News 1/19

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1067549&format=text

Powe! Celts’ second-half punch knocks out Sixers
New dad aids Allen, Pierce in comeback

By Mark Murphy | Saturday, January 19, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill
Ray Allen, attempting to describe last night what a league leader needs to remain above the fray, said a team must make an opponent “feel bad about itself.”

But the Celtics [team stats] don’t have a handle on that concept with Philadelphia; the Sixers have great self-esteem whenever in their company.

They played three contentious quarters before losing to the Celtics on Dec. 5 in Philadelphia, and led for the better part of three quarters again last night.

But that’s why the Celtics have their heavy hitters - the big scorers who are expected to eventually drown out the pesky up-and-comers.

Thanks to Paul Pierce [stats]’s 14-point third quarter and Allen’s eight points in the first two minutes of the fourth, the Celtics washed off their defensive problems with a 116-89 win - a score that in no way reflects the trouble the hosts had with one of the Eastern Conference’s worst teams.

“They are great with their rebounding but they are also so damn athletic,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “They really have a chance to turn it around. They play hard. Their game against San Antonio (on Monday) went down to the wire, too.”

Philadelphia may not do many things well, but it is relentless on the boards. The team lived up to that credential last night with edges in total rebounds (39-30), offensive rebounds (18-10) and second-chance points (28-17).

Enter the seldom-called Leon Powe, whose son, Leon III, was born two days earlier. The big-hearted power forward’s board assault was exactly what the Celtics needed.

Powe did such good work with an eight-point, five-rebound fourth quarter, Rivers never bothered to send Pierce back into the game. After Powe’s last basket, an energized Pierce jumped onto the floor and bumped chests with his young teammate.

“I’m happy for the newfound dad,” said Kevin Garnett, who assisted on two of Powe’s buckets and had four of his team-high eight assists in the last 12 minutes. “It was a big night for him. I’m happy for him.”

With the defense recovering from a first half in which Philadelphia shot a scorching 57 percent (24 for 42) from the field, and Powe finally creating some life under the glass, the Celtics shooters ultimately took over.

Pierce (22 points) had three treys and converted a three-point play in the third quarter. Allen (23) opened the fourth with a back cut and two treys in the first two minutes, the latter giving the C’s their first 10-point lead (86-76).

The Sixers cut that edge to 90-85 with 6:56 to go, but the Celts responded with an 8-0 burst that Garnett capped with an up-top jumper for a 98-85 lead.

If the Sixers had any lingering hope, it perished when Eddie House hit a trey about a foot in front of their bench for a 101-86 advantage with 3:31 left. Posey hit a bomb from the same spot a minute later, and House returned to that patch of parquet to say adios by giving the Celtics their first 20-point lead (107-87) with 2:12 to go.

“I thought we played with a lot more passion - especially in the third and fourth quarter,” Pierce said. “We said at halftime that this team was not going anywhere. You know they play everyone tough regardless of their record.

“They got a big win down in Houston (on Tuesday), so we had to bring our ‘A’ game, especially in the second half in order for us to get a win. Once we protected the paint, we were able to get a lead and go from there.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1067581&format=text

Big contribution a matter of time

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat | Saturday, January 19, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill
It can be no exaggeration to say Leon Powe had become an afterthought in the Celtics [team stats] rotation. You want evidence? Try on the fact that since Jan. 2, he had acquired more children than minutes played.

If you’re keeping score at home, it was 1-0.

The 6-foot-8 forward had been a DNP by coach’s decision for 10 of the last 12 games before Leon III was born Wednesday. In the other two games, well, there was that 47-second stint in LA against the Lakers and 21 big seconds against the Rockets on Jan. 2.

Last night wasn’t the first time the Celts have been getting their hind quarters kicked on the boards, but it was the first time in a long time that Doc Rivers sought help from Powe. In the next 14:54, Leon latched on to 10 points and six rebounds, but those stats pale in comparison to this:

When he came into the game with 3:04 left in the third quarter, the Celtics were in possession of a tenuous one-point lead over Philadelphia. When he left with 9.9 seconds left in the game, the Celtics were ahead by 27 en route to a 116-89 victory.

Leon Powe did what Leon Powe does. He rebounded. He set picks. He scored when given an opening. And he defended . . . in a most physical fashion.

Moments later, Kendrick Perkins [stats] was running off the floor shouting, “Way to play, Leon.”

Powe didn’t hear him. He was at the courtside table doing a radio interview. For his time, he received an envelope bearing a gift certificate. As he made his way to the dressing room, Powe said, “What’s this?” He hasn’t had a lot of practice at being star of the game in the NBA.

“My hat goes off to Leon,” said Paul Pierce [stats], “because this is a guy who wasn’t playing in a number of games and he comes to practice each and every day and he works hard. He hasn’t got down. When his name was called, he responded, and that’s what the coaches look for so hopefully he can build on this.

“Leon’s a hard-nosed player. He’s a tough rebounder on both ends, and coach saw we weren’t rebounding the ball real well. He plays tough. He doesn’t give up easy layups.”

Kevin Garnett fed Powe for two of his four hoops and fed him praise later on.

