News 1/14

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1066384&format=text

C’s Perkins makes a veteran move

By Steve Bulpett | Monday, January 14, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics
The Celtics [team stats] often have talked about the need for players beyond their key three to step up. In the wake of the club’s second loss in three games, Kendrick Perkins [stats] is doing just that.

He may be just 23, but the fifth-year center is wise enough to see that his club has gone about its execution differently lately.

“I just think we need to all go back to what our roles are and stick to them,” Perkins said. “You know what I mean? I think guys have been getting outside their body in what they do. We’ve all got to realize what got us playing time and what made us successful as a team.

“We’ve all got to know that we’re going through Paul (Pierce), Ray (Allen) and KG (Kevin Garnett). If we get shots off of them, that’s fine. But as far as us trying to create shots on our own, I’ve just seen too much of that. I just think we’ve got to clean it up.”

Hidden amid defensive and rebounding issues is the fact that the Celts have averaged just 84.8 points in their last four games, well below their season average of 98.7.

“It’s one thing for us to play defense, but you’ve got to carry the offense with you,” Allen said. “And we haven’t been scoring points, so we’ve got to get our flow back. I don’t know what it is, but it’s something that we have to pick up. All of us.”

According to coach Doc Rivers, the concepts Perkins is preaching are not new to the lesson plan.

“That’s something we always talk about,” the coach said. “As long as we stay with who we are, we’re good. That’s what I talk about every day. That’s staying who we are as a team and as individuals who are part of a team.”

The Celtics are hoping the mistakes will refocus them, though Garnett did say, “Any time you lose, man, it’s not a good feeling. I’ve yet to find any kind of pluses in losses or any kind of sympathy in losses.”

Allen differs with that opinion.

“It can balance you out,” he said. “As much as you don’t like to do it, losing does balance you out and it forces you to every small little detail. When you win, sometimes you let small things slip.”

So after trying to keep the joy in check exactly one week earlier, Rivers is doing the same with any relative despair.

“I don’t think their heads were inflated, so I’m not worried about that,” Rivers said. “We just didn’t play well . . . two of the last three games we didn’t play well.

“We’d gotten away with some things during games that we won, so you would think something like this could help us to go over things.”

The fact the Celts tonight see the same Wizards team they lost to Saturday will help. And they won’t lack for motivation.

“We beat ourselves in that game,” Perkins said. “That’s what that was. I think people just have to look at themselves in the mirror and see how we need to get better, and the rest will take care of itself.

“But we’re 30-5 right now, so there ain’t no reason for anybody to hang their heads.”

The C’s, Perkins believes, have to get back to doing the dirty work.

“You’ve got to,” he said. “You’ve got to.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/01/14/arenas_trashes_old_view_now_praises_celtics?mode=PF


Arenas trashes old view, now praises Celtics
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | January 14, 2008

There is praise, with no trash-talking, about the Celtics from the outspoken Gilbert Arenas this time. There is no Jordanesque scorer for Boston to worry about tonight, rather an entire team that had the Celtics' number Saturday night. But even though tonight's rematch against the Wizards at the Garden will be a challenge for the Celtics, it won't be the same without the entertaining, three-time NBA All-Star guard in uniform.

"That's what I miss, playing for the crowd, playing for the fans, playing for my crowd," said Arenas, who has been limited to eight gams this season because of a left knee injury. "That's hard. I consider myself an entertainer. That's the part that I enjoy."

Before the Celtics' season-opener against Washington Nov. 2, Arenas predicted on his blog on NBA.com that the Wizards would win and he added that Celtics fans "might as well" cheer for him. Boston ended up winning easily, 103-83, and Arenas enthusiastically ate crow after the game.

Now, after the Celtics (30-5) have run off to the hottest start in the NBA, Arenas has changed his tune. In fact, he says the only team better right now is San Antonio, the reigning NBA champion.

"[The Celtics have] been doing a great job," Arenas said. "They went from being one of the worst teams in the league to the second-best team this year just from key trades. That's all players are looking for, someone like Paul Pierce is looking for. They went through the downs, and now they're up."

Arenas averaged 28.4 points per game last season and at least 25 points each of the three seasons before this one. The 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pounder suffered a partial tear of his left medial meniscus, however, and is out indefinitely after having surgery Nov. 21.

Arenas said he had been hampered with knee pain since the summer and said he could have continued to play with it, but doctors feared it could progress into a microfracture.

Arenas said yesterday he plans on opting out of his contract after this season. He said the Wizards are his top option but he is willing to go elsewhere.

