bulls before losing, 105-103, in overtime Saturday. The only previous victories by a Chicago team over the Celtics in the playoffs were by the 1948 Chicago Stags. Deng is down Chicago forward Luol Deng has been out with a right tibia fracture since early March. "It's definitely tough," said Deng. "But you can't do anything about it. I tried to come back, but it just wouldn't allow me to. It is one of those things where I can be fine in two weeks or it can take longer. We took more MRIs and it's healing. That's a good sign." . . . The Utah Flash reached the Development League finals by beating the Dakota Wizards, 103-93, last night. Celtics property J.R. Giddens had a game-high 25 points and 9 rebounds for Utah . . . Tickets for Game 5 will be available at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the box office, on celtics.com, or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:32:23 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/duel_went_down_to_last_shot?mode=PFDuel went down to last shot By Gary Dzen, Globe Staff | April 21, 2009 When Joakim Noah picked up a technical foul with 7:02 left in the third quarter, Bulls guard Ben Gordon grabbed two fistfuls of his teammate's jersey and told him to cool it. And then Gordon caught fire. Gordon scored 23 points after the incident with Noah, a playoff-high 42 overall. Gordon scored his team's final 12 points as the Bulls almost took their second straight game at TD Banknorth Garden last night before falling, 118-115. "We ran a lot of stuff for Ben, and Ben was converting," said Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro. "He was fantastic." Fantastic only begins to describe the duel Gordon had with fellow UConn product Ray Allen down the stretch. With the game on the ropes, Gordon hit a long jumper with 46.9 seconds left to put the Bulls up, 113-112. Allen answered with 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to put the Celtics up. "It was almost personal," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "That's what you felt. That neither one was going to give into the other guy. It almost looked like they turned it into a personal battle. 'Who's the best UConn player to ever play?' And it was amazing." Gordon and Allen battled to the game's final play. Gordon drained a jumper with 12.3 seconds left to tie the score at 115, but he got caught in a double screen on the Celtics' final possession, and Allen's 3-pointer with two seconds remaining in regulation prevented a Bulls sweep in Boston. "We would have loved to win this game and head back to Chicago up, 2-0," said Gordon. "But we got a split, and that's tough to do against the defending champs." The scoring spree wasn't the only way Gordon used his veteran influence to lead his team. Tensions flared when Kendrick Perkins backed down Noah midway through the third quarter and drew a foul. As Perkins walked away, Noah followed him and tried to stare him down, earning a technical foul in the process. Gordon intervened, grabbing Noah and pulling him out of the way before the excitable second-year player could escalate the situation. "I'm happy with our overall effort, even though we did some things throughout the game when we had a couple mental lapses," said Gordon. "We left everything out on the floor." Gordon, 26, is a veteran presence on a team of NBA novices. Going into the game, his 23 playoff appearances were one more than the rest of Chicago's starting five had combined. His performance last night was particularly important, given the subpar game of Derrick Rose. The rookie, who had 36 points and 11 assists in his playoff debut, picked up two early fouls and didn't score until the 7:15 mark of the second quarter. He finished with 10 points and 7 assists. Despite the win, allowing back-to-back games of 36 and 42 points by Rose and Gordon didn't sit well with Celtics players. "The shots Gordon was taking, I mean he was playing like the MVP of the league tonight," said Perkins. Added Paul Pierce, "We have to do a better job collectively as a unit to slow down their backcourt."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:33:07 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/credit_scorer_with_rebound_too?mode=PFCredit scorer with rebound, too Allen came alive with second-half splurge By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff | April 21, 2009 The Celtics were down 3 points to Chicago at halftime, but it felt like more. The Bulls were relentless, Derrick Rose was playing like a playoff-tested veteran, and with every shot he hit, Ben Gordon was upping the ante for teams interested in the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. The Celtics had Kevin Garnett on the bench, Leon Powe in the hospital, and Rajon Rondo on the trainer's table. "I need one volunteer," Rivers said. "One volunteer to score for us, to step up for us." Ray Allen didn't see it as volunteering. "I just went out and played like who I am," he said. "I was who I was. I didn't do anything outside of my skin. I played my role." Allen had missed 11 of 12 shots in Game 1 Saturday, including one at the end of overtime while canopied by two defenders. "But shooters, they