News 1/18

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1067380&format=text

A win-win for Celtics

By Steve Bulpett | Friday, January 18, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
Framed against the enormity of the regular season, Wednesday night’s victory over Portland was just a small step in the journey - .012 for all you mathletes.

But the value of a win after three defeats in four games made for a greater psychological reward. Although the Celtics [team stats] have shown remarkable togetherness, losses make players question things.

“‘You want to avoid that at all times,” coach Doc Rivers said after yesterday’s practice. “I just look at us and say we’re a work in progress and we just have to keep working on getting better and better. The bottom like is you don’t want to lose home games. That’s what I was talking about to them. We don’t want to lose home games. We want to win all our home games.”

After dropping two straight at the Garden, the Celts defeated the Trail Blazers, 100-90.

“I just look at it like let’s win this game,” Rivers said. “We haven’t played well; let’s turn that around. So in that way, I guess it was important.”

With point guard Rajon Rondo [stats] likely out again tonight against Philadelphia with back and hamstring problems, the Celts still are warming to a new point guard rotation.

Rivers liked how first-time starter Eddie House pushed the ball up the floor quickly and got the club into its offense against Portland. He thought rookie Gabe Pruitt mostly did that, too, adding “defensively he’s starting to get it.”

“He didn’t get pressured at all, so it’s tough to tell in one game how your poise is,” Rivers said. “He was fine, though. He wasn’t panicked by the game or anything like that.”

Nor are the Celtics panicking about Rondo.

“We’re just going to wait,” Rivers said. “No rush.

“When he feels good, we’re going to play him. But I don’t think he feels great yet, so we’re just not going to play him. If he feels good (tonight), we’ll play him, but if he doesn’t, we won’t. And if he doesn’t by Monday (at New York), we won’t. We’ll just wait and see. Obviously we need him, but the other guys will make do.”

Rondo shot around some after practice and reported improvement.

“It’s getting better,” he said. “I stretched (Wednesday) and I couldn’t really stretch that good, but (yesterday) I stretched pretty well, so I’m getting more flexibility in my hamstring.”

Celtics notes

Leon Powe returned to practice and received congratulations after becoming a father to Leon III Wednesday. . . .

There’s been some talk of the Celts getting up more for the good teams, but Ray Allen said, “Here I’ve noticed that we have not swayed from what we’ve done all year.”

Thinking back to when he learned the importance of consistency, Allen said, “I remember we played the Chicago Bulls in Milwaukee, and Terrell Brandon, Glenn Robinson and Tyrone Hill were all out. . . . In my mind, I was thinking to myself, maybe I should be frightened because it’s basically me taking the whole squad on. . . . But at that moment I just realized it doesn’t matter who this team is. From there on out, my consistency just stayed true. You can’t look down the court and get frightened of who’s down there or how many All-Star appearances that person made. You’ve still got to do your job.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/01/18/pruitt_giving_celtics_a_new_point_of_view?mode=PF

Pruitt giving Celtics a new point of view
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | January 18, 2008

A Celtics season ticket-holder turned to media members sitting nearby at TD Banknorth Garden during a December game and asked, "Who's that new guy on the bench?"

Unless you're an ardent fan, you might not have known who No. 13 in the Celtics jersey was when he checked in during the first quarter of Wednesday's 100-90 win over the Trail Blazers. Hey, the Celtics are still trying to learn about rookie point guard Gabe Pruitt, too.

With starter Rajon Rondo saying yesterday he will miss tonight's game against the 76ers with injuries to his back and right hamstring, sitting out for the third time in four games, the Celtics will be giving Pruitt more of a look. But to learn more about his NBA potential, the best person to ask is probably Utah Flash coach Brad Jones, for whom Pruitt played parts of this season in the NBA Development League.

"He'll grow into being a pure point guard," said Jones by telephone. "He's a playmaker and if you can pass the ball to set people up like he can, you can be a point guard. When he is in the mind-set of setting people up, he can be a point guard."

