News 1/11

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1065910&format=text

C’s focus on rebound

By Steve Bulpett | Friday, January 11, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

If history is any guide, the Celtics [team stats] have to feel pretty good about their chances at New Jersey tonight as they come off Wednesday’s loss to Charlotte.

In their three previous games following defeats, the crew of counterpunchers has won by an average of 31 points - beating Golden State by 23, New York by 45 and Chicago by 25. Yes, all three games were at home, but the Celts also can take heart in the fact that Ray Allen and Glen Davis will be back in the lineup tonight.

“I woke up. How about that?” coach Doc Rivers said of the aftermath to the Bobcats loss. “And the building didn’t fall down. Wow.”

Speaking of the general feeling around the team after a defeat, Rivers said, “They respond to about everything right now. They want to be good. When we do lose a game, they don’t like losing. It’s no fun. I experienced that a lot last year. I could write a whole speech about how that feels.

“It’s a good bad feeling, if you know what I mean. You can see them walking out of the locker room (Wednesday night). You can see them this morning quiet. Nobody was goofing around.”

Certainly not Allen or Davis, who sat out Wednesday’s loss with a pinched nerve in the neck and a sore right knee, respectively.

“I feel significantly better,” said Allen, who has experienced numbness in three fingers on his right hand. “It’s hard to say not being in a game situation, but for practice, I feel pretty good. It’s a day-to-day thing. I would say (the numbness) is about 80 percent gone. I feel it with certain movements, but I slept better than I have over the last two days.”

Davis was breathing hard after his post-practice workout.

“It’s sore,” the rookie said of his knee, which he injured in a fall against the Pistons Saturday.

“I’ve got to play through it. You can’t play the whole season healthy.”

And the Celtics aren’t going to play the whole season without some nasty-looking losses. Their failure to get back and play cohesive defense doomed them against Charlotte, but it made for an easy lesson plan yesterday.

Topic No. 1 was transition defense.

“The first 20 minutes of practice sucked like the game,” Rivers said. “It really did. We were awful. Guys weren’t communicating. Guys were what we call buddy running - running with their own guy instead of getting back. You know, it’s a long season and you fall into habits, you have slippage. Then the second half of practice was terrific. We got back to what we’ve done.

“I think if we have a chance to play defense we’re really good if we can set. Teams know. If they can beat us down the floor, they don’t have to face our defense. Charlotte did that.”

The club didn’t spend a lot of time going over the Nets, something it will instead do at this morning’s shootaround.

“I believe, fix your stuff first and then worry about the other stuff,” Rivers said.

Celtics notes

Scot Pollard sat out practice to rest his left ankle, the same one he sprained late in the offseason. The big man is expected to play tonight. . . .

Forward Kevin Garnett remained the overall leader in the fourth and final All-Star voting update before the starters are announced Jan. 24. With 1,756,251 votes, Garnett is about 200,000 ahead of Cleveland’s LeBron James for the Feb. 17 game.

Article URL: www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1065910

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/01/11/allen_eager_for_a_quick_return?mode=PF

Allen eager for a quick return
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | January 11, 2008

WALTHAM - Sitting on the bench in a suit, guard Ray Allen felt as hopeless as fans at TD Banknorth Garden during the Celtics' surprising 95-83 loss to the Bobcats Wednesday night.

Allen missed his third game of the season, this time with a pinched nerve in his neck, but he is slated to return tonight at New Jersey.

After practice yesterday, Allen reflected on how tough it was to watch his team lose for just the fourth time in 33 games.

"Any time that the game comes down to that [stretch] situation you get nervous," he said. "It's got to be pretty nerve-racking for fans because you have no control over what's going on out there. And that's how I felt. I didn't have any control. I love being in those situations at the end of the games. You never really feel like you're down. But I couldn't help.

"The only thing I felt I could do was keep everybody's body language and energy level up. I think we took hits last night and it was seen and felt in our body language."

Allen would have guarded Charlotte's Jason Richardson, who scored a game-high 34 points, and felt he could have made a big difference. Allen is averaging 18 points, 3.1 assists, and 4 rebounds and is shooting a team-best 91.9 percent from the free throw line.