“He was real solid, man,” Garnett said. “I saw at shootaround this morning he had a little extra energy, a little extra oomph. I knew they were going to double, so I made a conscious effort to give him the ball and give him some confidence.

“He was a man among boys. He was grabbing some rebounds, being very active. I’m happy for the newfound dad. It was a big night for him. I’m happy for him.”

Rivers refuted the notion that Powe and his big biceps had become lost down at the end of the Celtics bench. But the coach knew pretty much what to expect when he turned toward the east end of the Garden and said, “Leon.”

“Leon Powe was absolutely fantastic,” Rivers said. “I was happy for him. We needed energy. We needed toughness. We needed grit. And he answered the call for all those.

“Leon is Leon - and it’s fantastic. He is who he is. He’s very comfortable with being that, and it’s really a lesson for some of our other guys. Do what you do well. If you master that, you have a chance of being a solid player.”

Powe just shrugged. He takes a rather simple approach to this stuff, even in a week in which he became a dad for the first time and got just a few hours sleep on Wednesday and Thursday.

“I just try to do what I can do out there - go out and work hard,” he said. “It’s my job. I’ll go home after this and take care of him.”

Powe just took care of business the only way he knows how.

“I’ve got to go in there and just bang it out,” he said. “It comes from Oakland, man. That’s where I get it from, just playing on the playground. You’ve got to man up. There ain’t no help. If the dude’s bigger than you, you’ve just got to play him. That’s how I was raised.”

After that, a few DNPs aren’t going to faze him.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1067589&format=text

Allen’s game suddenly pure as a Ray of light

By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Saturday, January 19, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill
Ray Allen’s game is smoothing out - as evidenced by the recent return of him frequently popping off a pick and burying a jumper with flawless form.

The pure poetry of that jumper allowed Allen to hit 5-of-9 from behind the 3-point line last night, pacing him to a 23-point performance. That came on the heels of Wednesday’s season-high 35 points against Portland and may point to the start of an exciting stretch for the veteran shooting guard.

And it all has to do with overcoming injuries - first an early-season ankle problem, then a pinched nerve in his neck that numbed three fingers on his (right) shooting hand over the past few weeks.

“For me, it’s a body thing,” he said after the Celtics [team stats]’ 116-89 win over Philadelphia. “First it was the ankle, and then the neck. Being able to go on the floor and play free without any inhibitions is important to me.”

While Allen is feeling good and encouraged by the recent upswing, he knows he must keep working hard and not take anything for granted.

“I’m not thinking about how my legs feel now,” he said. “I come down the floor now and just go to my move. You go in and get your shots up, because this game has a way of coming back to slap you in the face. Sometimes you hit a good defender. So you just keep moving.”

Rondo takes it slow

The world is moving at a slower rate for the Celtics right now.

It’s inevitable as Rajon Rondo [stats], who missed his second straight game and third of four, attempts to recover from back and hamstring trouble.

And since Rondo believes he worsened the situation by attempting to play through his hamstring injury three weeks ago, there is no desire to bring him back too soon this time.

As a result, Doc Rivers was noncommittal when asked about the point guard’s return.

“I didn’t even talk to him about (game readiness last night),” said the Celtics coach. “It was more, ‘How’s the kid?’ That kind of thing.”

Rondo also didn’t have much to say about his condition.

Rivers said that until Rondo gives him a signal that he’s ready to return, the current pattern will continue.

“It’s always the player’s call,” said Rivers. “But when it gets close it becomes my call, and right now he just can’t play.”

One thing that is certain is the difference between Rondo at the point and Eddie House or Tony Allen running the show.

“Speed,” said Rivers. “Eddie has played the point his whole life, but he’s only 6-foot, and he’s more used to looking for his own shot. Rajon is more about running the team.”

Doc to the stars

Barring a major slide, Rivers will coach the Eastern Conference All-Star squad next month in New Orleans.

He’d probably like to make like Manny Ramirez [stats] and take the weekend off, but understands he must answer the call of duty.

“We all want the weekend off,” Rivers said, “but I’ll clearly take the honor.”

Having an All-Star coach is an intriguing possibility for his players.

“I’d be happy for him if he does it,” said Allen. “I know he’s already been Coach of the Year (2000 in Orlando).

“I wonder what you would find if you did a study how many you would find coached in the All-Star Game who also went on to win the (NBA) title or the conference championship?”

Forget AI

Allen Iverson [stats] is now officially a ghost in Philadelphia.

Though they are 10 games under .500 (15-25) following last night’s loss, the Sixers are beginning to build a post-AI identity behind Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller.

“I’m used to it, but then I got used to playing against (Iverson) with Denver last season,” said Allen. “But it’s as the world turns. Before you know it, we’ll all be throwbacks.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1067551&format=text

Garnett’s phoning it in, but only off the court

By Donna Goodison | Saturday, January 19, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by adidas
An unexpected response to the mobile phone component of Adidas’ “Basketball Is a Brotherhood” advertising campaign is a ringing endorsement of Boston Celtics [team stats] forward Kevin Garnett’s popularity.

