News 4/24

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167719&format=text
Celtics roll in Win ‘D’ City
Stifle Bulls, take 2-1 lead in series

By Mark Murphy | Friday, April 24, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
CHICAGO - Paul Pierce [stats] said don’t worry about his tender game. Rajon Rondo [stats] said don’t worry about his tender ankle.

And Doc Rivers said don’t shed any tears for his defense, which, after giving up an average of 110 points in the first two games, produced one colossal stop in the Celtics [team stats]’ 107-86 Game 3 win against the Bulls last night.

Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon, so hot respectively in Games 1 and 2, were a combined 9-for-27 from the field, as the C’s rediscovered their inner defender.

“I was thrilled with the way we played,” Rivers said. “I don’t know if we got them rattled. We were more concerned with ourselves, and for two days I heard we couldn’t play defense.”

The victims of that talk were the players, who were marched through even a higher concentration of defensive retooling during the previous two days of practice.

But only the Bulls had cause to gripe last night.

After moving to Chicago’s tune during the first two games, the Celtics dictated the pace. The Bulls shot 37.5 percent from the floor, the C’s ran off their stops and enjoyed their most efficient night of the series.

Indeed, Pierce was the picture of efficiency, a 9-of-15, 24-point performance that included a 12-point first quarter and an 18-point first half.

Rondo, again playing as if his sore right ankle wasn’t an issue, muscled his way to 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Just as quickly as they lost homecourt advantage in a Game 1 overtime loss at the Garden on Saturday, the Celtics grabbed it back with an overwhelming burst last night. Pierce hit his first six shots, including daggers on three straight possessions. And when he left with foul trouble late in the first quarter, Rondo added pressure with a 16-point, eight-rebound opening half.

The point guard also kept the game moving in fifth gear, with the mistake-prone Bulls carrying 19 turnovers into the fourth quarter.

The hosts trailed by 25 points at that juncture, with the heroes of their first two nights - Gordon and Rose - shooting a combined 8-of-23.

Gordon was better late than early, which was part of the problem.

The C’s buried the Bulls with a three-trey barrage in the last 1:38 of the second, including a 28-footer from Stephon Marbury and back-to-back bombs from Ray Allen.

The Celtics went through a similar spurt midway through the third with an 8-0 run that included back-to-back treys from Allen and Pierce.

The Celtics led, 83-58, at the start of the fourth.

The rest was gravy, or, more to the point, garbage time.

“We know what kind of team we are, and the way we played tonight is the way we want to play,” Pierce said. “We felt that even though we won the last game, it wasn’t the way we wanted to play. We felt that tonight was the way we wanted to play offensively. Defensively we were controlling the boards, we were causing turnovers, and we were limiting their score options.”

But for Pierce, the bar still can be raised.

“We feel like we can still play better basketball,” he said. “Tonight we tried to play a little bit harder and a little bit faster. I thought we did a good job of winning the 50-50 battle - plays where there were loose balls we had a chance to get and they had a chance to get. I thought we did a great job of getting those 50-50 plays.”

And, as a result, a 2-1 edge in their first-round series with Game 4 looming Sunday afternoon.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167731&format=text
Hot Paul Pierce fires strike

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat | Friday, April 24, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
CHICAGO - It is said in baseball that momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher. The same can be true in hoops.

And Paul Pierce [stats] was throwing heat last night.

Rajon Rondo [stats] continued his run of brilliance, but two games of that stuff had netted the Celtics [team stats] just a 1-all tie in their first-round series with Chicago. Pierce evidently sensed it was time to lead - and make the Bulls bleed.

His stats were nice enough, but it was the manner in which he got them - took them, demanded them - that established the beat that turned into a 107-86 Celtics rout before a town and team that was expecting greater things on the home floor.

But with Pierce going for 24 points in 28 minutes, the Bulls were fit to be gored.

“I thought he set the tone for us,” coach Doc Rivers said. “I really did. I thought he came out extremely aggressive. He didn’t wait for them to double team. He attacked early. And then I thought when they started double-teaming he played the perfect decoy. He never really forced it. He let the game come to him, but he was aggressive at the same time. I just thought it was beautiful the way he played.”

Just three games into their postseason, the Celtics have a definitive feeling they’re not in 2008 anymore. It took them 16 games to lose at home last year and 17 to win on the road. Less than a week after beginning their Garnett-less go-round, they have accomplished both.

Pierce pretty much took care of the latter, staggering the locals, who never regained full consciousness. The Bulls weren’t playing well, and he made sure they paid for their transgressions.

A Chicago Internet guy watched Pierce in the first two games and opined the captain is hurt. Pierce wasn’t asked about it before Game 3, but his game spoke quite eloquently in the first quarter.

Pierce wasn’t a victim of hurt, he was a carrier.

Finally taking advantage of John Salmons and his problematic groin, he was very aggressive with the ball. Successful, too. Pierce hit his first six shots, the last three coming on consecutive possessions to push the Celtics lead into double figures less than seven minutes into the game.

He wound up with 13 points in the period, and he did it in just 8:02 before taking a seat with two fouls. One quarter in, the Celts had a 32-21 lead. How much would they have been ahead had Pierce been able to stay on the floor the entire frame? The only people with that answer are the ones with the nuclear-powered calculators who figure out the national debt.