Pruitt averaged 12.5 points and 4.3 assists last season as a junior for Southern Cal. The 6-foot-4-inch, 170-pounder entered the draft early and was selected 32d overall in the second round by Boston.

Entering Wednesday night's game, the Celtics didn't have a player with fewer games (seven) or minutes (26) than Pruitt.

"It's tough," Pruitt said. "But when you're playing for the best team like this and you're a rookie, things happen like that. But it's all worth it. I've put in a lot of work."

"I like Gabe Pruitt a lot," said director of basketball operations Danny Ainge recently. "I just can't get him minutes."

To aid Pruitt's development, he was sent to the D-League twice this season. Pruitt scored 31 points, dished out eight assists, and scored the winning basket in his debut with the Flash Nov. 24.

The next night, however, he scored 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting with 3 assists and 9 turnovers in a loss. After he was activated by the Celtics Nov. 26, Ainge spoke to Pruitt at length about his high-turnover game, and not the high-scoring game.

"Danny wasn't happy with the second game," Jones said. "He relayed that to him. When he came back, he was more ready to be a pro. He came back and worked very hard."

Pruitt entered his second stint with the Flash with goals of being more of a point guard and playing better defensively. During four games from Dec. 3-13, he averaged 12 points, 2.5 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals, with just 3 turnovers in 27.5 minutes per game. He also had nine assists in a game against Los Angeles Dec. 7. Jones stressed to Pruitt the importance of learning the speed of the game defensively, running the floor, and continuing to play hard even when he didn't have the basketball.

"It clicked," Jones said of Pruitt's second stint with the Flash. "He worked hard on defense. He passed well."

Pruitt actually was disappointed initially when he was recalled by the Celtics because the Flash had back-to-back games coming up. The Celtics can only send Pruitt to the Development League one more time if they wish.

"I was playing a lot of minutes," said the 21-year-old Pruitt. "I haven't had that in a long time since last year [Southern Cal]. I enjoyed being down there playing. Obviously, you want to be [in Boston] playing with your team and working with them."

With Rondo out against Portland, coach Doc Rivers told Pruitt during shootaround that morning that he would get an opportunity to play. Rivers has been concerned about Pruitt's defense and had told him his playing time would be determined by his defensive effort, not his offense. Assistant coach Armond Hill also spent time with Pruitt prepping him for the Blazers.

The Celtics started Eddie House at point guard against Portland and used Tony Allen at the position. But Pruitt played 12 minutes and had 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting, 2 rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

"I'm really proud of him," Rivers said. "All we work with him on is his defense. His offense is good."

Jones was pleased to hear about Pruitt's performance Wednesday night.

"The first time [with the Flash], he was more like a college player," said Jones. "The second time, he was a pro. I'm a big proponent of what the league does for a guy."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1310223639

House hopes he's on point

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By Scott Souza/Daily News Staff
GHS
Fri Jan 18, 2008, 12:22 AM EST

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Waltham, Mass. -
Eddie House has heard slights on his point guard skills throughout his career, and you can bet he heard the whispers over the past week when Celtics starter Rajon Rondo was largely out of the lineup and the team lost three of four games.

Challenge the eight-year veteran on his point credentials and be prepared for a lively discussion. But that doesn't mean he doesn't accept what others view as his limitations - and that he isn't willing to work on them.

Those limitations of late included his inability to get the Celtics into the offense in a timely fashion and the poor possessions that resulted. After getting an earful from Celtics coach Doc Rivers, his improvement in that area was a big factor in Boston's 100-90 victory Wednesday over the Blazers that snapped its first two-game skid of the season.

"He plays with energy once he gets it up, but he takes too long to get into it," said Rivers of House's recurring issue. "(Wednesday) night, he was phenomenal getting us into it. We averaged between 20 and 18 seconds (left on the shot clock) starting our offense. The last eight games, we have been averaging between 14 and 10. That's a big difference."