The campaign’s print, TV and outdoor ads include a short code number for mobile phone users to dial. That automatically triggers a call to their phones, and they hear a recorded inspirational message from Garnett about the Brotherhood, which emphasizes “we not me” team values.

To make that work, New York media agency Carat and Boston-based digital marketing network Isobar had to set up a real phone number to make the calls.

“It was a number they could call back, so just in case, we said we should record a phone message from Kevin Garnett, telling them to leave a message,” said Sarah Fay, CEO of the sister companies. “We had no idea the volume of calls we would get back.”

Of the 65,000 who have dialed the short code, more than 25,000 have called the number and left messages for Garnett in the two months since the campaign’s launch. Eighteen percent have called multiple times, and some have called every day, leaving messages for Garnett that equate to ongoing diaries of their lives. “It really hit an emotional nerve - the idea of getting a message from a hero and actually being able to talk to that hero,” Fay said.

The response highlights the power of mobile phone advertising, Fay said. “The idea of the Brotherhood was to create community around basketball,” she said. “Mobile is one of those very personal mediums that connects people to each other.”

The “Basketball Is a Brotherhood” Web site at www.adidas.com/basketball allows fans to sign up for Brotherhood calls and send friends customized phone messages from Garnett about joining. Fans also can create customized ring tones and voice mail greetings featuring Garnett’s voice. He was recorded saying 500 names and several salutations and activities to allow for personalization.

Carat and Isobar are considering more ways to connect the basketball star with his Brotherhood fans. At a New York media breakfast on Thursday, an Isobar executive mentioned plans for a national conference call to allow kids who left messages for Garnett to telephone in, but Fay said nothing has been finalized.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/01/19/sixers_broken_after_the_break?mode=PF

Sixers broken after the break

By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | January 19, 2008

What a difference a half makes.

The Celtics improved to an NBA-best 32-6 with a 116-89 victory over the 76ers last night at TD Banknorth Garden. Boston, which is 18-3 at home, was outscored, 57-54, in the first half before outscoring Philadelphia, 62-32, in the second.

Boston guard Ray Allen scored a game-high 23 points and nailed five 3-pointers, while forward Paul Pierce scored 22 points despite sitting out the fourth quarter.

"When you play a team like that, you can't walk into a game and expect a team to lie down on you," said Allen, who has scored 58 points the last two games. "It's actually the opposite. They are going to step up and play and sometimes play a level of basketball that they would like to have all year long.

"They gave us a great shot early in the first two quarters. I told the guys, 'This is a four-quarter game.' They gave us a strong two quarters and in the third quarter we just started wearing them down and stayed true to what we know we can do."

While the Sixers lost big, they left the Celtics worried about this Atlantic Division foe in the future. The athletic Sixers have a veteran point guard in Andre Miller (12 points, 7 rebounds) and several talented young players to keep an eye on in Andre Iguodala (17 points), Samuel Dalembert (12 points, 10 rebounds), Louis Williams (9 points), Rodney Carney, Jason Smith (10 points), and Thaddeus Young.

"They're tough. They are no fun to play," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Said Pierce: "If they stick together for a couple of years, they could be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference."

The Sixers shot 57.1 percent in the first half and were up by as many as 12 points before taking a 57-54 halftime lead. The Celtics shot 55.9 percent, nailed 6 of 9 3-pointers, and received 13 points from Allen in the first half.

"We said at halftime, 'This team's not going anywhere,' " said Pierce. "They play everybody tough regardless of their record."

The Celtics almost gave up more points in the first half than they had in any half this season. An opponents' high against Boston is 58 points in the first half at Orlando Nov. 18.

The Sixers entered the game No. 1 in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage and showed why. The Sixers scored 32 points in the paint, outrebounded Boston, 22-12, and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds by halftime.

"In the first half, they made everything," Rivers said. "They got to every loose ball. They got to every rebound. They basically outworked us for a half."

When the Celtics entered the locker room at intermission, Rivers had a question and a marker near the writing board waiting for them.

"I had the marker in my hand and said, 'What adjustments do you guys want to make, because they have 57 points?' " Rivers said. "And they all started talking about what they should be doing."

Pierce's 3-point play with 3:15 left in the third gave Boston a 69-68 lead. Hoping for some rebounding and a spark, Rivers put seldom-used power forward Leon Powe in the game. He hit two free throws with 2:18 left in the period to give Boston a 71-70 lead and finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds in 14 minutes.

Pierce's 3-pointer gave the Celtics a 76-72 advantage with 31 seconds left in the third. He scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the third. Boston finished the quarter with a 78-73 lead after outscoring the Sixers, 24-16, and holding them to 33.3 percent shooting.

The Celtics' 12-4 run in the fourth quarter gave them a 96-85 lead on a jumper by Kevin Garnett (11 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) with 4:11 remaining. A 3-pointer by Eddie House (15 points, three 3-pointers) gave the Celtics a 101-87 lead with 3:31 left. Back-to-back 3-pointers by James Posey and House gave the Celtics a 20-point lead, 107-87, with 2:12 left. Boston won the fourth quarter, 38-16, and finished with a 26-4 run.