“It was just a matter of watching the tapes, seeing how they were playing me and picking my spots,” Pierce said. “Especially on the road, if you can come out aggressive and kind of set the tone early and take their crowd out of the game, that’s what we tried to do. I just took advantage of the opportunities. I wanted to go a little bit faster when I got the ball. I thought in the first two games I was holding the ball a lot, allowing the trap to come instead of attacking and taking it on.”

The funny thing is the eyes and the numbers had been at odds coming into this one. While it certainly seemed Pierce wasn’t being assertive enough, he had averaged 20.5 points in the two Garden games. And for the regular season, he averaged - ta-da - 20.5 points. Asked before the game about Pierce being off, Rivers said, like, hey, the team scored 118 points last game. Who gets them isn’t his concern.

Pierce had 18 by halftime last night, and Rondo had 16. Rivers didn’t care. The Celtics had 59. The fact the Bulls had just 37 and got hooted off their home floor made the 59 look bigger. Then the margin got bigger still.

Fortunately for the Celts, this isn’t baseball. Pierce will start again on Sunday.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167735&format=text
Tony Allen gets threats in Chicago
Dangerous return home

By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Friday, April 24, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
CHICAGO - A team source confirmed last night that Tony Allen has been receiving death threats.

NBA security has been increased for Allen during the Celtics [team stats]’ Chicago stay, which extends through Sunday’s Game 4, as the result of threats sent to the Celtics guard.

Most of his family still lives in the Chicago area.

The source of the threats is said to be a former Chicago associate of Allen, who grew up not far from the United Center.

It’s unclear, however, if the threats are related to a case of aggravated battery involving Allen that was thrown out of court in 2007. The two litigants in that case later brought an unresolved civil suit against Allen.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers declined comment.

Allen quickly left the Celtics locker room following last night’s game.

Walkoff drama

This team clearly loves drama. The sight of Bill Walker carrying Rajon Rondo [stats] off the floor following last night’s 107-86 win over the Bulls created a brief media frenzy that the Celtics point guard, sitting with his balky ankles in a tub of ice water, quickly debunked.

“I’m fine,” he said with a smile. “It wasn’t my ankles. It was the bottoms of my feet. It was probably the tape job. They were just sore after running around out there.”

Walker, in the spirit of that old Hollies song “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother,” picked Rondo up once he saw the guard starting to limp.

“I just wanted to help him out,” he said.

Rondo eventually stepped out of the tub and gingerly walked to the showers.

Helping hand

Kevin Garnett’s rehabilitation has been one of innumerable starts and stops, and the Celtics forward was once again caught in between during yesterday morning’s pregame shootaround.

Garnett had a noticeable limp, and grabbed the railing for support, while taking the staircase up to the weight room at the Moody Bible Institute.

But at the end of the practice, he spent time with Kendrick Perkins [stats] and Mikki Moore, tutoring both players on their post moves. Garnett then went off to his own basket to work on shooting - albeit without any lift when taking his jumper.

Rivers’ response to what has become an old question - that of whether Garnett might be ready in a later playoff round - illustrated this team-wide dilemma.

“There’s a chance he can come back - there’s a chance he could play tonight, but he’s not,” said Rivers. “We just hope he keeps getting better. If it happens it would be great obviously. Like I said before, I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

For now, though, count him as part of the staff.

“You mean coach Garnett?” said Rivers. “I decided to call him coach after saying earlier that I wouldn’t. He’s been great, though. His communication with our bigs during practice, doing film work, he’s vocal anyway.

“He’s been very, very good in that aspect, and they listen as well,” he said. “We may have to get him a seatbelt (on the bench); he’s just so into the game.”

Backing Leon

Rivers is openly pulling for Leon Powe, an impending restricted free agent facing reconstructive knee surgery, to get a new contract with the Celtics.

“Oh, I lobby all the time. I just don’t do it publically,” he said. “I lobby for all my guys. Any guy that has your team at heart, I’m lobbying for him. It’s good to have soldiers in your locker room.

“Forget the basketball. For me that’s a huge loss,” said Rivers. “I look at the big picture sometimes, and forget the basketball - he’s going to be a free agent this year.

“He’s going to have reconstructive surgery, there’s a chance he’s not going to get a contract. He’s done everything right for his coach, and everything right for his team.

“This kid was homeless, so that hurts. He’s everything that’s right about our league.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1167732&format=text
Commish not here to bury Celtics just yet

By Steve Bulpett | Friday, April 24, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
CHICAGO - David Stern is well aware of the Celtics [team stats]’ injury situation. In fact, he hoped to have a word with Kevin Garnett prior to last night’s playoff game against the Bulls.

But the NBA commissioner wasn’t about to check into Boston burial plots.

“I’m not going to . . . I mean, the Celtics are here,” Stern said before the C’s routed the Bulls in Game 3. “It’s 1-1. They don’t want my sympathy, and I’m not going to give it to them.”