With Rondo (back, hamstring) likely out for at least tonight's home game against the Sixers (CSN, 7:30 p.m.), and possibly longer, House will be expected to log heavy minutes at the point - and seems eager to please given the shot to start.

"Doc is always stressing (getting into the offense quickly)," House said following yesterday's workout at HealthPoint. "So that's the main thing I focus on. Just pushing it as hard as I can.

"It was a conscious effort (to do that Wednesday). That's what (Rivers) wanted so you go out and try to do your job. He kept stressing it to me in the first quarter. He actually got up and was like: 'Push it! Push it!' So I just said 'OK', and every chance I got after that I pushed it. When Ray (Allen) or Paul (Pierce) got it, they pushed it and I just filled the lane."

While improving that facet of his game doesn't exactly make House a prototypical point guard, it certainly helps and it helped a lot on Wednesday. In 33 minutes, he had 10 points, five assists and four rebounds.

More significantly, he helped run a team that committed only eight turnovers and was a plus-19 in the NBA's version of plus-minus rating coming off a minus-18 in Boston's close loss at Washington on Saturday and a minus-4 in Monday's defeat.

"When you push the ball up fast, you have more time," House noted. "The thing with that is it gives you more opportunity to move the ball and explore different possibilities in the offense.

"If you get it up fast, you might look at the first option. Then if that option is taken away, you have a second option. Then you (have time left for) a third option. Then you can swing it or get a random pick-and-roll.

"You are just playing basketball from there and you have a lot more time to create. If you are coming up with 14 seconds and get it into the post, then it's one pick-and-roll and you have to shoot it."

The ripple effect on Wednesday showed up in Allen having a more comfortable shot selection in hitting for a season-high 35 points and Kevin Garnett (26 points) having options in the post rather than either force a shot or pass the ball out the perimeter without any time on the shot clock to get it back.

Rivers said the other adjustment with House starting was to try to keep things simple.

"We limited him and what he wants to call so he doesn't have a thousand plays running through his head (when he should be initiating one of them)," the coach said. "We've been doing that this week and it's been good."

FFF

While Rondo did some shooting during and after practice yesterday, he determined that "most likely" he will not be ready to go tonight against the Sixers.

"It's getting better," he said. "I stretched (Wednesday) and I couldn't really stretch that good. (Yesterday), I stretched pretty well so I am getting more flexible in my hamstring."

Perhaps with the help of House's effort and the solid contribution at the point from rookie Gabe Pruitt in 12 minutes off the bench, Rivers doesn't seem in any hurry to rush Rondo back.

"We're just going to wait," Rivers said. "When he feels good, we're going to play him. But I don't think he feels good yet, so we won't. ... Obviously we need him, but the other guys will make it up."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=6957

Top Five in the Clutch

By: Travis Heath Last Updated: 1/17/08 10:23 PM ET | 147 times read



Adjust font size:An old high school basketball coach of mine once told me anyone can score in the first three and a half quarters but only the truly great ones can do it when it matters most. The same holds true in the NBA. And while the league is filled with talented players, the players who consistently deliver in the fourth quarter are few and far between.

Here's a look at HOOPSWORLD's top-five clutch performers:

5. Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons

With a nickname like "Big Smooth" growing up in Denver and an NBA nickname like "Mr. Big Shot," is it any wonder Billups made the top-five? While Billups may not have the superstar persona the other four names on the list have, he's made more big shots than a lot of guys who get a whole lot more play in the media (are you reading this Tracy McGrady?). And not only has he made big shots, but he's made them when they matter most. Just ask the LA Lakers of 2004 who he scorched in The Finals en-route to winning Finals' MVP.

4. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics

With all due respect to Reggie Miller, Allen may be the best pure shooter of this generation. And not only is he a great shooter, but he has a knack for knocking down big time shots. He did it in Milwaukee, he did it in Seattle, and he's already won a game with a dagger at the buzzer for his new team in Beantown. Expect his legacy as a clutch shooter to grow as Boston makes what will likely be a lengthy playoff run this season.

3. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

When looking at a list such as this, many people expect to see only guys who make the last shot. While Nash is certainly more than capable of hitting the last shot, what makes him so scary late in games is his ability to beat you in so many different ways. Put him in a pick-and-roll and your basically at his mercy. If you switch, he'll either beat the slower defender off the dribble or drain the three if you back off of him. And if you double team or help just a little too much, he'll find the open man anywhere on the floor. More than a few NBA head coaches get headaches just thinking about Nash with the ball in his hands late in a game.

2. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets

Just a couple of seasons ago it seemed like Melo was hitting about one game winner a month. Simply put, Anthony's a winner who shines when the game's on the line. Scouts will tell you Anthony has the best jab-step in the game and this makes him a nightmare to defend when he gets an isolation on the wing late in games. Some people may point to the fact he hasn't hit a "true" game winner in awhile, and while that's true, he still owns a better percentage in shots made with his team tied or trailing and less than 24 seconds on the clock than any other player on this list.

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Greg Buckner used the term "killer" to describe Bryant in a conversation I had with him awhile back. That pretty much says it all. And while non-Laker fans might not want to admit it, is there any opposing player in the Association that scares you more with the ball in his hands in the waning seconds of a game? Didn't think so. It may sound like a cliché, but in Bryant's case it's true: dude lives to take big shots with the clock laughing in his face. Combine that with his superior confidence and three championship rings, and there's no doubt he's the best clutch player in the game today.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20080118_Celtics_arent_stressed_over_stumble.html

Celtics aren't stressed over stumble
They lost three of four recently, but they say a few bumps along the way are expected in a long season.
By David Aldridge

Inquirer Staff Writer

BOSTON - The Celtics have been so good this season that a three-game hiccup in a six-day period, including back-to-back losses to Washington - a team that, unlike Boston, has made the playoffs the last three years - caused not a little angst around these parts.
After all, the Patriots haven't lost a game in a year, and the Red Sox have won two World Series since 2004. The perpetually whiny New England fan - recall Rick Pitino's rant about local negativity a few years ago - has had little about which to complain lately.

So, losing three out of four games after starting a franchise-best 30-3 brought back the uncertainty that the Celtics carried into the season, despite adding Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to play alongside Paul Pierce. With point guard Rajon Rondo battling back and hamstring problems, Boston's lack of backcourt depth at that position looked as if it was coming into focus.

Or maybe it's just a long season.

"It's the NBA. You turn the corner, there's another team looking to put a hit on you," Allen said with a shrug. In Wednesday's win over Portland, he scored a season-high 35 points for the Celtics, who host the 76ers tonight with a still-league-best 31-6 record.

"The year Detroit won the title, they lost nine in a row," Allen added. Though he wasn't exactly accurate - the 2004 Pistons lost nine of 13 during one stretch, sandwiching three- and six-game losing streaks around a four-game winning streak - his point was well-taken. Every season, even those that end up in championships, has ebbs and flows.

In losing to the Bobcats at home, and dropping two in a row to the Wizards (after a win over the Nets), Boston blew fourth-quarter leads. The Celtics aren't the deepest team in the world. They probably could use a veteran backup for Rondo, who didn't practice yesterday and is doubtful for tonight, especially for the postseason, in which this year's version of the Pistons is a likely opponent in the Eastern Conference finals.

But Pierce, Garnett and Allen, dubbed the "PGA Tour" by some, still make up for a lot of ills.

Boston's league-best defense (87.2 points, 41.4 percent shooting overall, 31 percent on threes allowed) has been a revelation, with the chirpy, chippy Garnett as its anchor. The Celtics contest shots, chase opponents off the three-point line, and usually win the rebounding battle (their plus-2.86 rebound differential is second-best in the league).

"Overall, we like the way we've been playing - until recently," coach Doc Rivers said.

But that's been with Rondo wreaking havoc with his quickness out front, allowing center Kendrick Perkins to stay at home down low, while Garnett roams. Without him, the Celtics play veteran Eddie House, rookie Gabe Pruitt, or third-year guard Tony Allen, still trying to recover from a knee injury suffered last season. None of them is a traditional point, and none of them has Rondo's quickness.