"We had 85 points with [four] minutes left," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We ended up with 89. So that shows a lot about [the Celtics'] defense."

Said Garnett: "In the second half, we played better defense, we started to move the ball, and guys were aggressive. Leon came in and gave us some big minutes, Paul played huge, played so huge he didn't have to play the fourth. Ray played huge for us, E House came in and gave us some valuable minutes.

"Fourth quarter was just ball movement; once we got the ball moving, guys were being aggressive; we got threes, Pose, E House, Ray hit some threes. It was over."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/01/19/rondo_sets_target_date?mode=PF

Rondo sets target date
Guard hopeful to return Monday

By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | January 19, 2008

With nearly a week of rest, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is hopeful to be back in uniform Monday against the Knicks.

Rondo missed his third game in the last four last night against Philadelphia with a bruised back and a sore right hamstring. He said both injuries are improving but still hampering him. While Rondo took part in yesterday's shootaround, the only thing physical he did was ride the exercise bike. Rondo suffered the hamstring injury at Utah Dec. 29 and the back injury at New Jersey Jan. 11.

"It's a slow process, but hopefully I'll be back by Monday," Rondo said yesterday. "[The layoff is] helping me. I feel a lot better day by day. I'm still not ready for a game situation.

"When I shoot, I feel a lot better. But when I jump, I feel sharp [back] pains."

After last night's 116-89 win over the Sixers, the Celtics are 3-1 without Rondo.

When asked about the possibility of Rondo playing Monday, coach Doc Rivers said, "I don't know. I'm just going by how he feels. It could a week. It could be two weeks. Tomorrow he could feel great.

"We didn't give a date. I rarely do because that gets you in trouble with players. You give them a date and then they are not ready and they get hurt."

The Celtics have been pretty healthy thus far. Of the rest of the starters, shooting guard Ray Allen (right ankle) has missed two games, center Kendrick Perkins (right big toe) has missed one, and forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce haven't missed any. Even when the Celtics have missed someone, Rivers believes his team has learned something from it.

"Adversity is good for us," Rivers said. "It's another game experience that we would have had, and every time we get through it it's another notch as far as learning how to deal with something else."

Pierce likes prep star
Then-NBA star Reggie Miller was so impressed with Pierce when he starred at Inglewood (Calif.) High that he would get him on the floor during exclusive pickup games with pros and college stars at UCLA in the offseason.

Pierce is now equally impressed by Los Angeles Fairfax High forward Renardo Sydney, who is arguably the best junior in the country. In fact, the versatile 6-foot-9-inch, 240-pounder gave Pierce more than he expected during a one-on-one knockout game in Redondo Beach last offseason.

"I worked out with him one day," said Pierce, who likened Sydney to Lakers forward Lamar Odom. "He can handle, big, he has good size. He was nice. I couldn't believe he was in high school when I played him. He was good, man. He should be a pro.

"He could do pretty much everything. He made me kind of raise my game up. You don't want to let a high school guy beat you. I went extra hard on him . . . He scored a little bit on me. He didn't win."

On playing against NBA players when he was in high school, Pierce said: "I was a hungry young kid just trying to prove myself, trying to make a name for myself. I didn't get a lot of hype when I was real young until later in my high school career. So every time I stepped on the court, I tried to prove myself.

"I remember going to UCLA one time when I was in high school and I almost dunked on [then-NBA center] Olden Polynice. I called foul. He didn't want to give me the foul and we almost got into a fight."

Pollard almost ready
Rivers believes center Scot Pollard's lingering right ankle injury is "almost healthy" and he plans on using him against the Knicks. Pollard hasn't played the last five games. "I'm trying to do without him as long as I can to get him right," Rivers said . . . Pierce described his left foot stress reaction last season as a "misdiagnosis" and instead called it a broken foot. "I never heard of a stress reaction of the foot before. I'm calling it a broken foot," Pierce said . . . An NBA source said there is no truth to rumors the Celtics are trying to acquire Clippers point guard Sam Cassell. Cassell, 38, who is in the final year of his contract, making $6.1 million, played with Garnett in Minnesota.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/01/19/powe_showed_lot_of_glass_when_called?mode=PF

Powe showed lot of glass when called

By Peter May, Globe Staff | January 19, 2008

With 3:04 remaining in the third quarter of last night's game, and the Celtics in the process of getting annihilated on the glass and possibly losing yet another home game to yet another ho-hum team, Doc Rivers finally remembered his 12th man and summoned him for help. If that sounds like desperation, well, it was pretty close to that. This was looking like Charlotte redux.

Leon Powe didn't single-handedly stop the Philadelphia 76ers' assault on the boards, but he took a lot of steam out of the visitors and made a huge difference in the Celtics' 116-89 victory, their 32d in 38 games. Five Celtics outscored him and another outrebounded him, but no one made more of his time on the floor than the rugged Californian, whose meaningful minutes this season have been almost nonexistent.

It was a situation tailor-made for Powe, whose forte is rebounding, rebounding, rebounding. He can score, too, around the basket, and he knows that he has six fouls to give and isn't hesitant to use them. As Clint Eastwood liked to say, a man's got to know his limitations. Powe knows his. A man's also got to know his strengths. Powe knows his.