A year ago, the commish allowed that it was nice to see a franchise as storied as the Celtics return to prominence. As for any disappointment that it appears unlikely, due to circumstances, they will be able to make a representative run at defending their title, well, he believes what’s happening now is simply the unluck of the draw.

“Welcome to the league,” Stern said. “Everything happens, and there’s always someone looking to knock you off and get an opportunity to improve. And teams get unlucky.”

The commissioner seemed to be dealing with numerical probabilities with regard to Garnett and his strained right knee.

“The KG situation is just . . . it’s a tough one,” he said. “Guys play and play and play, and we know statistically something like this happens. KG, (Manu) Ginobili, I reached out but didn’t get through on his cell to Dikembe (Mutombo). It happens, and it’s sad.”

Stern added that he’s been keeping up on the situation with Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, who suffered a mild heart attack last Thursday and underwent successful surgery to clear a blocked artery.

“I’ve been speaking to Danny through the Celtics,” he said. “There was a meeting last week in New York when Danny that morning had been hospitalized, and we’re getting like up-to-the-minute (updates).”

The Celts were clearly fighting a war of attrition as they came into the United Center.

Then again, to hear the take of some cynical pundits, the C’s were a moot point even before the injuries. It’s become a popular rant that the league wants Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in the NBA Finals, so it will make sure it’s the Lakers and Cavs in June.

Given the opportunity to respond to these fringe remarks, Stern said, “I don’t even know how to answer it. I think the great thing about our league is we’re having these series, and I think we have a Finals that will define the event. If you fought your way through what you have to go through to get to the NBA Finals, that’s going to be a great thing. . . .

“Sure the media will focus more on particular players,” Stern continued, “but we’ve been at this for too long - at least I have - and the best you can hope for is well-contested playoffs, a minimum of injuries, games decided not by injuries, without outbreaks of fisticuffs or calls that at the end of the game people want to complain about. And the rest takes care of itself.

“I am sensitive to the issue, but it is what it is.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/2009_04_24_Bulls_back_to_reality/
Bulls back to reality

By Bob Hurst | Friday, April 24, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
CHICAGO - Taking their homecourt after splitting the first two playoff games at TD Banknorth Garden, and a day after Derrick Rose was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, the Chicago Bulls could be excused if they had their heads above the clouds.

But their poor showing in Game 3 in front of a soldout crowd at the United Center brought the young team back to earth.

Chalk it up to being too relaxed, too nervous, too giddy or whatever reason, the Bulls looked nothing like they did in Games 1 and 2, losing 107-86 last night to the Celtics [team stats].

“We started out poor, we were tentative, very nervous,” Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. “You have to give the Celtics a lot of credit. They are a veteran team, defending champions and they play on the road. I thought we lost a little confidence, especially our younger guys.”

Chicago opened the first quarter with nine turnovers and 37.5 percent field goal shooting. By halftime, the Bulls had 14 turnovers and were shooting 32.4 percent. Even Chicago’s free throw shooting, on target in the opening two contests, suffered. The Bulls converted only 10-of-19 first-half attempts for 52.6 percent, compared to making 41-of-49 at the Garden.

“We had a big learning curve tonight,” Del Negro said. “You are still dealing with young guys who have not been through it.”

Even Rose, who poured in 36 points in Game 1, and Ben Gordon, who scored 42 points in Game 2, were MIA in the first half. They combined to go 3-of-15 from the field in the opening 24 minutes with Rose scoring five of his nine total, and Gordon netting four of his team-high 15.

“We can’t get down like that,” Rose said. “When we got down, our shots weren’t falling. Next time, we have to move the ball around better and play more team basketball.”

Were the Bulls shocked at the result?

“It’s not a shock, it is disappointing,” Gordon said. “The way we played, the result is not a shock. We have to come ready to play them. They didn’t do anything different, really.”

It shocked the fans adorned in red though, who have seen their team go 105-34 all-time in the postseason.

Gordon was asked if there was pressure playing at home.

“That is a possibility. I cannot speak for everyone,” he said. “Coming home maybe we relaxed a bit. We have to feed off our crowd and let their energy propel us.”

According to forward John Salmons, the Bulls may have forgotten something about the Celtics.

“We have to come out knowing that they’re still the champions,” Salmons said. “I think we might have took that for granted.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/24/taking_bulls_by_the_horns?mode=PF
Taking Bulls by the horns
Celtics grab 2-1 series lead in a blowout
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | April 24, 2009

CHICAGO - The Celtics felt like the playoffs had started without them. If so, the faux Celtics were replaced last night by the hard-edged, defense-oriented Celtics, who took a 107-86 victory over the Bulls in Game 3 and a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.

Paul Pierce scored 24 points in 27 minutes, his hot start setting the offensive tone as the Celtics led from the opening possession. But it was the Celtics' defense, the best in the NBA in field goal percentage, which made the difference.

Bulls guards Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon, unstoppable in Games 1 and 2, never got started. Shots the Bulls were making in Boston were off target last night. Shots Gordon was getting in Game 2 simply weren't there. When the Bulls drove, they found the lane clogged. When the Bulls moved the ball, the Celtics rotated. Space was restricted, time ran out on the shot clock.