"I want a new contract for the longevity of it and get another six years at the end of this deal," said Arenas, who is making $11.9 million this season. "I don't know what's going to happen. I could have signed an extension this year, but it wasn't going to make sense for me. If my own team doesn't take me, I'll go somewhere for a lot less to win a championship."

Arenas said his contract situation wouldn't deter him from returning this season, but he said he won't play until he's 100 percent.

Even with their superstar gone, the Wizards are 19-16 and are 15-11 without Arenas, including Saturday night's victory, which snapped Boston's 10-game road winning streak.

Forward Antawn Jamison is averaging 21.3 points and 10.9 rebounds while forward Caron Butler is averaging career highs of 21.7 points and 4.4 assists. Jamison and Butler's play at both ends of the floor and their leadership likely will earn them serious All-Star consideration.

"[Arenas] is one of the top players in the NBA, and when he is not out there the makeup of the team definitely changes," Jamison said. "It took us a while to adjust, but we have some great veterans on this team who have stepped up. We also have some talented young guys on the bench who have contributed as well.

"We definitely miss him. But guys are doing a great job as far as not making excuses and turning a negative into a positive."

After Washington surprised Boston, 85-78, Saturday night, several Celtics said the Wizards seemed to play better without Arenas, with a much more team-oriented offense and better defense. Arenas scoffed when told of the comments yesterday.

"That's because [the Wizards] won," said Arenas. "It's kind of funny how people talk about how teams are better without certain players. At the end of the day when I was playing we were in the fourth or fifth spot [in the Eastern Conference]. You've got to play 82 games before you realize if they are better without me or with me."

Arenas claimed before Washington's win over the Celtics that his team hadn't beaten anyone of substance without him, other than Dallas. But after they beat Boston, Arenas gave his Wizards credit.

"They're playing great basketball right now," said Arenas, who didn't make the trip to Boston. "That was a great victory for us, especially for our confidence."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1652054689

Celtics: Depth issues exposed by losses

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By Jim Fenton/Gatehouse News service
GHS
Sun Jan 13, 2008, 09:21 PM EST

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Boston, Mass. -
While the focus of the region's sports scene was on the New England Patriots Saturday night, there was another development taking place.

The Boston Celtics dropped their second game in a week, the first time that's happened since the dark days of last April.

With losses to the Charlotte Bobcats and Washington Wizards over a four-day span, the Celtics have "slipped" to 30-5 as the midway point of the season approaches.

"We spoiled ourselves a little bit," forward Kevin Garnett told reporters after an 85-78 setback to the Wizards in the nation's capital.

The Celtics get the chance to settle a score with the Wizards right away since the two teams meet again tonight at the TD Banknorth Garden (CSN, 7:30 p.m.).

After losing to the Bobcats with Ray Allen on the sidelines, the Celtics fell to the Wizards with point guard Rajon Rondo (sore back) unavailable.

The absence of Rondo was noticeable as the Celtics had problems when they were trapped near midcourt by the Washington defense and turned the ball over 21 times.

Tony Allen, who replaced Rondo in the starting lineup, had four turnovers in 25 minutes and Paul Pierce had six in 39 minutes.

The lack of depth at the point guard position has been a concern all season since backup Eddie House is more of a shooter than a distributor.

Rondo, who was injured during Friday night's win in New Jersey, will be evaluated to see if he can return for the rematch with the Wizards. The Celtics did not practice yesterday.

With the trade deadline Feb. 21, there will be speculation about the Celtics trying to acquire a veteran point guard to have behind Rondo.

In addition to their problems with turnovers, the Celtics were embarrassed in the rebounding department, allowing 20 offensive rebounds and 26 second-chance points by the Wizards.

Washington, which had not beaten a team with a winning record since Dec. 1, got nine offensive rebounds from Antawn Jamison and finished with a 49-30 overall edge on the glass.

The Celtics had a season-low point total and wore a confused look in the fourth quarter when they were outscored, 25-13, including a 15-4 Washington run to end the game. Boston was unable to hold a seven-point lead, the second time during the week it was overtaken in the final period.

This marks the only time all season the Celtics will be playing the same opponent in back-to-back games, and it could get interesting.

There was a lot of trash-talking during Boston's loss to the Wizards with Pierce and Caron Butler, the former University of Connecticut standout, going at it on numerous occasions.

"It's going to be a big game," Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson told reporters. "We were talking back and forth, so they're going to be ready."

The Celtics will spend the entire week at home, entertaining the surprising Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night and the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

Five of Boston's next six games are at the Garden with the only trip a short plane ride to New York to face the Knicks a week from this afternoon on Martin Luther King Day.