"Leon is Leon. And it's fantastic because he is who he is," said Rivers, getting a little Belichickian. "He's comfortable with being that. It's really a lesson for some of our other guys: Do what you do well. If you master that, you have a chance to be a solid player."

In the first three quarters, the Sixers outrebounded the Celtics, 34-16, which translated into a 26-12 advantage in second-chance points and a 38-28 advantage in points in the paint. Philly led for much of the first half and was down only 5 entering the fourth. But in the final quarter, with Powe playing all but the last 9.9 ticks, the Celtics outrebounded the Sixers, 14-5, outscored them, 16-6, in the paint, and had a 5-2 edge in second-chance points (mainly because they connected on most of their first chances, 69.6 percent). Powe had five rebounds in the fourth, as many as the Sixers did as a team.

"Leon was absolutely fantastic," said Rivers. "I was happy for him. We needed energy, we needed toughness, we needed grit, and he answered the call to all of those. That was really nice."

Powe is operating on circuit overload right about now, having gotten little sleep since the birth of his son Wednesday. And if he had been a little unprepared or distracted, you'd have to give him the benefit of the doubt. He set season highs last night for points (10), rebounds (6), and minutes (15). He hadn't played since Jan. 2, when he turned in a 21-second cameo at the end of the third quarter against the Rockets. Prior to last night, his résumé for 2007-08 consisted of 58 minutes spread over 14 games. Only in one of those games, the serial bludgeoning of the Knicks, had he managed to crack as many as 10 minutes.

It isn't easy sitting and waiting (or as the late, great Dusty Springfield would sing, "wishin' and a-hopin") to get into a game and keeping an edge. It's especially hard for young players, who, like Powe and Glen Davis, were big-timers every step of the way and were used to being on the floor. It's an adjustment most have to make. Some do it better than others.

"I've been through worse times than this, so you've got to tough it out and that's what I did," said Powe, still a little bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived. "I approach every game the same way. I've just got to stay ready, keep a positive attitude, and be ready when my number is called."

Soon after Powe's number was called, Andre Miller banked in a 15-footer and the Celtics trailed, 70-69. But with 2:18 left in the third, Powe got fouled and knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 71-70. The Celtics never trailed again. In the fourth quarter, he added 8 more points, 4 coming on dunks off Kevin Garnett feeds.

This was not the blowout the final score might indicate. It was a 5-point game with 6:56 left and, after the Sixers missed a chance to cut the deficit further, the Celtics responded with a 17-2 run over 3 minutes 50 seconds. Powe started the run with a dunk. Things then just got out of hand; the Celtics scored 38 points in the period and made six threes.

But Rivers pulled Powe with 9.9 seconds left so the kid could get some love from the capacity crowd, by then dispersing after (a) being assured of a win and (b) getting the nightly sighting of Gino. But his teammates didn't hesitate to throw bonbons his way.

"My hat goes off to Leon," Paul Pierce said. "That's what the coaches look for."

History tells us that Rivers won't look Powe's way any more often than he already has. That's the life of the 12th man. But Powe has a skill, he provides a service, and that service was very much in demand last night against a young, athletic group that gang tackles the glass and needed to be calmed down. He did just that. That's why he's here.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x392840307

Celtics 116, Sixers 89: Powe powers C's past Philly

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By Scott Souza/Daily News staff
GHS
Sat Jan 19, 2008, 12:35 AM EST

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BOSTON -
Anyone who picked Leon Powe as the unlikely Player of the Game heading into last night's contest at the TD Banknorth Garden deserves a prize for creativity. After a year of sitting on the bench, a big night was going to cap a big week for the second-year power forward.

Two days after becoming a father for the first time, Powe became a major factor in a Celtic victory for the first time this season. Powe recorded 10 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes of a 116-89 victory over the Sixers.

With the Celtics being obliterated on the boards - they were being outrebounded 27-13 at one point of the third quarter - Powe entered the game with 3:04 left in the third. With the score at 69-68, he took control of the glass during a 38-16 fourth-quarter domination.

"Yeah, had a baby, got in the game today," said Powe of the busy week. "I just approach every game like I am going to get in. I just come here, work hard, go to practice and work out with (assistant coach) Clifford Ray - he keeps me ready - and just have a positive attitude."

Though Powe estimates he had only four or five hours of sleep since the birth of his son, Leon Powe III, on Wednesday, Kevin Garnett said he saw "a little extra oomph" in Powe's play during the morning shootaround. Garnett (11 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) said he made it a priority to get him the ball out of high post double-teams in the fourth quarter.

"I knew they were going to double," Garnett said. "I made a conscious effort to get him the ball, get him some confidence going, and he was a man among boys. He got some rebounds, stayed very active and I am happy for the new dad."

In what was a close and frustrating game for the bulk of three quarters, Boston used a 17-2 in the fourth quarter to pull away. After scoring 14 of his 22 points in the third quarter, Paul Pierce sat out the fourth in favor of a lineup of Powe (who had played only 54 minutes the whole year entering the night), Ray Allen (game-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting), Eddie House (15 points on 6-of-11 shooting), James Posey and Garnett.