"It's a reason he was starting," Pierce said after Boston's 100-90 win over Portland. "We're a different ball club, in some ways, because we don't have his pressure defense full-court, his quickness in the open court finishing at the rim, and the way he gets into the lane."

Even with Rondo, though, the Celtics are uneven on offense, despite all the hoopla.

Garnett does what he can down low, and Pierce's presence on the floor opens things up for Allen on the perimeter, and vice versa. House and James Posey are productive bench players. Still, Boston is primarily a jump-shooting team, and jump shooters, sooner or later, go through periods when they miss. That's been the case lately with Pierce (26 of his last 64 from the field) and Allen, who was 18 of his previous 58 before hitting 12 of 20 shots from the floor against the Trail Blazers.

With Garnett, Pierce and Allen on the other side of 30, Boston needs a day off every once in a while to get its collective legs back. In the playoffs, with at least one day off between every game, fatigue is not as big an issue. In the regular season, four games in five nights can take their toll, even on the best teams.

"You lose three out of four, I don't want to say it was good for us," House said. "But it made us kind of refocus. You'd rather have it happen where you lose two out of three to a team in January rather than you're in a [playoff] series with them and you lose two out of three."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/100-01182008-1473273.html


Celtics bring out best in opponents

By TOM MOORE
phillyBurbs.com

The Sixers halted a season-long losing streak with Tuesday's victory over the Rockets.

The Celtics halted a season-long losing streak by beating the Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

So it figures that two teams in similar situations will face off tonight in Boston, right?

Not quite.

The Sixers (15-24) ended a seven-game slide by winning in Houston.

The Celtics halted their first skid of more than one game all season and improved to an NBA-best 31-6. Each of the other 29 teams has at least 10 losses.

But earlier this week, after dropping consecutive decisions to the Wizards — the second of which featured a blown 14-point fourth-quarter lead at home — Celtics coach Doc Rivers told the Boston Globe that he doesn't believe every team must go through a tough stretch during the season.

“That's what everybody says,” Rivers said. “I don't buy it, but right now it's happening. Let's see how quickly we can get out of it.”

Boston bounced back with Ray Allen scoring a season-high 35 points and Kevin Garnett 26 in a 100-90 victory over the Blazers. Portland had won 18 of 20 before the Celtics improved to 17-3 at home and 11-0 against the Western Conference.

The Sixers, meanwhile, overcame a 16-point deficit late in the third period at Houston for their first win of 2008.

Coach Maurice Cheeks said he thinks the Sixers (8-13 on the road) will be ready for the challenge of Paul Pierce (20.6-point average), Kevin Garnett (19.5) and Allen (18.1).

“I really believe every team gets up to play them, which makes their record a little more remarkable,” said Cheeks after Thursday's practice in Boston. “Teams are getting up for them, and they're still winning. The six games that they've lost, they still could have won them.”


The Celtics are 8-0 vs. the Atlantic Division, including a 113-103 win over the Sixers on Dec. 5 at the Wachovia Center.

For the Sixers to be competitive, Samuel Dalembert will have to continue his strong play. Dalembert had 12 points and 20 rebounds while mostly guarding Tim Duncan in Monday's loss to the Spurs, then contributed 19 points and six rebounds against Yao Ming and the Rockets. Tonight, he'll be matched up with Garnett.

“It's a tough stretch for Sam, having to guard three pretty good players,” Cheeks said. “That's an understatement because they're all all-stars. Sam has been equal to the task each time.”

Dalembert is averaging 17.3 points and 15.3 rebounds in the past three games.

The Celtics are expected to be without starting point guard Rajon Rondo (bruised back) for the third time in four games. Veteran Eddie House and rookie Gabe Pruitt should handle most of the duties at the point.