just keep shooting," Rivers said. Allen was shooting after practice Sunday, something Rondo said he does from time to time. Allen took just four shots in the first half last night, but Paul Pierce made it a point to get him more looks. "Every time he got the ball," Allen said, "he said, 'Go get Ray.' " In the second half, the shots started dropping. A three from the top of the key. A three from the right wing off a pass from Rondo. Six of his 10 3-point attempts found the mark. None was bigger than the one he drilled with two seconds left to give the Celtics a 118-115 win. Coming off a Glen Davis screen, with Pierce looping over top of him and Rondo patiently weighing his options at the elbow, Allen took the feed from Rondo and fired a shot over a lunging Joakim Noah for the game-winner. "It meant a lot," he said. "Not only to the team but the organization. Knowing what we face, the adversity we're under." Having played with Allen for two years in Milwaukee, Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro knew he would shake off his bad shooting day. "I was hoping he wouldn't," Del Negro said. "But Ray is such a good player and such a good shooter that you knew he was going to get his looks. He missed some open ones in Game 1, and he's too good of a player to hold down all the time." Gordon finished with 42 points on 14-of-24 shooting. Allen finished with 30 points on 9-of-18 shooting. And every shot felt like call-and-response. "It felt like we were at UConn in the summertime playing pickup," Gordon said. "Ray is such a big part of their team with KG being out, so we knew he would step up." "It almost looked like a personal battle," Rivers said. Allen acknowledged the truth in that statement. "We were exchanging jabs out there," Allen said. "And I don't mean shots. I mean, he caught me with an elbow, I caught him right back with an elbow." "I knew they wanted to come out and get Ray off to help them get a win," Gordon said. "If he didn't have the game he had tonight, we would have gotten that win. "He is a great shooter, and I knew he would break out eventually. We just didn't have an answer for him in the end." The final shot was the kind Allen has played in his head for years. "We all talk about it," he said. "We've all dreamt it. We've all been on the playground with the clock counting down . . . 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. "There's nobody out there. The ball goes in the hole. Then you make the crowd noise and you put your hand in the air. "Then you've got to go get the ball because there's nobody really out there and there's nobody really watching. We've all been there. That moment was 'that moment' for me."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:37:30 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x1484624375/Celtics-118-Bulls-115-Ray-of-hope-for-CeltsCeltics 118, Bulls 115: Ray of hope for Celts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loading multimedia... Photos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elise Amendola/Associated Press Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen (20) celebrates with his teammates after drilling the game-winning 3-pointer in the Celtics' Game 2 victory over the Bulls. By Scott Souza/Daily News staff MetroWest Daily News Posted Apr 21, 2009 @ 12:01 AM Last update Apr 21, 2009 @ 02:00 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — It took Ray Allen a little more than 48 hours for the sweetest of redemptions. Following Saturday's 1-for-12 shooting performance, including a miss on a potential game-tying shot at the end of overtime, Allen knew that shot would be the one everyone focused on most in a Game 1 defeat. His shot will be the one everyone focuses on after Game 2 as well. But this time it will be a much more joyous recollection for Allen as the last of his 28 second-half points on a 3-pointer with two seconds left sent the Celtics to a 118-115 victory over the Chicago Bulls last night at the TD Banknorth Garden. "Basically at halftime I said I need one volunteer," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers as his team faced three-point deficit and injury-riddled locker room. "You know, one volunteer to score for us, to step up for us. And it was Ray Allen. And that was terrific." Allen finished with 30 points. After hitting just one shot in the first half, he went 8-for-14 in the final 24 minutes with six 3-pointers. "I wasn't going to force anything," Allen said. "I wasn't going to try to go out of myself, but just allow the offense to kind of work its way around me. I think the team found it, we found a rhythm, and then I just started to build it into a good momentum for myself." Rajon Rondo had a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists, Glen Davis had 26 points and nine rebounds and Kendrick Perkins had 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Celtics offset a 42-point offensive clinic from Ben Gordon to even the series. Game 3 is Thursday night in Chicago. "Huge," Davis said of last night's equalizer. "Every game is big. It's the playoffs, man. For us to get this win today was huge. We needed it and we got it done." After a two-point first