"Fourth quarter was just ball movement," Garnett said. "Once we got the ball moving, we could be aggressive. We got 3s - Posey, E-House, Ray hit some 3s - and it was over."

The Celtics were most fortunate to be down only three at the half (57-54) after being outrebounded 22-13 and allowing a staggering 32 points in the paint - mostly off Sixer dunks and put-backs.

The Sixers went up as many as 12 in the half and had a 21-9 rebounding edge after Andre Iguodala's third-chance bucket made it 57-48 with 2:00 to go. The Celtics closed strong from there, with Garnett finishing an alley-oop pass from House, and House beating the buzzer for the second straight quarter.

The defense improved in the third quarter, but suddenly it was fouls and turnovers holding the Celtics back. Pierce's aggressiveness taking the ball to the basket helped him to 14 points in the third quarter, but the Celtics still had trouble shaking the pesky and glass-savvy Sixers. Pierce's second try of the quarter made it 76-72 with 31.0 seconds left, and the Celtics went to the fourth up 78-73.

It was Allen's turn to carry the scoring load to start the fourth as his drive and pair of 3-pointers helped open up an 86-75 lead with 10:12 to go. But that comfort was short-lived, with the Sixers scoring six straight into a Doc Rivers timeout at 9:06.

A Posey dunk from Ray Allen and House jumper off the glass got four points right back. Philly responded with its own 4-0 run, then it was Boston's turn. Powe slammed home a Garnett pass and Allen drove to the basket for a 94-85 lead with 5:30 left.

"They were paying attention to Kevin, so all you have to do it keep moving, keep moving," Powe determined. "Eventually, you are going to be open somewhere or you are going to have a rebounding opportunity. That's the type of thing you see from the bench if you are paying attention. That's what I took advantage of."

A second Powe dunk from Garnett and Powe rebound set up a Garnett jumper and a 98-85 lead. Then Garnett went back to being the facilitator when he found House for a 3-pointer and a 101-87 bulge at 3:20.

Posey hit a 3-pointer out of a timeout for a 17-point lead, and then Posey's block set up House's second trey of the game - Boston shot 14-of-22 from behind the arc - for the exclamation point.

[FLCeltsFan]

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


Postagme Wrap Up
Leon Powe said he might have gotten about 4-5 hours of sleep in the past few days, but he was wide awake in the fourth quarter tonight. Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce talked extensively about his efforts in their postgame remarks. And we also caught up with the man himself. It's all in the Audio Archive.

The Celtics head to New York Sunday afternoon after practice and will face the Knicks on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. If you're stuck at the office, the place to follow the game is Celtics.com.

Live Game Blog
116-89 Celtics, FINAL The Post Ups Notebook Player of the Game? Leon Powe, who gave the Celtics the fourth quarter toughness needed to turn this game around.

107-87 Celtics, 2:07/4th: Back-to-back threes from Posey and House from the left corner have iced this baby...

98-85 Celtics, 5:24/4th: Ray Allen's dropped 10 points in the quarter and continues to score by using hesitation moves and throwing off defenders' timing. When a guy who moves that smoothly changes his speed up on you, it's incredibly deceptive.

Meanwhile, Powe continues to throw his weight around and got two easy dunks courtesy of Garnett drawing multiple defenders. Paul Pierce has been screaming encouragement to him from the bench, and goading fans to harass the Sixers' free throw shooters.

83-74 Celtics, 10:46/4th: How about this for a physical lineup: Tony Allen, Ray Allen, Leon Powe, James Posey and Big Baby... That's what Doc is rolling with to start the fourth.

78-73 Celtics, End of Third: Paul Pierce put together a nice 5-6, 13 point third quarter to put the Celtics on top. Meanwhile, Powe gave the Celtics three solid minutes of physicality, and he's out there to start the fourth.

69-70 Sixers, 2:19/3rd: This game is starting to get extremely physical. Guys are paying the price to go to the hoop, and there's been plenty of banging when guys are posting up. With that in mind, Leon Powe just checked in, grabbed a rebound and will go to the line for two. Powe hasn't played since December 30 vs. Los Angeles.

61-61, 7:16/3rd: A few tough calls have had Doc Rivers up and arguing (or sometimes just laughing) throughout the third quarter. Rondo, who's looking especially dapper in his inactive suit, is seated in the first chair next to the coaching staff, presumably so he can sponge up all of the details.

57-54 Sixers, Halftime: The C's made a late push at the end of the half to tighten up the game, forcing six Philly turnovers in the quarter. But they're still getting killed on the glass, 22-12, and 11 of the Sixers' rebounds came on the offensive end. Doc can't be happy about that...

55-48 Sixers, 2:36/2nd: Ray looks about as confident as we've seen him all season. He's now 5-5 from the field (13 points) after burying another pull-up threeball. Suffice it to say, Mr. Allen is tingling tonight. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out his postgame interview from Wednesday night in the Audio Archive. Or you can check out his Celtics.com Hotzone Chart.