"It goes without question that they missed me on the floor," Allen said. "But we have a pretty good thing going here and anybody could go down and you miss their presence. It just so happens that the guy [Richardson] that really torched us would have been my assignment. Defensively, I would have had my hands full.

"But he would have had his hands full at the same time. Good defense and good offense slow an offensive player down."

Allen told coach Doc Rivers he wanted to play against Charlotte, but he was not cleared medically. Allen is hampered by numbness in his fingers, stiffness in his neck and shoulders, and sleep deprivation. But yesterday he felt loose after a good night's sleep.

"I feel significantly better," Allen said. "It's hard to say sometimes not being in a game situation. But at practice I felt pretty good. I expected to feel better. It's a day-to-day thing.

"The numbness, I would say, is about 80 percent gone. I slept better than I had in the last few days. It's something I got to stay on top of."

Rookie Glen Davis will also return to action tonight after missing his first game with right knee soreness. Scot Pollard took practice off to rest a lingering left ankle injury, but is expected to play.

"It's sore," Davis said. "It doesn't feel bad to the point where I have to retire or anything."


Losing cause
Rivers said concerns from Wednesday's loss included players not communicating, not getting back on defense, and playing in spurts defensively. The Celtics have not lost back-to-back games this season. The NBA record for most games without back-to-back losses is 75, by the Celtics during the 1984-85 season.

"Nobody was down and out," Paul Pierce said. "Not at all. They beat us. They came in and did a good job. We move on from it. We learn from it. We work on the things we did wrong."

Said Rivers: "When we win a game, we look at film and see what we don't do and that's what we focus on. So [the loss] is probably a big deal outside of this building. In here, every day is a big deal for us."


Time changes
The NBA announced the Celtics' game at Orlando Jan. 27 will be at 1 p.m. on ABC (Channel 5), their Feb. 10 home game against San Antonio will be at 1 p.m. on ABC, and their Feb. 22 game at Phoenix will be at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN . . . The Celtics announced the release of a postage collection featuring Pierce, Allen, and Kevin Garnett that can be purchased on celtics.com . . . In the fourth and final update before All-Star starters are announced Jan. 24, Garnett leads the NBA with 1,756,251 votes. Allen and Pierce will likely need to be voted in as reserves by the Eastern Conference coaches . . . Garnett received some more support - as the front-runner for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year - from former NBA stars Willis Reed, Bill Walton, and Mark Eaton. The former players were at a press conference yesterday at the NBA Store in New York City with commissioner David Stern as Kia announced it will donate an SUV to the charity of choice for those award winners. "The new Boston Celtics team with Doc Rivers coaching and the three great players up there and my choice would obviously be Garnett - I think he is a great talent," Reed said.

[FLCeltsFan]

aol.nba.com/celtics/news/blog/post-ups.html

Allen, Baby Practice
After missing last night's loss to the Bobcats, both Ray Allen and Glen Davis returned to the practice floor Thursday and they expect to return to the lineup Friday night when the Celtics visit the New Jersey Nets. Scot Pollard didn't practice, as he's been having issues with his left ankle, the same one he sprained before training camp.

"I feel significantly better. It's hard to say, not being in a game situation, but at practice I felt pretty good," Allen said, noting that the numbness he experienced in his fingers was about 80% gone and that he'd slept better last night than he had in the last two days. "It's a day-to-day thing."

As for the practice, Doc Rivers told reporters that the first half of the session was about as sloppy as last night's game, indicating that there may have been some carry-over from Wednesday night's loss to the Bobcats.

"Transition [defense] was awful and that's what we worked on. The first 20 minutes of practice sucked like the game. We were awful. Guys weren't communicating. It's a long season, you fall into habits and have slippage," Rivers said. "The second half of practice was terrific. We got back to what we've done."

While the Nets are Boston's next opponent, Rivers said he was more concerned with getting his team right first before preparing for New Jersey.

"We didn't even mention him today. We'll mention him tomorrow. Today we talked about the Celtics and what we're not doing," Rivers said. "I believe fix your stuff first and then think about the other stuff."