half, Allen and Gordon went back and forth all night. But the Celtics pulled out the game with strong efforts all over, not the least of which was the work of Davis and Perkins in giving Boston a 50-36 rebounding advantage, including 21 on the offensive glass. "I thought the last game they came out and just killed us on the glass," Perkins said. "I haven't been able to sleep the last two nights just thinking about (Joakim) Noah having 17 rebounds. I thought about that. I just wanted to come out and be physical tonight and just let our presence be known." Down 109-104 with under three minutes to go, Davis finished a nice feed from Rondo and Paul Pierce tipped a steal to Rondo for a layup and a 109-108 game with 1:54 left. Gordon made it a three-point game out of the timeout, but Davis hit a pair of free throws, forced Noah into a tough shot and Rondo drilled a long jumper over Noah as the shot clock wound down for a 112-111 Celtics lead with 1:02 on the clock. Gordon hit the 40 mark with another jumper, but Rondo got to an offensive rebound and found Allen for a 3-pointer to put the Celtics up 115-113 as the clock ticked under 25 seconds. Again, Gordon had the answer with a jumper and tie game with 12.3 seconds left. Then Allen had the final answer. "That's what Ray does," Davis said. "He's been doing it since I've been here. He's just a great competitor. He's mentally focused every time he's out on the court. I wasn't worried (about him) in the first half. I knew he had a second half. "We saw one guy take over the game today and it was Ray Allen. He did a great job hitting shots. Me and Perk did a great job getting him open." Allen snapped out of his dreadful early playoff deja vu from last year in the third quarter when he caught fire after going just 2-for-16 through the first six quarters of the series. Allen finished with 16 in the quarter, but the best the Celtics could do was an 88-87 lead through three. "I think about my shots," Allen said. "Look at the shots I took, the plays that I had, the plays that I messed up on. You try to improve on them, but it's never discouraging. "I was just in a really good place after practice (Sunday). I got my shots up. I felt great. I was in a good place and I wanted to stay there." Boston survived a big scare with 5:03 left in the first half when Rondo crashed to the floor for one of dozens of times on the night. Only this time, the point guard didn't slowly rise to his feet like normal, and remained on the parquet for several minutes before leaving the court. He went to the locker room until the half, but returned to start the second. Boston was not so lucky with Leon Powe, who did not return after suffering a left knee sprain. He went for an MRI after it was determined he could not return.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:38:06 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x1484624359/Megliola-Allens-second-half-shows-a-shooter-at-his-bestMegliola: Allen's second half shows a shooter at his best -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Lenny Megliola/Daily News staff MetroWest Daily News Posted Apr 20, 2009 @ 11:59 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — If Danny Ainge was watching, well, calling hours will be 4 and 7 tomorrow. The Celtics and Bulls got to the point last night where no one could take any more. So it was left to Ray Allen - who followed up his 1-for-12 Game 1 performance with a 1-for-4 first half - to drill a nervy 3-pointer with two seconds remaining that produced Boston's amazing 118-115 win to even the series that has produced two games that just sucked the air out of the building. Allen had 28 of his 30 points in the second half. He was cool with that. "I didn't shoot the ball a lot because I didn't get the ball a lot." But there's timeless maxim about this game, and Boston coach Doc Rivers tossed it out one more time. "Shooters shoot. They just keep shooting." Allen felt good about the last play before it happened. "We were going to get something." Something good. "I saw (Kirk) Hinrich point to (Joakim) Noah to help. It was too late." Shooters shoot. "I said at halftime I needed a volunteer to score," said Rivers. "And that was Ray Allen." When Rivers and Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro ran into each other in the corridor, Rivers leaving his press conference and Del Negro walking to his, Rivers said to one of Del Negro's companions, "Vinny's driving me nuts. I'm going to have to bury him in an alley some time." Even the officials appreciated the magnitude of moment Allen underscored. "That was some game," said lead official Steve Javie. "Neither team deserved to lose." Ironically, Allen wasn't even the best ex-Connecticut shooter on the floor. Ben Gordon had an incredulous line of 42 points, one rebound and no assists. "It was almost personal (between them)," said Rivers. "It was almost like they turned it into a personal battle. Who's the best UConn player to ever play?" Allen said, "We exchanged elbows. It was competitive." "It was fun," said Gordon. "It felt like we were at UConn in the summertime playing pickup. He sued to come back when I was in college. I played against him in