51-41 Sixers, 5:12/2nd: The Sixers are shooting a ridiculous 67% from the field. We haven't seen the shot sheet for the second quarter yet, but it's probably littered with "2' Slam Dunk" and "2' Lay-up" and "Alley oop dunk" designations.

Ray Allen checked back in around the 8-minute mark, so let's see if the Celtics go back to the guy who was the hot hand in the early goings.

29-29, End of 1st: At times it's looked like a pick-up game out there in the first quarter. Both teams are shooting over 60% and there's been quite a bit of dunking. Guys seem to be getting into the paint too easily. The C's are 4/5 from three point land and have 10 assists on 11 field goals.

21-15 Sixers, 5:35/1st: Not a lot of defense out there to start the game...

Ray Allen is picking up where he left off on Wednesday, scoring 10 points in the first six minutes of the quarter on 4/4 shooting, including a pair of threes. Unfortunately, he picked up two quick fouls so he'll have to take a seat.

Pregame Media Access
Lots of stuff going on tonight during pregame media access. Paul Pierce was talking about playing against a high school basketball phenom over the offseason, and recollected about his high school days and the first time he ever played in pick up games against the pros.

Pierce told a funny story about trying to dunk on Olden Polynice, who apparently didn't want a relatively unknown high school kid posterizing him in a pick-up game.

Polynice, by the way, is probably more famous for his impersonating a police officer arrest than anything he ever did in the Association. That one is worth Googling, by the way...

Ray Allen was asked about playing for Doc Rivers by some of the Philadelphia media, and he was very complimentary of Doc's style, noting that he's very good "finding different ways to say the same thing", whether he's quoting literature, movies or the Bible.

As for Rivers, he said he wouldn't turn down the chance to coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars, and if the Celtics maintain the conference's best record for about two more weeks he'll get the chance to do it.

Rajon Rondo is still out with his back and hamstring ailments, so Eddie House will start again tonight. Rivers said he gave some thought to starting TA instead because of his height (as we speculated earlier because of the Andre Miller matchup), but ultimately Rivers thinks House is better at getting the team into its offense.

Lots of interviews in the Audio Archive tonight, as we caught up with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo before the game.

[FLCeltsFan]

enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2008/01/19/news/sports/sports04.txt

Celtics' Powe wows Sixers



By Jim Fenton, Enterprise staff writer

BOSTON — They were searching everywhere, looking for some kind of spark that had been missing for nearly three quarters.

Little did the Boston Celtics know they would find a much needed jump-start from little-used forward Leon Powe Friday night.

Stuck in a close game with the sub-.500 Philadelphia 76ers late in the third period, Celtics coach Doc Rivers turned to Powe, who had played 58 minutes in the first 21/2 months.

Powe provided the energy the Celtics needed, helping them pull away from the 76ers, 116-89, at the soldout TD Banknorth Garden.

With the Celtics getting manhandled on the boards, limited to just 12 rebounds in the first half, Rivers decided to give Powe a chance.

Powe, who missed Wednesday night's game when his son, Leon III, was born, had a season-high in points (10), rebounds (six) and minutes (14:54) as the Celtics improved to 32-6.

“My hat goes off to Leon,” said Paul Pierce, who had 22 points, but did not play the final quarter. “He hasn't played much. When his name got called, when he got the opportunity, he responded.

“That's what coaches look for. Leon is a hard-nosed player, a tough rebounder. He plays tough and he doesn't give up easily.”

While Powe was giving the Celtics a lift inside, Ray Allen (23), Pierce (7 of 9 shooting) and Eddie House (15) were providing the offense as the Celtics improved to 9-0 against Atlantic Division teams.

It was not a pretty win for the Celtics, who trailed for nearly the entire second and third quarters. They were no match for the 76ers, who had lost eight of 10 games, on the boards and the defense was weak in the first half when Philly scored 57 points.

But the Celtics found their groove starting late in the third quarter and dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the 76ers, 38-16, in the last 12 minutes.

Philadelphia had 51 points in the opening 18:30, then scored just 38 points the rest of the way as the Celtics tightened up on defense.

“I think we played with a lot more passion in the second half,” said Pierce. “We said at halftime this team is not going anywhere. We had to bring out 'A' game in the second half. Once we started protecting the paint, we were able to start playing better.”

In the fourth quarter, the Celtics made 16 of 23 shots, including six 3-pointers, as they turned a close game into a rout. Powe had five of his rebounds in the final quarter.

The Sixers were within 90-85 with 6:56 left after an Andre Miller layup, but the Celtics exploded, going on a 17-2 run to increase the lead to 107-87 with 2:21 left.

The blitz was capped by consecutive 3-pointers by House, Posey and House to clinch Boston's second straight win after their first losing streak this season.

After trailing for most of the second and third quarters, the Celtics took a 78-73 lead into the final period.

Pierce had 14 of his points in the quarter, making 5 of 6 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers. He also converted two 3-point plays to help the Celtics move in front.

The Celtics, who had problems at the defensive end in the first half, limited Philadelphia to just 33 percent shooting in the third quarter and only two field goals in the final 4:30.

Boston was behind by as many as 12 points in the second quarter before reducing the 76ers' lead to 57-54 at the break on a House shot with 1.8 seconds remaining.