"When we play Celtics basketball and we don't turn the ball over, it's hard to score on us," said forward Glen Davis, a starter for most of the second half of the season in place of Kevin Garnett (right knee strain). "We didn't do anything different, we did it harder. That's what it's all about, go out and play hard and execute. When we play Celtics basketball, it's hard to beat us. The first two games we didn't play Celtics basketball, we didn't play the way we know how to play."

Pierce provided the lead on the opening possession, and the Celtics never surrendered the advantage. They concluded the first half with a 59-37 advantage, holding the Bulls to 30 percent shooting.

And when Pierce needed relief, Stephon Marbury provided it, with 13 points off the bench in 24 minutes.

Rajon Rondo (20 points, 11 rebounds) outdueled Rose for the second successive game. Rose scored 9 points and had two assists, struggling to decipher the Celtics' half-court defense. And the Bulls failed to get into a transition game as the Celtics shot 51.1 percent in the first half.

"I thought our guys really came out with a great defensive focus," coach Doc Rivers said. "They missed some shots, too, obviously, early, that they can make. So, we have some things we have to correct. I just thought we had great focus, and when you play like that and when you play together like a team you give yourself a chance to win.

"It was all the players. They just made great shots, had great focus. [Pierce] said it the other day, we gave up 100-plus [points] in the two games and the only way we're going to win is by being a defensive team. We didn't turn the ball over, so they didn't get any breaks. We were making shots and they were taking the ball out of bounds - that takes them out of transition. That allowed us to keep them off the break and if you keep them off the break you've got a chance."

Successive 3-pointers by Marbury and Ray Allen gave the Celtics a 22-point halftime lead. The Celtics closed the half with an 11-1 run over the final 2:21. Davis (14 points, nine rebounds) dunked off a steal following a Chicago timeout for a 50-36 lead. After a Joakim Noah foul shot, Brian Scalabrine made his first appearance since Feb. 23, replacing Mikki Moore. Then, Marbury hit a 3-pointer, grabbed an offensive rebound to set up Allen for a three, and assisted on another Allen three with 28 seconds remaining.

"We started out poor, we were tentative," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We missed a lot of free throws [shooting 17 of 27] and our ball movement was terrible. You have to give the Celtics a lot of credit - they are a veteran team, defending champions, and they play on the road as well as anyone."

But it wasn't just the Celtic veterans making things happen. The youngsters and newcomers also made contributions.

Davis and Rondo, both 23-year-olds, produced numbers and intangibles. Kendrick Perkins, 24, outmaneuvered Noah in the early going, then Moore provided solid relief with three blocked shots.

"Team defense, everyone had each other's back," said Perkins, who scored 6 points and had seven rebounds. "I thought we made a statement. I felt this was a must-win. We had to win this game to get home court back into our favor. We knew we had to win one on the road and I just figured this was the most important. They'll adjust, we'll adjust, too. That's what the playoffs are about, making adjustments. We've just got to be ready to take their best punches."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/24/pierce_puts_the_pieces_together?mode=PF
Pierce puts the pieces together
By Marc J. Spears | April 24, 2009

CHICAGO - Paul Pierce didn't feel like the Celtics played their "A" game in the first two playoff games against the Bulls. After two sluggish performances on offense, he played a major role in Boston getting satisfactory grades in Games 1 and 2. But with a needed A-plus offensive performance in a 107-86 victory in Game 3 last night at the United Center, the confident Pierce was the key to Boston's 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.

"He's pretty much the most confident guy in the league, for sure," guard Rajon Rondo said. "Regardless of how he played the first two games, he is going to bring it. He's going to bring up his game for us. You don't really have to worry about Paul and how he plays. He's going to show up."

Just glancing at his scoring average, it didn't seem like much was wrong through the first two games. Pierce averaged 20.5 points during the regular season and 20.5 the first two playoff games against Chicago. But Pierce missed 13 of 21 shots en route to 23 points during a Game 1 loss and had 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting with only two made free throws in Game 2.

Pierce took extra shots before the game and didn't seem worried before tipoff. Neither was coach Doc Rivers.

"Paul's Paul. He'll be fine," Rivers said before the game. "We always want him to be aggressive, but we also want him to hit the open guy. We always talk about our star players being responsible with the ball and Paul has done that."

To help find his offensive stroke, Pierce noticed some things by watching film of the first two playoff games, like being more aggressive and staying away from defensive traps.

"It was watching tape, seeing how they were playing me, picking my spots," said Pierce. "I definitely wanted to come in [aggressive], especially on the road. You can come out aggressive and kind of set the tone early and kind of take the crowd out of the game, that's what we tried to do. I just took advantage of the opportunities. I just tried to go a little bit faster when I got the ball.

"During the first two games, I thought I was holding the ball a lot, allowing the trap to come instead of attacking it, taking it on and if the shot wasn't there finding other guys. But my approach is the same every game. [Last night] it wasn't about thinking about what you wanted to do."

Pierce broke out of his scoring slump in the first quarter by making 6 of 7 shots and nailing a 3-pointer for 13 quick points. With Pierce blazing early, the Celtics jumped to a 32-21 lead in the first quarter after shooting 56 percent from the field and never looked back.