Today, you can listen in on quotes and comments from Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and Big Baby in the Celtics Audio Archive as they talk about moving on from last night's loss and preparing to play the Nets in New Jersey.

aol.nba.com/celtics/multimedia/celtics-audio-player.html

[FLCeltsFan]

www.nypost.com/seven/01112008/sports/nets/nets__battle_against_celts_not_do_or_die_441858.htm

NETS: BATTLE AGAINST CELTS NOT DO-OR-DIE
By BRIAN LEWIS


January 11, 2008 -- When the Nets face Boston tonight at the Meadowlands, they're confident they can acquit themselves better than their last meeting with the NBA's top team, their worst offensive outing of the season. But they insist win or lose, they're more concerned with their own game than the Celtics' game.
MORE: Nets Blog

The Nets rebounded from Tuesday's embarrassment in Charlotte with a rare laugher against Seattle on Wednesday. Even though they claim tonight won't be a statement game, it is a chance for some consistency - and perhaps a little redemption, as well.

"As a team we're starting to get it, no matter on the road or at home," said Jason Kidd, whose Nets have won a season-high three straight at home after a 6-11 start in the Swamp. "Hopefully we can continue to play well and get another win at home.

"Boston is the best team in the league, so no matter who's playing, you have to be ready. I think we can compete a little better than the last time we played them, but they're the best team in the league, so hopefully we can give them our best effort."

When they met Nov. 14 in Boston, the Nets gave their worst effort. Playing without Vince Carter, who'd sprained his ankle four days earlier in a home loss to the Celtics, the Nets fell, 91-69.

It can only get better from there, even if Ray Allen and Glen Davis play. Both sat out a 95-83 loss to Charlotte on Wednesday, but returned to practice yesterday.

"Right now we're just trying to win games," said Carter. "I don't care who it is, whether it's the best team or the worst team right now. It's just us trying to continue to get ourselves back into the race."

The Nets have done just that, going 8-3 since Lawrence Frank put big men Sean Williams and Josh Boone in the lineup.

"A seven-game series is when you have statement games, not 35 games into the season, must-win situations at the end that put you in or out of the playoffs. Those things aren't happening right now," said Richard Jefferson. "If we win, they're still the best team in the NBA. If we lose, it doesn't mean we're back to struggling."

*

Allen (pinched nerve) and Davis (right knee) will be game-time decisions. Allen predictably averaged 20.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists this year vs. the Nets, but Davis had six points and eight boards in their first meeting. . . . Jack Eagle, the 81-year-old father of YES play-by-play man Ian Eagle, died yesterday. The funeral will be 10 a.m. Sunday at Schwartz Brothers, 114-03 Queens Blvd., in Forest Hills.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/2008/01/11/2008-01-11_streaking_nets_ready_for_celtics-1.html

Streaking Nets ready for Celtics
BY JULIAN GARCIA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, January 11th 2008, 4:00 AM

Richard Jefferson doesn't like the label "statement game." So when he heard it on Wednesday during a question about Friday's showdown with the Celtics, the Nets forward got a bit snippy.

"They're (29-4)," said Jefferson. "If we win our next game, they're still going to be the best team in the NBA."

Good point. But here's another one: Tonight's game at the Meadowlands isn't so much about the Celtics as it is about the Nets.

After stumbling to a 10-15 start, which included a pair of losses to Boston in the first two weeks of the season, the Nets have won eight of their last 10 to climb back above .500 at 18-17.

With a win on Friday night, the Nets might be viewed as the team they were predicted to be before the season, one that will compete for one of the top spots in the East.

However, a loss would be a jolt for the the Nets, especially if it's anything like the two thumpings the Celtics delivered back in November.

In the teams' first meeting at the Meadowlands on Nov.10, Boston had a 23-point lead in the third quarter before winning 112-101. Four days later in Boston, the Celtics embarrassed the Nets, 91-69.

Vince Carter sat out that second game because of an ankle injury. Not only is he back now, but he's playing well, having averaged 23.3 points over the last 10 games.

Boston's Ray Allen is expected to play Friday night after missing Wednesday's game against Charlotte because of a pinched nerve in his neck. The Bobcats, who beat the Nets the night before, handed Boston just its second home loss of the season.

Regardless of who's playing and who's not, Jason Kidd expects a better showing by his team this time. His now infamous "letting go of the rope" comment that he made earlier in the season came less than a week after the second loss to the Celtics.

"I think we can compete a little better than we did last time we played them," said Kidd, whose triple-double streak ended at three games on Wednesday.