********

The loss to the Wizards halted Boston's road winning streak at 10. That ties the 1960-61 team for the second-best road winning streak in franchise history, and is three shy of the record set by the 1964-65 squad. ...

The Celtics have been held below 90 points just six times this season, including the last three games against Charlotte, New Jersey and Washington. ...

Paul Pierce (16,109) has a chance to pass Bob Cousy (16,955), who is fifth on the Celtics' all-time scoring list, by the end of the season.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonsportsmedia.com/celtics/2008/01/its_a_matter_of_perspective.html

It's a Matter of Perspective
By Kevin Henkin

See, here’s what occurs to me about the Celtics or, specifically, about covering and rooting for them: Despite the rough weekend, things have never been so good. Not for my generation anyway. Following the surprising second loss in three games against inferior competition, I recalled a moment from my youth during the early-to-mid eighties. I had woken up on a Saturday morning to find that the Celtics had suffered the second of rare back-to-back losses out on a West coast swing. Looking up from the paper in disgust, I muttered something to the effect that the Celtics “sucked”.

I’ll never forget the look of astonishment on my father’s face. It must have taken him a moment to realize that for as long as I had been rooting for the Celtics, they had always been exceptional, always been a contender. As far as I knew things, Larry Bird, Robert Parish & Co. had always been there chalking up a steady stream of wins. As a result, I completely lacked the perspective to understand what a couple of unexpected mid-season losses meant, which is to say: not much.

Having learned that valuable lesson long ago, I advise you to erase these losses from the memory banks as quickly as possible. Chalk them up to fatigue or perhaps a bit of a timely karma reality check. Perhaps people will now quit all those useless speculations about the team’s chances of surpassing 72 wins and remember that the regular season serves most usefully as a qualifier for the playoffs. By now we already know that barring a Garnett injury, this team will glide to a division title in its sleep. In the meantime, they’ll certainly try to win every game they play but will also understand the greater importance of keeping their key players healthy and rested while otherwise continuing the learning process together and sorting out who else can contribute under various circumstances.

For the rest of us who love the team and the sport of basketball, it all remains ever so compelling, even on a daily basis. Think of all the storylines to follow. Will Tony Allen ever stabilize and evolve? Is Big Baby the real deal as a draft night steal? Is Garnett’s gravitational force on the team’s intensity sustainable? Will Kendrick Perkins eventually snap and go gladiator on a slew of terrified opponents? All of the above sure beats watching another year of Paul Pierce aging through his prime in misery while Bassy Telfair and Gerald Green continue to not get it.

As for the rest of this season, I hope we can all take a collective step back from placing so much grave importance on these regular season games. Leave that useless hysteria for the new generation Red Sox fans. The Detroit game? Yeah, that mattered because it served as a litmus test of whether the newly constructed Celtics could stand up to the uber-battled-tested and long assembled Pistons. A disappointing yet meaningless loss to the Wizards? Ummmm…not so much.

To reiterate: 30-5. An .857 winning percentage. Front-runners for home court advantage throughout the playoffs. And as if life couldn’t get any better, those guys who somehow beat the Celtics a couple nights ago? They have the misfortune of having to face them again immediately thereafter on the parquet floor. And you thought Garnett looked irritable during nine game winning streaks? Pass the popcorn, boyos. This ought to be good.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/SPORTS/801140361

FREE THROWS: Celtics learning to rebound
January 14, 2008 6:00 AM
Having lost two of their last three games, the Boston Celtics are officially in their first slump of the season. And it couldn't have come at a better time.

While that may sound like crazy talk, perhaps losing two of three after coming out of the gate at 29-3 isn't the worst thing in the world.

"We've just got to learn from our mistakes," Paul Pierce told reporters. "We're not going to win every game. We definitely know we can play better basketball than we did (Saturday). They key about winning, the key about losing is learning from mistakes and building on them."

The lessons learned from losing can't be learned unless games are lost, but one would think that the Celtics are actually quite adept at those matters, considering how woeful Boston was last season as well as the squads from which Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett came.

"Any time you lose, man, it's not a good feeling," Garnett told the media. "I have yet to find any pluses in losses, or any kind of sympathy in losses."

But no NBA team can know its true makeup solely from winning games, it's the tests that come up when a team is struggling that proves whether the chemistry and the cohesion are really there.

"The season is still going great," Allen said to reporters. "I'm not going to judge what we've done thus far by (Saturday night's) loss or a couple of nights ago. It's just disappointing."