"It was about going out there and doing it from the first quarter on. I wanted to be aggressive," Pierce said.

"He set the tone for us," Rivers said. "I thought he came out extremely aggressive and attacked early. He played the perfect decoy, but was aggressive at the same time. I thought it was beautiful how he played."

The next two quarters were easy for Pierce as he made three 3-pointers and two free throws en route to 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting and four 3-pointers in 28 minutes. With the Celtics up 25 at the end of the third quarter, 83-58, Pierce took the rest of the night off.

"I just tried to be very aggressive from the start," he said. "I thought in Game 1 and Game 2 I was a little hesitant in what I wanted to do because of what they did defensively. But I'm getting really, really comfortable with it, with what they are trying to do to me in terms of trapping and getting to the lane.

"I didn't play in the fourth. But in the first when I played a lot, the second and the third, I just need to be as aggressive as possible within the framework of what we tried to do as a team."

While Pierce passed with flying colors on this night, this series is far from over. But if the Celtics captain continues to grade well by scoring like he did last night, the Bulls will be grading their year in season-ending meetings soon.

"It's a big win for us," Pierce said. "Hopefully, we can build on what we did. They're going to come out strong in Game 4 because if they lost, we'll really have them in a [vulnerable] position if we go up, 3-1, going back home. So we have to expect their best game coming in here on Sunday. But it was definitely a big win just to get back home-court advantage."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/24/they_turned_home_court_into_home_wreck?mode=PF
They turned home court into home wreck
By Daniel I. Dorfman, Globe Correspondent | April 24, 2009

CHICAGO -- When Derrick Rose shot a runner from beyond the 3-point arc at the end of the first quarter with the Bulls down 11, the ball tantalizingly went around the rim and out.

It was symbolic of a frustrating night for a team whose demeanor at the end of the game was a mix of shellshock and embarrassment.

The words "young" and "athletic" have been used to describe the Bulls, but last night's 107-86 drubbing by the Celtics in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series indicated "inexperienced" would fit just as well.

"We got picked apart tonight," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "I thought we lost a lot of confidence, especially our younger guys."

Chicago's struggles were evident virtually from the opening tap as the Celtics raced to a 17-10 advantage in just over four minutes.

That first quarter featured nine Chicago turnovers, and the Bulls missed 6 of 13 free throws and 10 of 16 shots from the floor. The second quarter had more of the same. At halftime, what had been a raucous United Center crowd - attired mostly in red - cascaded the court with boos.

"They completely outplayed us from the start to finish," Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich said. "It was as if one team was in the playoffs, the other team was in preseason."

When all was said and done, Chicago shot 38 percent and committed 22 turnovers.

For the two Bulls who had dominant performances in Games 1 and 2, the evening was particularly painful.

Rose, who scored 36 points in his playoff debut in Game 1, accepted the Rookie of the Year Award before last night's game from commissioner David Stern in front of a roaring crowd as rose petals were strewn throughout the arena. After the brief ceremony, Rose kissed his mother, Brenda, hugged his brothers, accepted the adulation from a roaring crowd, and then watched his night go downhill.

A couple of minutes into the opening quarter Rose threw the ball out of bounds, his first of seven turnovers. He wound up 4 for 14 from the floor, scoring 9 points, and dishing out only two assists. "They were more aggressive," said Rose. "They were playing all the passing lanes and trying to attack."

For guard Ben Gordon, who had 42 points in Game 2, this was a nightmare.

Gordon didn't connect on a field goal until 3:28 remained in the second quarter after missing his first four shots. He wound up leading the Bulls with 15 points, but went only 5 for 13 from the floor.

Gordon couldn't explain what happened to him or his teammates. "Coming home, maybe we relaxed a little bit, but it has to be the exact opposite," he said. "We have to feed off our crowd and let their energy propel us."

The performance was not totally uncharacteristic for a team that closed out the season 12-4 to grab a playoff berth. On April 15, with a chance to improve their playoff seeding, the Bulls played dreadfully in a loss to Toronto, a 33-win team. Moreover, a lack of team play and a "me first" attitude that have plagued the Bulls for two seasons resurfaced last night.

"Tonight we were trying to do too much," Del Negro said. "I don't think it was a selfish thing. No one in this league can do it on their own. You need the team to play together."

Despite the rough night, Del Negro remained hopeful the Bulls will be able to make the necessary adjustments in practice to even the series Sunday, while remaining cognizant of the task ahead.

"We have to find a way to understand our mistakes and we have to play much, much better," he said. "They are the defending champs and they make you work for it."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/24/rondo_is_helped_off_but_insists_hes_fine?mode=PF
Rondo is helped off, but insists he's fine
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | April 24, 2009

CHICAGO - Rajon Rondo has not slowed down since sustaining a sprained ankle late in the first half of Game 2 of the Celtics' first-round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls. But questions were raised about Rondo's health as he was carried off the court by teammate Bill Walker after the Celtics' 107-86 win in Game 3 last night.

"I was limping and Billy didn't want to see me limp, so he just carried me," Rondo said. "I didn't slip or nothing. I'm fine. Ankles are fine."

Rondo, who had 20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals, removed his shoes late in the game.