Hail to the champs

The Sixers will honor forward Bobby Jones, the sixth man on the 1982-83 championship team, at halftime of Monday's home game against the Pacers. They'll also recognize former PR director and current stat guru Harvey Pollack and Kay McMahon, wife of the late Jack McMahon, an ex-assistant coach/assistant GM.

[FLCeltsFan]

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


Tony Allen: The Good, the Bad and the Case for More Minutes
By Mike Martin

Tony Allen should be playing more minutes.

I am not panicking. I am not crazy. With Allen, you pretty much have to make those disclaimers up front after leading off with a sentence like that.

Yes, I see all the other stuff he does out there too. Fouls of jump shooters after the barest of up fakes. The crossover dribble turnover in traffic that you can see coming two passes before he gets the ball. And a new favorite for this season, the dribble where his hand just misses the ball on the way up and it flies up over his head like he’s a third grader losing focus as he dribbles through the cones.

But as of right now, this Celtics team needs Tony Allen or someone like him to produce in some bigger minutes, and until some other move is made you may as well play TA. Not just because they don’t have anyone else, but because he contributes in ways that are easily obscured by some of his questionable decision-making (and at this point we’re not talking about bar brawls or post-whistle dunks).

To the surprise of many, the Celtics’ calling card this year has been their defense. Credit has largely gone to Kevin Garnett, with a side order of Xs and Os from Tom Thibodeau. But defense in the modern NBA requires five guys working together to help and recover, expending effort to rotate, challenge shots and clean the boards. A key piece to this puzzle has been James Posey, a savvy veteran who knows his way around on the defensive end, and someone to whom Tony Allen is invariably compared and found wanting.

But lost in those comparisons is the fact that Posey’s value has been heightened because of the team’s ability to play him as a power forward. Posey can play physical enough to force a stalemate down low, but is more mobile than the traditional plodders that play the position. As illustrated by Shawn Marion in Phoenix, the modern NBA rewards the small forward who can defend bigger guys on the defensive end and cause matchup problems by spreading the floor on offense. If the Celtics had to play Posey for big minutes at the wing position they would lose all of these potential benefits. As the team’s primary wing sub, Allen allows Doc Rivers to work Posey’s matchup advantage to its greatest effect.

Similarly, a more consistent contribution from Allen would solidify the point guard position as well, at least on the defensive end. Rajon Rondo has exceeded expectations on offense, hitting the open jumpers more often than not and providing a faster pace that has been sorely missing during his absence over the last week. However, on the defensive end his reputation has exceeded his effectiveness. He is excellent off the ball gambling for steals in the passing lanes. But in terms of stopping opposing point guards Romdo has been far from the “beast” that Peter May described him to be in a column earlier this week.

Rondo’s highest profile difficulty has been with Chauncey Billups, but both T.J. Ford and Jameer Nelson have also had extremely productive games against Rondo and the Celtics, which is distressing considering they play for the three primary contenders in the East. Allen allows for a change of pace in defending at the lead guard slot, a bigger player who won’t be muscled into the post but can still hang with a dribbler. The point guards rumored to be on the buyout market (Stoudamire, Cassell, etc) are all undersized and/or poor defenders, so this happens to be one role that the Celtics won’t be able to fill better than with the guy they have now.

On offense, Allen’s contribution is less immediately evident, but no less important. The one thing this Celtics team is short on is players that can create offense by getting to the rim. Right now, Pierce, Rondo and TA are the only players who can draw help and create openings. Without one of them on the floor the offense is stagnant, with a bunch of standstill shooters and reluctant post players all making a halfhearted fake, taking a tentative dribble, and passing the ball to the next guy for the same routine. While Allen has been anything but efficient, there have been games like the game at the Lakers a few weeks ago where he was the primary catalyst for a very productive offense.

So what am I asking for? More consistent minutes. Minutes at the expense of Eddie House, who I otherwise love. Minutes at crunch time of a regular season game against a middling team when you’d otherwise want better free throw shooters on the floor. Minutes at point guard when he’s dribbling like the ball is covered with broken glass, no matter how many years it takes off Tommy Heinsohn’s life to watch it.