And in true championship teams, that disappointment leaves a bitter taste that can only be washed away by the rinse-and-spit of another victory. So far, the Celtics have taken big gulps from their giant bottle of Listerine, going 4-0 in games following a loss and winning by a margin of 25.5 points. Responding from Saturday night's loss should need no extra motivation, as across the court will be the same team that destroyed them on the boards, 49-30, on Saturday night. The Washington Wizards aren't supposed to be a major threat to the Celtics with star Gilbert Arenas out of the lineup, but Saturday fit every definition of a "trap game."

Just don't expect the Celtics to fall into that trap twice.



HE CAN PRETEND HE WASN'T THERE
For all the problems that were supposed to do in the NBA over the past few seasons — player dress codes, basketbrawls and referee betting scandals — nothing is as embarrassing as the biggest problem of the last few weeks: paperwork.

First, the league announced that the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat must replay the final 51.9 seconds of their game from Dec. 19, when the official scorer incorrectly ruled that Shaquille O'Neal had fouled out. Atlanta was also fouled $50,000 for their second scoring mistake in as many seasons.

Then, on Tuesday, the New York Knicks submitted an incorrect 12-man active list for their game against Chicago, listing Renaldo Balkman twice and omitting Quentin Richardson's name. However, game officials ruled Richardson could play, because he wasn't on the three-man inactive list.

Only later did it come to light that according to the NBA's Case Book, "Only players on the active list are allowed to be in uniform on the court and/or the bench." So not being on the inactive list wasn't enough; Richardson clearly had to be on the active list and therefore should not have been allowed in the game.

According to reports, there's a possibility of a fine coming down on the Knicks for letting him play.



NOAH BENCHED BY HIS TEAMMATES
Chicago rookie Joakim Noah was benched for one game by his team after a confrontation with assistant coach Ron Adams in practice, but then he was benched for another by his teammates.

Tired of some of his antics — which include showing up late and not doing what he's asked to do — Noah's fellow Bulls tacked on the extra game because they felt one game was not enough.

"They just told me what I did was unacceptable, and I'm just going to move on from here," Noah told reporters. "I've just got to accept it. What do you want me to say? I've just got to move on. There's nothing I can do about it."

Noah also said that while he doesn't agree with the decision, he does respect his teammates.



TRADE RUMORS UPDATE
With the trade deadline coming up next month, there are a number of big-time players rumored to be on the trading block. Sam Cassell, Pau Gasol and Zach Randolph are just some of the names being bandied about, but all eyes are on Houston as the deadline nears.

Word is, Chicago is interested in acquiring oft-injured Rockets star Tracy McGrady. Houston has gone 7-3 with McGrady sitting out with a knee injury, leading some to speculate that he's expendable, especially if he can bring in Ben Wallace, who if rejuvenated, could give the Rockets the most potent big-man duo in the league.

One things is for certain — whether T-Mac finishes the season in Houston, Chicago or elsewhere, he is coming to Camp Chen-A-Wanda this summer (search for it on YouTube to see possible the worst ad-lib job in pro sports history).

Tim Weisberg covers the NBA for The Standard-Times. Contact him at [e-mail]



HOT
GETTING THE POINT

A number of teams "” the Knicks and Raptors foremost among them "” are looking to deal for a point guard. Memphis' Damon Stoudamire, Seattle's Luke Ridnour and Miami's Jason Williams are three top candidates to be moved. Free agent Gary Payton is rumored to be on the radar of his hometown Warriors as well.

TRIPLE TRIPLE-DOUBLES

After getting off to a rocky start this season, Jason Kidd put up a stretch last week of three straight games with a triple-double. That gives him 97 for his career, soon to join Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only players to have more than 100 career triple-doubles.

EASY AS COW-TIPPIN' (JUST ASK BUBBA)

Toronto forward Chris Bosh has no chance of surpassing Kevin Garnett or LeBron James in All-Star voting, but that shouldn't stop you from checking out his hilarious used-car salesman routine on YouTube asking for your vote. You can also see it on chris-bosh.com

NOT

REITERATING ISIAH

Someone tell Isiah Thomas to stop reminding everyone he's staying on as both president and head coach of the Knicks. That's like Britney Spears continuing to tell everyone she doesn't need psychiatric help. Maybe instead of visiting Brit, Dr. Phil should make a trip to Madison Square Garden.

MIAMI MELTDOWN

The rumors coming out of South Beach "” Riley stepping down as coach, Shaq being traded and Dwyane Wade leaving town once his deal expires in 2010 "” are almost as bad as the way the Heat have played this season. Don't worry, D-Wade; you're heading for a top lottery pick this June!