The Nets started their turnaround when Josh Boone and Sean Williams became starters 11 games ago. But Kidd, Carter and Jefferson have all played well since then, which could make tonight's matchup against Boston's big three of Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce a lot more competitive than the first two meetings.

In the first game, Boston's trio outscored the Nets' group 73-62. In the second game, Kidd and Jefferson combined for 40 points as Carter sat out. Garnett, Allen and Pierce combined for 45 points as the Celtics rolled. The Nets turned the ball over 20 times and hit just 33.3% of their shots that night.

DEATH IN THE FAMILY: Jack Eagle, the father of Nets broadcaster Ian Eagle, died Thursday morning at the age of 81.

The longtime actor and comedian, who was born in Brooklyn on Jan. 15, 1926, appeared in more than 50 commercials throughout the '70s, '80s and '90s and also performed in several films and on Broadway.

[FLCeltsFan]

enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2008/01/11/news/sports/sports05.txt


Celtics' revitalization has re-energized Pierce this season



By Jim Fenton, Enterprise staff writer

BOSTON— Just before the start of the Boston Celtics' training camp last September, Danny Ainge was reflecting on a wild offseason.

The executive director of basketball operations did a major overhaul of his team, going from a group of youngsters to having three NBA All-Stars together.

The moves breathed new life into a struggling franchise, not to mention re-energized Paul Pierce, who had been part of teams that lost 107 games the previous two years.

“The highlight of my summer,” said Ainge, “was to see the enthusiasm and excitement in the eyes of Paul.”

That enthusiasm and excitement hasn't left Pierce — even after Wednesday night's shocking home loss to the Charlotte Bobcats — as the Celtics near the season's midway point.

Pierce is having the time of his basketball life now that he is partnered with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen on a team that is 29-4.

“It's a lot of fun,” said Pierce, whose Celitcs face the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, N.J., tonight. “You get excited about these opportunities. It's not every day you get a chance to play with these type of guys on your ball club.

“I cherish each and every day I walk into the gym for practice. Every opportunity I have for the game, I make like it like it's my last.”

At this time a year ago, Pierce was on the sidelines with a foot stress reaction, and the Celtics were in the midst of a team-record 18-game losing streak.

It looked like the Celtics were spinning their wheels with a youth movement, and when they failed to get one of the top two picks in the lottery, things appeared even more dismal.

Now, with Garnett leading the way, the Celtics are on top of the NBA pack, and Pierce is enjoying the ride.

“A lot of people around the league are always coming up to me before and after the game,” said Pierce, “and they're saying how happy they are for me for just going through the bad times and sticking it out and now look at the opportunity you have. A lot of them wish they were in my position.”

Pierce's scoring average is a team-leading 21.2 points, which would be his lowest since the 1999-2000 season.

With Garnett and Allen, who returns to the lineup tonight after sitting out Wednesday with a pinched nerve in the neck, sharing the spotlight, the scoring is being distributed in a different manner.

“To tell you the truth, I think I'm playing the same I've been playing for a long time,” said Pierce, who is averaging 5.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists. “Maybe I'm taking less shots, putting a little bit more effort on the defensive end. But for the most part, I'm playing the way I've been playing my whole career.

“I think I have improved defensively, but I give a lot of credit to the coaching staff and the schemes we run. I get more freedom to go out and play defense to go along with not having such a lot to carry offensively every night.”

Pierce formed an instant chemistry with Garnett and Allen, and the three are working together like they've been teammates for several years.

No longer is Pierce playing the role of mentor to youngsters. Now, he is side-by-side with two other All-Stars who are on the same mission after being on lottery teams in recent years.

“You always think you know what other great players around the league are doing and the hard work they put in, but the fascinating thing is just to see them do it on an every day basis,” said Pierce.

“You don't take days off to get to the level they get, and these guys are at the top of their games. You see it first-hand each and every day, Kevin and Ray coming to work. You see the reason why these guys are seven, eight, nine, 10-time All-Stars and in the MVP race every year.

“Having the opportunity to play with these guys is all worth it. These next three, four, five years, however long I play, I'm going to have the opportunity to be on the same court with these guys and I'll cherish it regardless of the outcome.”