pickup - coach (Jim) Calhoun's celebrity game." The Celtics got by without a potent game from Paul Pierce. That may be a blessing. "They did a great job defensively, sending different guys at me," said Pierce who shot 8-for-19. "At the end of the day, it's not about Paul Pierce, it's about the Boston Celtics. I'll do anything I can to help this ball club win." The emotional roller-coaster had its seeds in the second quarter. The Celtics, once up by 12 points, saw it disappear when Brad Miller put the Bulls up 36-35 with a trey. An infuriated Rivers called timeout. The house went quiet. Stephon Marbury slammed the ball to the parquet. Rivers got hit with a technical. Out of the timeout, the Celtics regained composure and the lead with an 8-0 run. They never built on it. Rondo sprained his ankle and had to come out. The Bulls took the lead. A case of the blues was spreading across the Garden. The folks who run the Jumbotron reached for some inspiration. The screen showed Phil Kessel's goal against the Canadiens. The fans screamed. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester popped up at their courtside seats. More screaming. Pats patriarch Bob Kraft got his closeup. Another roar from the customers. Nice try. The Bulls weren't paying attention, and took a 61-58 lead at the half. The gloom was palpable. Then Allen's shot let the sun shine through. "I think we feel very confident because we haven't played good basketball yet," said Pierce. The bandwagon would be making numerous dropoffs if the Celtics went flying to the Windy City down two games to nothing. Life without Kevin Garnett had already taken shape in Game 1. Boston lost by two points in overtime. Does that happen with a healthy KG? Of course not. But it doesn't even go into OT if Pierce hit a free throw at the end, or if Ray Allen hit anything. The Garnett business has taken on several subplots. The word "conspiracy" got thrown around. What did the Celtics know about Garnett's unavailability, and when did they know it? There was also confusion as to what that meant. Was he out for the entire playoffs, or perhaps just for the first round? Did Rivers really know the answer? Because he seemed to be tap-dancing around the situation. Rivers insists that he's not trying to throw anybody a curveball in the matter. Yet he told the Herald that Garnett was thinking about surgery, "but I think he might wait. We think he should wait, because you never know." Garnett only supported his teammates from the bench during the first half of Game 1. Last night, he was there for all of it. The Boston bench was of little help this time, scoring just nine points. But Glen Davis was good for 26, Rajon Rondo had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists and Kendrick Perkins posted a 16 and 12 game. All of which would have all faded to dust, if Ray Allen didn't behave just like a damn shooter should.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 7:40:20 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1484624339/Celtics-Notebook-Ainge-pays-team-surprise-visitCeltics Notebook: Ainge pays team surprise visit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Scott Souza/Daily News staff GHS Posted Apr 20, 2009 @ 11:30 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — The Celtics had a surprise guest at their morning shootaround yesterday when Danny Ainge stopped by the Waltham practice facility. Ainge, the team's president of basketball operations, suffered a mild heart attack last Thursday and was treated at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was released Sunday. "He came in today to say 'Hi,' " said Celtics coach Doc Rivers before last night's first-round Game 2 against the Bulls at the TD Banknorth Garden. "I said, 'Hi, now go home."' Ainge was not at the Garden prior to tip-off last night and was not expected to attend the game. Rivers joked, however, that anyone with Ainge last night would have a very hard time getting the television turned off no matter what doctor's orders are for his stress. "It was nice for me, and nice for all the guys around him, to see him and see him looking normal," Rivers said. While the coach said he got a lift from Ainge's arrival, he was not sure what effect it would have on the team. "It was inspiring for me at that moment, but I don't know if it will inspire them tonight," he admitted. "To be in the playoffs should be inspiring enough." Rivers said he is also gaining a bit of personal inspiration in the series from matching up against Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro, a longtime friend and former teammate with the Spurs. Rivers said the two now talk a lot outside of the season, though things weren't always so complimentary during their playing days together. "I used to call him 'Kerosene' because when I went into the game I had to put out his fires," he said. "That was at the end of my career and (Spurs coach) Bob Hill used to go to me to do a hatchet job on the players who got hot while Vinny was guarding them. "He was getting torched, no doubt about it." *** Kevin Garnett, sidelined indefinitely with a swollen right knee tendon, was back on the bench for the start of last