WASTING BEN

OFF THE BENCH

Now that he's back to his Sixth Man role, Ben Gordon has averaged 27 points and shot 50 percent during the last seven games. Unfortunately, the Bulls are 3-4 during that stretch.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.examiner.com/a-1156214~Can_Wizards_double_their_pleasure_.html

Can Wizards double their pleasure?


Point guard Antonio Daniels, center, and the Wizards look to give the Celtics and Kevin Garnett, left, consecutive losses for the first time this season as Washington follows up Saturday night’s Verizon Center victory with tonight’s date at Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden. — Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images Kevin Dunleavy, The Examiner
2008-01-14 08:00:00.0
Current rank: # 424 of 11,961

WASHINGTON -
It wasn’t so much that the Wizards beat the Celtics Saturday at Verizon Center, it was how.

Engaging the NBA powerhouse in its numbing bump-and-grind, dominating the glass, rallying in the fourth quarter, and winning a slugfest Boston-style, 85-78, was perhaps a transforming prescription for a team trying to establish it’s toughness.

“The NBA is physical. But this game was, I don’t know, a Stephen King novel. It was very physical,” said Wizards coach Eddie Jordan. “I don’t think we’ve been in a game like this, and won.”

Now the trick is for Washington (19-16) to duplicate the recipe tonight at Boston (30-5).

“We know what we’re in for,” said Wizards forward Antawn Jamison. “The crowd is gonna be crazy. It would be good to get a victory against the best team in the NBA. But it would be even better to face them so quickly and get a victory on their home court.”

Jamison’s work Saturday (10 points on 4 of 15 shooting, 16 rebounds) was a microcosm of his team’s. The Wizards shot only 37 percent, including 2 of 18 from 3-point range, but compensated with a 49-30 edge on the boards against the team with the league’s best rebounding differential. In snapping Boston’s road winning streak at 10, Washington got 26 second-chance points while giving up six.

The Wizards held Boston to its season-low as Caron Butler (16 points, 10 rebounds) out-played Paul Pierce (15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 turnovers) and DeShawn Stephenson (19 points) harassed Ray Allen (8 points) into 3 of 13 shooting.

“Caron was great. DeShawn was great,” said Jordan. “Those two are our tough-juice guys, our lockdown defensive guys. Those two led the charge and everyone else followed.”

After trailing most of the second half, Washington scored on its final seven possessions. Antonio Daniels hit a go-ahead 3-pointer and Stephenson scored seven points in the final 74 seconds, closing the game with an emphatic breakaway dunk.

Boston was without starting point guard Rajon Rondo (back). His replacement, Tony Allen, had eight points, four turnovers, and no assists. Afterward, Boston coach Doc Rivers said Rondo was “doubtful” for tonight. If he doesn’t play, look for Eddie House (11 points, 5 assists) to play more.

The Wizards are in third place in the Eastern Conference. With a win, they would get to four games over .500 for the first time this year.

“A signature win catapults you. We’ll have to see if this catapults us,” said Jordan. “I’ve seen major wins go down the drain the next few weeks. It’s how you go from here.”

Wizards at Celtics

When » 7:30 tonight

» Boston has not lost back-to-back games this season.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/13/AR2008011302851_pf.html


Wizards Face Major Challenge

By Ivan Carter
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 14, 2008; E10



When the Washington Wizards visited Boston's TD Banknorth Garden on Nov. 2 for the Celtics' season opener, they walked into an electric atmosphere seldom associated with an NBA regular season game.

A city accustomed to the success of the Red Sox and Patriots unleashed pent-up Celtics pride, heckled Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas from the opening tap to the final buzzer and reveled in their team's 103-83 victory.

The Wizards may face a similar challenge tonight when they return to Boston two days after handing the Celtics their fifth loss of the season. Saturday night's 85-78 victory was the product of relentless rebounding, hard-nosed defense, timely shot-making and accurate free throw shooting.

The Wizards (19-16) held the Celtics to 41.3 percent shooting, a season-low 78 points and finished with a 49-30 edge in rebounding. If those ugly stats aren't motivation enough, the Celtics surely noticed that Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson celebrated the win by screaming in the direction of their bench after capping the game's scoring with a breakaway dunk in the closing seconds.

The Celtics have not lost consecutive games all season and have typically pounded their next opponent following a loss.

"We know that they are going to be ready for us," said Wizards forward Caron Butler, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds while also taking his turns defending Celtics star Paul Pierce. "We're going to have to match their energy."