"Maybe the tape was too tight," Rondo said. "It's just the tape job."


Talking a good game
Coach Doc Rivers is leaving the door open for Kevin Garnett's return, but the star forward appeared a long way from being able to play as he joined teammates for yesterday morning's shootaround.

"There's a chance, he has a chance to play [last] night - but he's not," Rivers said before Game 3. "We just hope that he gets better and, if it happens, it would be great, obviously. Like I said before, I don't think it's going to happen."

Garnett leaned on a handrail descending a flight of stairs at the Moody Bible Institute gym, then conversed with center Kendrick Perkins, and went through a slow-motion perimeter shooting circuit.

"I decided to call him Coach Kevin - after earlier saying I wouldn't," Rivers said. "He's doing it anyway, so. He's been great, his communication with our bigs during practices, during film work. He's vocal, anyway. So he's been very, very good in that aspect, and they listen."

Garnett was on the bench for last night's game.

"We may have to get him a seat belt," Rivers said. "One of the refs the other game actually said, 'Hey, relax.' And I told the ref, this is the playoffs, you should be excited, and should want the players to be excited. We shouldn't legislate energy and excitement."

Rivers compared Garnett's spontaneity to Bulls center Joakim Noah's.

"Noah does it, I loved it when he was in Florida and I love it now," Rivers said. "I love watching him, the kid plays hard. The fans in Boston get on him because they don't like the way it looks and I'm sure the fans in Chicago get on Kevin. But it's pure, it's not anything orchestrated."

Perkins said he has been inspired by Garnett and Leon Powe, who sustained a left knee injury that will require surgery.

"That's the fight Kevin has in him," Perkins said. "Just him being on the bench, it feels like he can help us in so many ways, if he could [play]. I'll go out there and fight for him and Leon every day, because I know they want to be out there.

"When I'm talking to Kevin it's more about off-the-court stuff than on-the-court stuff."

Perkins shot 14 of 20 from the field in Games 1 and 2, and 2 for 5 last night.

"I just have to make sure I take advantage of it, set my confidence up a little bit," he said. "I just keeping working on polishing my post game. I know they play my jump hook a lot so I'm trying to get my turnaround jumper down, a couple up-fakes here and there, knock down one or two 15-footers."


In full bloom
Guard Derrick Rose was named NBA Rookie of the Year Wednesday, the Bulls marking the honor by spreading rose petals around the court before last night's game.

"I wonder who didn't vote for him," Rivers said of Rose, who received 111 of 116 first-place votes. "If that wasn't a guarantee for unanimous, if that wasn't the layup of the year . . . He's everything you want in a player and more, off the court, too. I thought he was put in a really tough situation here, veterans with contract situations and veterans who had done it their way. They were told to give the ball to a rookie and he's going to run the team. Very few could pull that off."

Rose finished with 9 points and seven turnovers in Game 3.


Heady play
Forward Brian Scalabrine, returning to action for the first time in two months, donned a headband that was sewn with protective padding used for vests and thigh pads by the Celtic training staff. Scalabrine sustained a concussion in a Feb. 23 game at Denver.

"It felt good to be out there in that type of environment," said Scalabrine, who converted his only shot, a 3-pointer, in the third quarter, and played six minutes. "The first half, I was probably a little more jumpy. But in the second half I got in a rhythm up and down the court a couple more times. I felt really good."

Asked if he was hit during the game, Scalabrine replied, "Yeah, by Stephon [ Marbury] on the bench. He was all jacked up and said, 'Yeah,' and elbowed me right in the head. Besides that, I was [fine]. It was a good elbow. It felt pretty good. I'm pretty happy about that."


Highs and lows
The Celtics' all-time Game 1 playoff record before this season was 41-6. Their first-game losses resulted in: elimination in four games by Orlando (1995); elimination in three games by Detroit (1989); victories in a three-of-five series against Cincinnati (1966) and a four-of-seven against the Royals (1963); and elimination in a two-game series against New York (1951) and a two-of-three against the Chicago Stags (1948).

"I think we've got to do our jobs, completely," Rivers said before last night's game. "We've talked about that for two years - do our jobs completely. We get distracted [by] scoring sometimes and we fall into playing . The Bulls have a ton of offensive weapons, so they can play that way and get away with that. We can't. We have to be a defensive team to be a great team and I think when we get in these high-scoring games it's dangerous, and we've been there for two games."


Space program
Paul Pierce scored 41 points on 40 field goal attempts in Games 1 and 2. "He's had space," Rivers said. "I thought he was looking for traps in that second game. We showed him on film all the times he had it and he had time and space. Paul will figure it out - he doesn't need me or any of the coaches in his head. He's a great scorer and scorers figure it out." Pierce finished with 24 points in Game 3, hitting 9 of 15 shots.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/24/tony_allen_threatened?mode=PF
Tony Allen threatened
Security is added behind the bench
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 24, 2009

CHICAGO - Celtics guard Tony Allen, back in his hometown for Game 3 against the Bulls last night, has received death threats, according to several NBA sources, and security was added to protect the visitors' bench in the Celtics' 107-86 win.