I’d say this for anyone in Allen’s position. The team has established that it’s going to be among the league leaders at the end of the year. They should treat the regular season like the Spurs do: a shakedown cruise in January and February that leads to the team peaking at the right time in April and May (and June). Now is the time to give guys like TA more minutes than they really deserve, so long as it’s for the greater good of the team.

Monday’s loss to the Wizards was a case in point. During the first half of the fourth quarter the Celtics were playing ugly offense, as the Wizards extended the defensive pressure to take advantage of Allen and House’s weak handles. The Cs couldn’t get a play started before 13 seconds were left on the shot clock, but they scraped together a few hoops and in the meantime they were clamping down on defense like they had in so many wins this year. They went on a 14-4 run and a minute or two later Ray Allen came in for Tony. That was a prime opportunity to leave TA in, not only to keep the defensive effort strong but also to give Allen some minutes learning how to play with a lead in crunch time.

But leaving aside those points, for Allen there is even more reason to feed him all the playing time he can handle. In each of Allen’s first three years there has been a period at the beginning of the season where he has struggled. Then at some point a switch is flipped and suddenly Allen is playing like you had always wanted him to (and never thought he would again).

Last year was a prime example. Much like this year he was coming off an injury, and at first he seemed uncomfortable with the limitations on his previously high flying game. But then in December he started playing very consistent ball, ending his season with 14 consecutive double digit scoring games. Revisionist historians recall this burst as being driven by Pierce’s absence, but in fact Allen averaged 18.5 ppg in the 4 games before Pierce got hurt.

There’s no way anyone can know whether Allen will ever regain the lift that made him a special talent in his rookie year. But a wise investment in minutes now could result in the team having a more confident player able to fill needed roles come playoff time.

It just won’t be easy on the eyes.

[FLCeltsFan]

ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2008/01/17/sports/sports01.txt

Ray Allen knows about special feelings



By MIKE FINE
The Patriot Ledger

BOSTON - Ever see the fur on a dog’s back stand on end when he knows something really special is about to happen? Ray Allen knows that feeling, too.

‘‘I always tingle when I know a shot is possibly coming,’’ said the Celtics guard. ‘‘I was talking to (teammate Brian) Scalabrine earlier in the year and I said you have to know when a shot is about to come because for some reason it’s almost like the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stand up.’’

Shots came often for Allen Wednesday. After struggling for much of the last couple of the weeks, losing a 126-game streak of double-figure scoring games and even scoring less than 10 points in three of four games, sitting out another because of a pinched nerve in his neck, the veteran came alive. He didn’t just score a season-high 35 points, he also scored 12 of the Celtics’ final 14 points in a 100-90 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.

It was a huge personal triumph for Allen as far as getting back on track, but he also gave his teammates a much-needed boost against an impressive young team that had won 18 of 20 games. The Celtics had lost three of four, including two straight at the Garden, which was rocking as their team overcame an early nine-point deficit by cutting out the stand-around long-distance shooting and triggering a frenetic offensive attack with the defense.

‘‘I tell the guys the more we run the more I think I score when we play fast break basketball because I run up and down, space the floor, you get 3s, you get drives to the basket, defenses out of place ...’’ Allen said. ‘‘When one part of our offense shuts down, I think it does hamper certain guys.’’

The Celtics were hampered pretty good early on. They missed 15 open jumpers in the first half, but once they began defending and moving the ball in the second, it was like a light bulb turned on, like the Celtics remembered how they won 30 of their first 33 games. The Celts missed only nine open jumpers in the second half because they stopped taking so many.

Except, perhaps, for Allen, who was red hot, hitting each of his last three jumpers, starting with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer with 2:18 to play. His 3-pointer with 49.3 left ended any Portland hopes of a comeback, giving the Celts a seven-point lead.