That was not a problem Saturday night as the Wizards built a first-quarter lead and overcame Boston's tough defense and a third-quarter Celtics run to stay in the game. The key throughout was rebounding. Stevenson, who is generously listed as 6 feet 4, finished with six rebounds -- just as many as Boston's 6-11 Kevin Garnett, who entered the game averaging 10.1 this season.

The Wizards also contained the dangerous trio of Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen. The "big three" combined to score 42 points on 15-of-40 shooting. In the fourth quarter, when the Wizards outscored the Celtics 25-13, the three combined to score five points on 1-of-9 shooting.

One night after gutting out an overtime victory in Atlanta, the Wizards found a way to overcome cold shooting (36.8 percent) and 20 turnovers to beat the league's best team.

"They took us out of our plays," Pierce said. "They trapped the ball. We just weren't aggressive like we usually are down the stretch. And that was the story of the game."

Tough defense is becoming something of a staple for a Wizards team that has never been accused of playing much of it in the past. After allowing 104.9 points per game and 47.3 percent shooting last season, the Wizards are giving up only 96.9 points on 44.4 percent shooting this season.

And after failing to hold a single opponent below 80 points all of last season, the Wizards have done it four times this season (all wins). Starting in training camp, Jordan and his assistants emphasized the importance of staying in front of one's man, fighting through screens and helping each other with quick rotations. Those messages clearly have sunk in.

"It was tough at every level; mentally, physically, emotionally," Jordan said following Saturday's win. "In the second half, they put the defense on us and started pressuring the ball. DeShawn was great. Caron was great. Those two guys are tough guys and our lockdown defensive guys, especially DeShawn. They led the charge for us and everyone followed it. Antawn [Jamison] fights in there getting rebounds. I don't think we have ever played a game like that and won it."

The reward will be a return trip to Boston and another shot at a motivated group of Celtics.

"We have them again [tonight]," Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said. "I like it when you play back-to-back; it is like a mini-playoff series. It should be a fun game."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2008/01/14/03/0426-72/index.xml

Celtics moving onTwo losses in three games doesn’t hinder the process
NBA. The Celtics have continued to harp on an old cliché this season: Don’t get too high after a win, or too low after a loss.

But that’s a heck of a lot easier to say when you’ve won 29 of your first 32 games. Now that the C’s have dropped two of their last three, however, they finally can see what life is like on the other side.


The losses — last Wednesday to the Bobcats and Saturday to the Wizards — were serious gut checks. The Celtics suffered just their second defeat this season at the Garden when they fell to lowly Charlotte. And the C’s managed two of their three lowest offensive outputs of the year, including a season-low 78 points in Washington.


“I think we spoiled not only you guys but the fans and everybody,” Kevin Garnett said of the Celtics’ hot start to the season. “That’s a good thing. We worked to that point. It wasn’t given to us. We went out and worked for that.
“We’ve got to learn from it, apply what we’ve learned and just stay consistent with what we’ve been doing. That’s defense, and we’ve got to continue to preach that.”

The defense wasn’t so much the problem. The Celtics shot 41.5 percent over the two losses, and went 13-of-45 (29.9 percent) from 3-point range, both way below their season averages.

And they were killed inside. The Bobcats outscored the C’s by 20 points in the paint, and the Wizards outrebounded Boston, 49-30.


“We’ve just got to learn from our mistakes,” Paul Pierce told reporters on Saturday. “We’re not going to win every game. We definitely know we can play better basketball than we did [against Washington]. The key about winning, the key about losing is learning from mistakes and building on them.”

The Celtics can test what they’ve learned tonight, when they host the Wizards on the back end of a rare NBA home-and-home. As even-keeled as this team has remained throughout the season, they’ve already been able to move on with a steady head. Like they’ve said all year, each game is a small step in the process.


“We won nine in a row before that,” Pierce said. “We’re not going to win every game. On any given night, we can get beat by anybody.”

[FLCeltsFan]

ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2008/01/14/sports/sports02.txt

SPORTS

Rondo’s all the rage


He’s had some ups and downs, but young point guard Rajon Rondo has impressed Celtics brass and his older teammates. (Associated Press)
By MIKE FINE
The Patriot Ledger

There’s been good and there’s been bad, but for Rajon Rondo, the bad times have been fewer and farther between. That might be because the 21-year-old Boston Celtics point guard is accustomed to things going his way, sort of, in the athletic arena.

This is a kid who was an accomplished high school quarterback, an impressive baseball player, a young man who could pretty much dictate his future.