Sources said Allen has been receiving the threats in Chicago for some time. The former Crane High star also received threats prior to a March 17 game at Chicago, sources said, but he didn't make the trip because of a thumb injury.

"Is that what you're going to write about? Is that what you're going to write about?" said Allen, before walking away after being asked about the threats.

Allen played nine minutes in last night's rout but did not score. He had three rebounds and committed one foul.

Yesterday was the first time this season Allen made a trip with the Celtics to Chicago. A source said the extra security was a preventative measure.

"It's a security matter," Celtics president Rich Gotham said. "It's our policy not to comment on security matters."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers reiterated the mantra. "It's a team matter," he said. "We will keep it in house."

On April 25, 2007, Allen was found not guilty of aggravated battery in a Chicago court. The ruling came on the second day of a trial stemming from a fight in August 2005 outside a Chicago restaurant. The fight escalated into a shooting at the White Palace Grill in the West Loop Aug. 28.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/04/24/stern_gets_his_points_on_board?mode=PF
Stern gets his points on board
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 24, 2009

CHICAGO - Commissioner David Stern isn't going to cry for the injury-plagued champions of the NBA and doesn't believe the Celtics want his sympathy, either.

The Celtics are playing without star forward Kevin Garnett (right knee sprain), who is likely done for the season, and forward Leon Powe (left knee injury), who is done for the season.

Despite injury woes during the regular season, the Celtics won 62 games to earn the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Although Garnett's absence will play a big role in the Celtics' quest to repeat, Stern views the injuries as part of the game.

"Welcome to the league," said Stern prior to Game 3 of the Celtics-Bulls first-round series last night. "Something always happens and there is always someone looking to knock you off. Some teams get unlucky. The Celtics are here. They don't want my sympathy and I'm not going to give it to them."

On other topics:


Stern said he hoped to visit Garnett prior to Game 3. "The KG situation is a tough one," he said. "Guys play and play and play and we know statistically something like this happens."


On the perception that the NBA would prefer a Finals matchup between its two biggest stars, Cleveland's LeBron James and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant: "I don't even know how to answer it. I think the great thing about our league is we're having these great series. We have a Finals that will define the event. If you've fought your way through what you have to go through to get to the NBA Finals, that's going to be a great thing. And it doesn't matter what market you come from or the like."Sure, media will focus more on particular players. But we've been at this far too long. At least I have. And the best you can hope for is a well-contested playoffs, a minimum of injuries, and games decided not by injuries, without outbreaks of fisticuffs or calls at the end of the game that people want to complain about, and the rest takes care of itself.

"But I understand the question. When our broadcaster says, 'The dream matchup is . . . but there are great teams,' I call them up and say, 'Do me a favor, can you reverse that? How about saying there are great teams and whoever gets in it will be great?' 'You're right, David. I am sensitive to the issue, but it is what it is.' "


Celtics president Danny Ainge did not make the trip to Chicago after suffering a heart attack April 16 and has not attended the playoff games.

"I've been speaking to Danny through the Celtics," Stern said. "There was a meeting last week in New York and that morning he was hospitalized and we were getting like up to the minute [updates]."


Stern was excited about Rookie of the Year winner Derrick Rose, and how the Chicago native's quick road to stardom has lessened talk about Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

"He's so quietly a great player that it's just a delight to watch and to listen to him and to see him grow during the year and get the leadership role during the playoffs," Stern said. "And to focus on Derrick and not the next coming of who from you-know-where, and to let him grow . . . the beauty of it is we have lots of it."


Billy Hunter, executive director of the NBA Players Association, told ESPN Wednesday he didn't think much change was needed in the collective bargaining agreement. The labor pact, signed in July 2005, expires in June 2011.

When asked about Hunter's comments, Stern said: "We have a good relationship. We represent our constituents the best we can. We'll be starting those discussions some time when the games aren't being played."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/sidebar042309-celtics-defense-key.html
Celtics Defense Keys Game 3 Victory
Couper Moorhead
April 23, 2009
Celtics.com

The Chicago Bulls were shooting 32% at halftime. According to the law of averages, that wasn't likely to continue. And yet their final mark from the field, even after extended garbage time in Boston's 107-86 Game 3 throwdown, was 37.5%.

The Celtics defense was that stifling.

The scene could not have been any more different from Monday's 118-115 shootout. Ben Gordon, who scored 42 in that game, was 5-of-13 on his homecourt Thursday. Derrick Rose, he of the 36-point breakout in Game 1? He was barely noticeable with nine points on 4-of-14 shooting. In fact, Rose had five more turnovers (7) than he had assists (2), pacing his team to 22 giveaways.

The Celtics defense was that overwhelming. It was, finally, Celtics defense.

"We feel even though we won the last game, it really wasn't the way we wanted to play," Paul Pierce said. "We felt tonight was the way we want to play offensively and defensively we were controlling the boards, we were causing turnovers, we were limiting their score options."

So limited were the Bulls by Boston's spring-loaded rotations on defense that the greatest impact appeared to be on the home team, not the box score. As the game progressed, the Bulls, seemingly frustrated at their lack of open looks, often reverted to over-dribbling and one-on-one matchups that dug them deeper into a hole on the scoreboard and in the stands. By the fourth quarter, the life in both the team and building could have been mistaken for that of a regular-season matchup in the dead of winter.