night's game. He was on the sideline for the beginning of Saturday's Game 1, at the request of Rivers, but disappeared to the locker room at halftime and did not return to the court. Inquiries about Garnett's bench status after the game drew the ire of Rivers when he declared he wasn't "answering any more Kevin Garnett questions." ... Brian Scalabrine was on the bench in street clothes as well after missing Sunday's practice to be with his wife, Kristin, as the couple was expecting their second child. Adria Raine Scalabrine was born at 9:40 Sunday night. Scalabrine, who has missed the past two months with post-concussion symptoms, is scheduled to return to practice over the next two days. If all goes well, Rivers said he could dress for Thursday's Game 3 in Chicago. ... Red Sox starting pitcher Justin Masterson, who picked up the win in yesterday afternoon's 12-1 pounding of the Orioles, was hanging out in the Celtics' locker room before the game. He was the "special guest" at the team's pregame chapel service. ... Managing partner Wyc Grousbeck was courtside after running the Boston Marathon to raise money for Children's Hospital earlier in the day.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Apr 21, 2009 11:00:49 GMT -5
Herald www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1166990&format=textCeltics dodge a Bull-et www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167032&format=textRay Allen stuck in a dream www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167031&format=textRajon Rondo makes his point www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167030&format=textLeon Powe’s other knee acts up www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/2009_04_21_Patriots_Day_hits_home_for_John_Paxson/Patriots Day hits home for Joh Paxson www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view/2009_04_21_Sixers_know_better_than_to_celebrate_yet/Sixers know better than to celebrate yet www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167050&format=textClock runs out on great Bulls-Celtics game www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view/2009_04_21_Report:_Spanish_prospect_Ricky_Rubio_to_enter_NBA_draft/Spanish prospect Ricky Rubio to enter NBA draft Globe www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/late_3_pointer_by_allen_brings_celtics_even?mode=PFLate 3-pointer by Allen brings Celtics even www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/quite_a_series_of_events?mode=PFQuite a series of events www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/speculation_wont_sit_still?mode=PFSpeculation won't sit still www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/bulls_had_no_answer_for_rondo?mode=PFBulls had no answer for Rondo www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/duel_went_down_to_last_shot?mode=PFDuel went down to last shot www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/21/credit_scorer_with_rebound_too?mode=PFCredit scorer with rebound, too www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/Various posts in Globe Celtics blog Celtics.com www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/sidebar042009-allen-husky-rivalry.htmlAllen gets last laugh in UConn rivalry www.nba.com/celtics/playoffs2009/sidebar042009-series-stake.htmlWith series at stake, Rivers conjures a hero MetroWest Daily www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x1484624375/Celtics-118-Bulls-115-Ray-of-hope-for-CeltsCeltics 118, Bulls 115: Ray of hope for Celts www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x1484624359/Megliola-Allens-second-half-shows-a-shooter-at-his-bestMegliola: Allen's second half shows a shooter at his best www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1484624339/Celtics-Notebook-Ainge-pays-team-surprise-visitCeltics Notebook: Ainge pays team surprise visit Celtics Blog www.celticsblog.com/2009/4/20/846651/ray-of-hopeRay of hope LOY's Place celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2009/04/these-comments-are-definitely-more-fun.htmlComments from the other side - Bulls game 2 celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2009/04/giddens-leads-flash-into-finals.htmlGiddens leads Flash into Finals Southtown Star www.southtownstar.com/sports/1536153,042109sptbullsnbk.article Connection? Doc and Vinny have one Celtics 17 mvn.com/celtics17/2009/04/the-chicago-bulls-even-shocking-themselves.htmlChicago Bulls shocking even themselves mvn.com/celtics17/2009/04/celtics-bulls-game-2-recap.htmlGame 2 Recap NE Sports 24/7 nes247.com/home/?p=20276 observations from a great sports weekend Red's Army redsarmy.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/the-little-engine-that-could/The little engine that could redsarmy.