One decision he didn’t make in a timely manner, however, might have worked out better than he could have imagined. Rondo played three outstanding seasons at Louisville’s Eastern High School, averaging 27.6 points, 10.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game during his junior season. Plenty of honors in his hip pocket, he decided to transfer to Virginia’s Oak Hill Academy for one season. He excelled there, too, averaging 21.0 points and 12.0 rebounds, earning a spot on the McDonald’s All-America team and pretty much an automatic entrance into any college he wanted.

It’s just that the youngster had already made one of the few miscalculations of his young life, costing him a chance to play for Rick Pitino at the University of Louisville.

‘‘Louisville offered me a scholarship my junior year before I went to Oak Hill Academy and I told them I’d wait,’’ he explained. ‘‘I waited and waited, and they gave the scholarship to someone else.’’

That someone else turned out to be Sebastian Telfair, but Telfair later decided to go straight to the NBA. Still, the opportunity was lost for Rondo.

‘‘It wasn’t frustrating for me,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s just how it went down.’’

Easy for him to say now. When he learned that Rondo was still available, University of Kentucky coach Tubby Smith offered a scholarship.

‘‘I was at Kentucky for two years and had a good time - the best experience of my life playing for coach Smith,’’ Rondo said. ‘‘He was a great coach, and I’m in the NBA now.’’

Some have said that Rondo couldn’t wait to get out of Kentucky, that he and Smith clashed over style, and while it’s true that Smith was trying to reign in the young one just a bit, there never was a serious problem.

‘‘No, no. We still talk to this day,’’ said Rondo, who sat out Saturday’s loss to Washington with a sore back. ‘‘No problems. Point guard-head coach. I thought some things certain ways, he thought some things, but I was still learning. He was the boss at the end of the day, and that’s what we did. We won some games, we got to the Elite Eight (during his freshman year, 2004-05). We didn’t have a great year my sophomore year, but we still had a great time doing it.

‘‘It was a fun experience. You’re still a kid, I didn’t have many responsibilities. Go out there and have fun and play in front of 24,000 almost every night.’’

The pressure was on, though. Rondo had excelled. He once grabbed 19 rebounds in a game, and although he was roundly criticized for his shooting, he averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.1 steals a game during his second season. The decision to leave, he said, was an easy one.

‘‘Coach Smith (who’s now at the University of Minnesota), and I sat down after the season,’’ he said. ‘‘He pointed out a couple of things, and he thought it was the best decision for me to make and I agreed with it.’’

Impressing Celts brass

That was all Danny Ainge wanted to hear. The Celtics’ director of operations had first heard about Rondo when he played at Oak Hill.

‘‘I just watched him play,’’ he said. ‘‘He was really good. I went to watch (Atlanta’s) Josh Smith play mostly and noticed Rajon playing really well. He was quick, instinctive, a good all-around player. He was a fantastic player in good competition.’’

Ainge said he kept tabs on him, and after his freshman year at UK, he dispatched assistants Ryan McDonough and Chris Wallace to Argentina to check him out further as he played for the U.S. 21-and-under team in the FIBA World Championships.

‘‘They thought he was the best player on that team,’’ Ainge said. ‘‘He was the best player in that setting, and we watched him real close, and very close his sophomore year.’’

Ainge didn’t know whether Rondo would be coming out after his sophomore season.

‘‘We were glad he did and we were glad we were able to acquire a pick to get him.’’

The Celtics had received a first-round pick from Cleveland in exchange for Jiri Welsch in February, 2005, and when the Suns drafted Rondo at No. 21 in the 2006 draft, they had a trade worked out with the Celtics. They already had Steve Nash and were going to go with former Celtic Marcus Banks as his backup, much to the Celtics’ pleasure. The Celtics gave up a future first-round pick in exchange.

The starting nod

Ainge said Rondo took immediate steps during his rookie season, and found himself starting ahead of the guy Louisville chose over him - Telfair - by the end of the season (Telfair was later traded to Portland). This season, though, Rondo was handed the starting job in August, long before the start of the season. It looked like a risky move for the Celtics, who were counting upon him to lead a team that now featured not only Paul Pierce, but also Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

‘‘I thought he played last year,’’ Ainge said. ‘‘I thought it was huge into what he’s doing this year, just to get his feet wet and get experience last year. He had some ups and downs last year but I thought he showed a lot of promise and did a lot of things. He still has a long way to go, but he’s 21 years old and I like how he’s played so far.’’

It hasn’t been perfect. There was one game recently when Rondo tried to make a home run cross-court pass to Pierce when a simple pass to Allen on the near side wing would have done. He ended up throwing the ball away and getting a lecture from Garnett.