"You have to give the Celtics a lot of credit," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "They are a veteran team, defending champions and they play on the road as well as anyone. I though we lost a little confidence, especially the young guys. We weren't moving the basketball, making the game real hard."

Not only did the Celtics limit their opponent to 14 assists on 30 field goals, they put up dominant individual numbers. Boston had 10 blocks and 16 steals, 11 of which came from Glen Davis and Rajon Rondo.

"I don't know if we got them rattled," Doc Rivers said. "We were more concerned with ourselves and for two days I heard we couldn't play defense. And our guys came out and played well tonight and I thought it was terrific."

That idea -- worrying about themselves -- was prevalent through all of last year's title run. Under Rivers, the Celtics have never been about what the opponents have done to them, but about what they are allowing the opponents to do.

"They didn't do anything different, really. They did the same thing in the prior games. We did not do anything right tonight," Gordon said. "Their defense was the same, but for whatever reason, tonight we could not get it going."

The reason won't make any headlines, but good old-fashioned defensive execution has done this franchise more than a few favors.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/sider04230-take-care-of-business.html
Pierce, C’s Take Care of Business in Game 3
Peter F. Stringer
April 23, 2009
Celtics.com

CHICAGO - On the warm bus back from the United Center to the team hotel, there was plenty of chatter between players, assistant coaches and some team executives on the first of two Celtics buses making the trip. After leaving the arena, just above the din tires on the highway, you could hear the familiar riffs of the Bachman-Turner Overdrive playing on the bus radio.

A nice coincidence to be sure, but it was certainly fitting to hear Takin' Care of Business after a 107-86 blowout victory against the Bulls in Game 3 that gave the Celtics a 2-1 series lead and a day off from practice -- so much for workin' overtime...

It comes as no surprise that the Celtics' captain set the tone. After a pair of relatively quiet games in Boston to start the series, Pierce came out on fire at the start Thursday night, connecting on his first six field goals, scoring 13 points in the first quarter to stake the C's to a 32-21 lead that would turn into a 30-plus point advantage in the second half.

"I thought he set the tone for us. I thought he came out extremely aggressive and attacked early," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of Pierce, hours after telling reporters in pregame that he wasn't worried about Pierce, considering his team had dropped 118 points on the Bulls in Game 2. "He played the perfect decoy but was aggressive at the same time. I thought it was beautiful how he played."


With business taken care of early in Game 3, Paul Pierce got to enjoy a laugh on the bench with Kevin Garnett.Joanthan Daniel/NBAE/Getty
The Bulls' side of the story would chalk this one up to the nerves of hosting their first playoff game at home. The team turned it over 14 times in the first half, leading to easy transition hoops for the C's and draining the Bulls of any confidence gained from the Game 1 upset. Bulls rookie coach Vinny Del Negro, chastised in the Chicago papers for managing to mismanage his timeouts at the end of both Game 1 and Game 2, thought his team played poorly but also recognized that their opponents had a lot to do with it.

"We started out poor, we were tentative, very nervous. We missed a lot of free throws and our ball movement was terrible. You have to give the Celtics a lot of credit. They are a veteran team, defending champions and they play on the road as well as anyone," Del Negro said. "I though we lost a little confidence, especially the young guys."

Rivers, on the other hand, finally saw the Celtics team that won it's 17th World Championship last season -- a title won on the strength of team defense and the cagey play of veterans. He said he was "thrilled" with the way his team played, and wasn't at all concerned with whether they'd rattled their opponents; the analysis in his locker room revolved around his own team this week.

"We were more concerned with ourselves and for two days I heard we couldn't play defense. And our guys came out and played well tonight and I thought it was terrific," Rivers said.

And while Rivers said before the game that he wasn't concerned about Pierce's prior lack of offensive output, the rest of the Celtics seemed to be set at ease when The Truth came out of the gates firing.

"He's pretty much the most confident guy in the league. No matter how he played the first two games, he's going to bring it regardless. If he didn't play well tonight he was going to bring it game four," said Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, his feet planted firmly in a bucket of ice after the game. "You don't really have to worry about Paul, we know how he plays. He's going to show up."

If only the same could be said for some of the Bulls, like Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose, who was handed his award by the Commissioner in a pregame ceremony but wasn't seen much afterward, scoring just nine points and committing seven turnovers. Tyrus Thomas didn't cover himself in glory either; he had just six points on 2-for-8 shooting.

Del Negro was pretty clear about how his team got buried early. "They were killing us in the first half. Paul Pierce started out hot, hit some tough shots. We were playing catch-up the whole game."

After dropping 24 points on the Bulls, Pierce was certainly happy with his own effort in Game 3, but he may have been more proud of a team effort that was closer to his expectations of a championship-caliber squad.

"We felt tonight was the way we want to play," Pierce said. "Offensively and defensively we were controlling the boards, we were causing turnovers, we were limiting their score options. We feel like we can still play better basketball."

If Pierce is right and the C's improve on Sunday, they'd be heading home with a 3-1 lead and a chance to finish off the first round in short order.