‘‘Tonight was probably the best physically that I’ve felt,’’ Allen said. ‘‘For me it’s a leg thing. Everything is power through my jump shot, so being able to explode, play defense, chase the picks and rolls and score on offense ... that’s a lot going on for me, so I have to make sure I have my body together.

‘‘It was the best I’ve felt regardless of what my output was. It was the best my body has felt.’’

Needless to say, Allen’s teammates certainly appreciate the effort.

‘‘Ray was great,’’ said Paul Pierce. ‘‘It was fun to be a part of. I told Ray, ‘I’m going to try to get you the ball.’’’

No wonder. Pierce was only 3-for-11 for 12 points. He added eight rebounds and five assists but missed five free throws.

‘‘It was great to watch. When you’ve got a hot player (12-for-20) like that that’s done it so many times in his NBA career, you’ve got to get him the ball.’’

There was no doubt that this performance was a shot in the arm. The Celtics were once again going without starting point guard Rajon Rondo, which is tougher on the team than anybody knows.

‘‘He’s a starter,’’ Pierce said. ‘‘He adds that dimension. There’s a reason he’s a starter. He’s part of a group that gets the team off to good starts. We’re a different ballclub in some ways because we don’t have his pressure defense fullcourt, his quickness in the open court and finish at the rim, and the way he gets into the lane and finds open guys.’’

Lacking Rondo, and a healthy Allen, had taken a toll, the Celtics unable to reach 90 points in four straight games. ‘‘To tell you the truth,’’ Pierce said, ‘‘we were kind of upset that we lost, but by no means were out spirits down. We’re gonna take our bumps, and it’s about how we respond throughout the year. We recognized we were on a two-game losing streak at home, so we wanted to defend our homecourt against a quality ballclub, one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Guys really stepped up to the challenge. This is going to be a good team in the Western Conference and you gotta respect them, regardless of their age, I think they are probably the youngest team in the league, but you gotta respect them.’’

The Celtics played that way, although Allen walked away personally satisfied, but not completely.

‘‘I still had shots I would like to see go down,’’ he said. ‘‘I do feel like I’m turning the corner, though, being able to feel good out there on the floor after everything I’ve gone through early. For me, the biggest key for me is getting my conditioning, just being in the best possible shape I can be in.

‘‘Everything I do is about consistency, routine, and just taking care of my body, biding my time and letting the moments come to you. We’ve done a great job, thus far, of coming together as a team, doing the team thing. I’ve played many games thus far, and every game I walk out of this building feeling like I left something on the table and I still feel that way tonight, regardless of the points I scored.’’

[FLCeltsFan]

I love this kid!

www.insidebayarea.com/turn2/ci_8007413


Powe emotional at son's birth
By Jeff Faraudo, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 01/18/2008 02:34:33 AM PST


Leon Powe was calm and prepared until the moment of truth. Then he felt his legs start to buckle and thought he was about to pass out.
The pressure of a game-winning free-throw attempt?

No, the birth of his son on Wednesday morning.

"I was doing good for the whole delivery until the end," said Powe, a former Oakland Tech High and Cal star now in his second season with the NBA's Boston Celtics. "Then they showed me the baby coming out, and I almost passed out. That was just too much. My legs were weak. I had to go sit down."

Powe said the delivery by his girlfriend of 21/2 years, Llorren Cook, went smoothly. Leon Powe III arrived at 21 inches and 7 pounds, 14 ounces.

"He's got big hands. They cover his whole face," Powe said.

Powe, who grew up without a father, said he embraces the opportunity to raise a son.

"Oh man, it feels great," he said. "It's great having a kid and being able to try to lead him in the right way, show him all the right things.

"This was a real new experience for me, overwhelming, but one to remember. This was amazing."

Powe, who turns 24 on Tuesday, has had a less eventful time on the court for the NBA's winningest team. He's played in just 14 of the Celtics' 37 games, averaging 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 4.3 minutes.

Powe said he continues to work hard and tries to benefit from playing alongside all-stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

"I just try to learn from all of

them," he said. "I want to play, but I trust in God it's all going to work out for the best."