‘‘Rondo is gonna be one of the best point guards to play this game,’’ Garnett said. ‘‘I told him that, and he’s going to have to continue to work and get better, but we had the rhythm and we were in a nice little flow and he went for the home run.

‘‘I turned around and told him that’s not the pass. He understood. He knew that. P (Pierce) came back and told him he wasn’t that fast. Maturity on this team is the fact that we all understand that, hey, that’s over, let’s move on, let’s make it up. I think we came down, got a turnover, he made something happen, but we came to the bench and he said, ‘Hey, that’s my fault.’ That’s a sign of maturity.

‘‘Doc is real hard on Rondo,’’ Garnett said, ‘‘but he should be because he’s in the point guard and the quarterback’s slot. He pretty much sets the tone for this team. We’re just amazed at his work ethic and how he comes in here, and he’s eager to learn. He’s not perfect but he tends to apply the things that he has learned into the games, and that’s the effort we’re looking for.

‘‘I love the young guy. He’s great. I’ve said if he’s not the best point guard in four or five years, it’s because he doesn’t want to be.’’

Rondo certainly does want to be here, but sometimes he has to pinch himself.

‘‘I’m still not realizing I’m a pro right now,’’ he said. ‘‘This is a dream come true. I’m grateful to be here. The first year it never really sunk in. I was excited. It’s still sinking in, and it’s my second year.’’

[FLCeltsFan]

ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2008/01/14/sports/sports06.txt

Celtics get chance to settle score with Wizards



By JIM FENTON
GateHouse News Service

BOSTON - While the focus of the region’s sports scene was on the New England Patriots Saturday night, there was another development occurring.

The Boston Celtics dropped their second game in a week, the first time that has happened since the dark days of last April.

With losses to the Charlotte Bobcats and Washington Wizards over a four-day span, the Celtics have ‘‘slipped’’ to 30-5 as the midway point of the season approaches.

‘‘We spoiled ourselves a little bit,’’ forward Kevin Garnett told reporters after an 85-78 setback to the Wizards in the nation’s capital.

The Celtics get the chance to settle a score with the Wizards right away as the two teams meet again tonight at the TD Banknorth Garden.

After losing to the Bobcats with Ray Allen on the sidelines, the Celtics fell to the Wizards with point guard Rajon Rondo (sore back) unavailable.

The absence of Rondo was noticeable as the Celtics had problems when they were trapped near midcourt by the Washington defense and turned the ball over 21 times.

Tony Allen, who replaced Rondo in the starting lineup, had four turnovers in 25 minutes and Paul Pierce had six in 39 minutes.

The lack of depth at the point guard position has been a concern since backup Eddie House is more of a shooter than a distributor.

Rondo, who was injured during Friday night’s victory in New Jersey, will be evaluated to see if he can return for the rematch with the Wizards. The Celtics did not practice on Sunday.

With the trade deadline Feb. 21, there will be more speculation about the Celtics trying to acquire a veteran point guard to have behind Rondo.

In addition to their problems with turnovers, the Celtics were embarrassed in the rebounding department, allowing 20 offensive rebounds and 26 second-chance points by the Wizards.

Washington, which had not beat a team with a winning record since Dec. 1, got nine offensive rebounds from Antawn Jamison and finished with a 49-30 overall edge on the glass.

The Celtics had a season-low point total and wore a confused look in the fourth quarter when they were outscored, 25-13, and were outscored, 15-4, to end the game. Boston was unable to hold a seven-point lead, the second time during the week it was overtaken in the final period.

This marks the only time all season the Celtics will be playing the same opponent in back-to-back games, and it could get interesting.

There was a lot of trash-talking during Boston’s loss to the Wizards with Pierce and Caron Butler, the former University of Connecticut standout, going at it on numerous occasions.

‘‘It’s going to be a big game,’’ Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson told reporters. ‘‘We were talking back and forth, so they’re going to be ready.’’

The Celtics will spend the entire week at home as they entertain the surprising Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night and the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

Five of Boston’s next six games are at the Garden with the only trip a short plane ride to New York to face the Knicks a week from this afternoon on Martin Luther King Day.

Around the rim

The loss to the Wizards halted Boston’s road winning streak at 10. That ties for the second-best in franchise history with the 1960-61 team, three shy of the record set by the 1964-65 squad. ...The Celtics have been held below 90 points only six times this season, including the last three games against Charlotte, New Jersey and Washington. ... Paul Pierce (16,109) has a chance to pass Bob Cousy (16,955), who is fifth on the Celtics’ all-time scoring list, by the end of the season.