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/ray-ray/Ray Ray!!! News Telegram www.telegram.com/article/20090421/NEWS/904210403/1009Coaches swapping past allegiances www.telegram.com/article/20090421/NEWS/904210447/1009/SPORTSAllen's 3 gives C's Ray of hope Sporting News www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/23291/first_round_snapshots_rondo_is_the_new_rose;_spurs_smack_mavs_after_embarrassing_game_1Rondo is the new Rose Pippen Ain't Easy pippenainteasy.com/2009/04/21/playoffs-aint-easy-game-2-another-thriller/Playoffs ain't easy: Game 2 another thriller Nashua Telegraph www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090421/COLUMNISTS06/304219938/-1/sportsA little more battered, but C's getting by FanIQ www.faniq.com/blog/Ray-Allen-Hits-Game-Winning-Shot-In-Game-2-For-The-Celtics-Vs-The-Bulls-Blog-22584If at first he doesn't succeed, just give him another shot. Literally WEEI greenstreet.weei.com/sports/boston/basketball/celtics/buckle-in-for-a-wild-ride/Buckle in for a wild ride X's and O's of Basketball coachingbetterbball.blogspot.com/2009/04/celtics-beat-bulls-end-of-game-analyzed.htmlEnd of game analyzed Patriot Ledger www.patriotledger.com/sports/x1484624404/Ray-Allen-lives-for-these-momentsRay Allen lives for these moments Connecticut Post forum.connpost.com/celticscentral/2009/04/ray_wins_dog_fight_against_ben.html#trackbacksRay wins dog fight against Ben Hoopsvibe www.hoopsvibe.com/nba/overdribbling/the-gordon-debate-ar50401.htmlThe Gordon debate PBN probasketballnews.com/story/?storyid=376Rondo driving the Celtics ProJo sportsblog.projo.com/2009/04/celtics-beat-bu.htmlCeltics beat Bulls on Ray Allen's last second 3 www.projo.com/celtics/content/sp_bkn_celtics_bulls_web_21_04-21-09_OTE3OGR_v4.2e11fee.htmlUConn alums Allen and Gordon are adversaries in playoffs www.projo.com/celtics/content/sp_bkn_celtics_journal_web_21_04-21-09_OTE3OA_v2.2d38b48.htmlBig Baby hopes to prove his doubters wrong Detroit Free Press www.freep.com/article/20090421/SPORTS03/904210383/1048/SPORTS/LeBron+has+more+help+vs.+Pistons+than+in+past+yearsLeBron has more help vs Pistons than in years past NY Times www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/sports/basketball/21nba.html?_r=1&ref=sportsAllen's 3 helps Celtics tie series NBA.com www.nba.com/2009/news/features/rob_peterson/04/21/Celtics.Bulls.Game2/Allen's picture perfect moment highlights game 2 win Bulls.com www.nba.com/2009/news/features/rob_peterson/04/21/Celtics.Bulls.Game2/Celtics even series. Bulls look like the better team Celtics Hub celticshub.com/2009/04/21/celtics-118-bulls-115-tale-of-two-halves/Tale of two halves celticshub.com/2009/04/21/rondo-gets-some-love-powes-knee-gordons-hot-hand/Powe's knee, love for Rondo, Gordon's hot hand celticshub.com/2009/04/21/put-me-in-coach/Put me in coach Salt Lake Tribune www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12187917?source=rssFlash win to reach D League Finals Eagle Tribune www.eagletribune.com/pusports/local_story_111010715.html?keyword=topstoryRay of hope Daily Herald www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=287952&src=150Celtics searching for their identity without Garnett www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=287944&src=150Celtics' 2nd chance points key factor blogs.dailyherald.com/node/1829Rivers hates coaching against Vinny www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=287677&src=150Talking NBA playoffs with Bulls' Gordon Chicago Sun Times www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/1536342,CST-SPT-bullnt21.article Bulls notes www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/1536312,CST-SPT-bull21.article Ray Allen offsets Gordon's 42 with game winning shot blogs.suntimes.com/bulls/2009/04/bulls-celtics_game_2_live_blog.htmlBuls Celtics game 2 live blog SI.com sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/chris_mannix/04/21/bulls.celtics.game2/?eref=sircrcAllens shooting revival helps Celtics avoid 0-2 hole NECN www.necn.com/Boston/Sports/2009/04/20/Rivers-asked-team-to-step-up/1240284965.htmlRivers asked team to step up at halftime www.necn.com/Boston/Sports/2009/04/20/Pierce-Best-is-yet-to-come/1240282235.htmlPierce: Best is yet to come in this series Bareknucks.com bareknucks.com/nba-orchestrates-a-golden-path-for-a-lebron-vs-kobe-finalsNBA orchestrates a golden path for LeBron vs Kobe finals Detroit News www.detnews.com/article/20090420/SPORTS0102/904200367/1004/Pistons++focus+still+set+on+taking+winPistons' focus still set on taking win Newsday www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/ny-sphahn0421,0,1549931.column Cavs, Lakers continue on collision course NY Post blogs.nypost.com/sports/knicks/archives/2009/04/marbury_dissect.htmlMarbury dissected Layup Drill layupdrill.com/2009/04/celtics-and-spurs-will-both-bounce-back/Celtics and Spurs will both bounce back Hoopsworld www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12347Will Kevin Garnett suit up? Celtics Circuit www.celticscircuit.com/2009/04/rrraaaaayyyyy.htmlRRRAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!! Tony Majestic superior1.blogspot.com/2009/04/screw-win-celtics-are-in-trouble.htmlScrew the win, Celtics are in trouble Wages of Wins dberri.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/the-bottom-10-and-one-big-reason-why-the-celtics-are-having-problems/One big reason why the Celtics are having problems Dime dimemag.com/2009/04/where-the-celtics-won-game-2/Where the Celtics won game 2 dimemag.com/2009/04/read-kevin-garnetts-lips/Read Kevin Garnett's lips |
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