The problem areas for the Celtics in the first 24 minutes were defense and rebounding as the Sixers made 57 percent of their shots, including 63 percent in the opening quarter.

Boston managed just 12 rebounds in the first half, 11 of them by Kendrick Perkins (six) and Garnett (five). The Sixers had 11 offensive rebounds with Samuel Dalembert getting them second opportunities.

Allen hit his first four shots of the game before heading to the bench with two fouls with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter.

The Celtics were down by as many as eight points in that period when Philly missed just seven of 19 shots, but used four 3-pointers to offset the 76ers' hot shooting.

House created a tie at 29-29 when he ended the quarter with a 19-foot jumper

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080119/NEWS/801190487/1009/SPORTS


Celtics storm past Sixers

Powe shines in the clutch

By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[e-mail]






BOSTON— The Celtics were getting embarrassed on the boards, so in near-desperation, Doc Rivers looked down the bench late in the third quarter and signaled for one of his little-used reserves to enter the game.

No, it wasn’t 6-foot-11 Scot Pollard, but the much shorter Leon Powe, who is listed as 6-8 but is closer to 6-6.

It turned out to be the right move.


Powe collected 10 points and 6 rebounds in the final 15 minutes — all season highs — to spark the Celtics to a 116-89, come-from-behind victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Garden.

Powe, who became a father for the first time Wednesday, hadn’t played in Boston’s last seven games. The second-year forward had entered only 14 games all season and played just 58 minutes, averaging a mere 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds. But he was the difference last night. He also blocked a shot and took a charge.

Powe said he did his best to not let his lack of playing time bother him.

“I reflect my whole life sitting there on the bench,” he said. “I have been through worse times than this, so you’ve just got to tough it out, and that’s what I did.”

Shortly after entering the game, Powe grabbed an offensive rebound and hit two free throws with 2:18 left in the third to put Boston on top for good, 71-70.

Powe helped the Celtics outrebound the Sixers, 11-4, in the fourth quarter after Philadelphia had enjoyed a 34-16 rebounding advantage in the first three periods.

“Leon Powe was absolutely fantastic,” Rivers said. “I was happy for him. We needed energy, we needed toughness, we needed grit, and he answered the call in all those.”

Rivers said he’d probably play Pollard Monday in New York against Eddy Curry, but he wanted to rest his sore ankle as long as possible. Pollard hasn’t played the last five games.

The Celtics trailed for much of the first three quarters, but ended up with their most lopsided victory since a 112-84 win over Toronto on Dec. 7. Boston outscored the Sixers, 38-16, in the fourth.

The Celtics improved to 32-6 overall and 18-3 at home, both league bests. The Sixers lost for the eighth time in nine games.

The Celtics improved to 9-0 against their Atlantic Division rivals, and remain the only NBA team not to have lost a game in their own division. The also ran their record on Fridays to 11-0.

The Celtics limited the Sixers to 6-of-18 shooting in the third quarter to take a 78-73 lead after three, and held them to 4-of-15 shooting in the fourth.

Ray Allen followed up his season-high 35-point game on Wednesday by pumping in a team-high 23 last night. The veteran guard made 9 of 14 shots and dished out 6 assists. Allen made 5 of 9 3-point attempts, including consecutive treys early in the fourth to give Boston a double-digit lead, 86-76. Philly closed within 90-85, but Allen spun around André Miller and drove to make it 94-85 with 5:24 to go, then forced a Miller turnover at the other end. Kevin Garnett found Powe for a dunk, and it was 96-85.

“It comes from Oakland,” Powe said. “You know that’s where I get it from, just playing on the playground.”

“I saw right off the top at shoot-around this morning,” Garnett said, “he (Powe) had a little extra energy, a little extra oomph. I knew they’d double (me) and I made a conscious effort to get him the ball and get him some confidence going. He was a man among boys.”

Paul Pierce scored 14 of his 22 points in the third quarter before sitting out the fourth because the Celtics didn’t need him. Tony Allen contributed 12 off the bench. Eddie House scored 11 of his 15 in the fourth quarter. Garnett had only 11 points and 6 rebounds, but led the team with 8 assists. Boston made 14 of 22 3-pointers and shot 59 percent overall.

Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 17 points. Miller and Samuel Dalembert each had 10. The Sixers hurt themselves by missing 14 of 33 free throws and turning the ball over 23 times.

Uncharacteristically, the Sixers made 22 of their first 33 shots (66.7 percent) to take a 51-39 lead with 5:30 left in the third. They came in ranked only 26th in the NBA in scoring (93.6 ppg), while the Celtics had held their opponents to a league-low average of 87.2.

The Sixers didn’t figure to keep shooting so well, and they didn’t. They made only 12 of 42 shots over the final 29:30.

Philly, third in the league in offensive rebounds, grabbed 11 in the first half and outrebounded Boston, 22-12, overall. Kendrick Perkins (6) and Garnett (5) combined for 11 boards, so the rest of the team combined for only one. Late in the half, the Celtics had as many turnovers (9) as rebounds.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080119/DIGESTS/801190401/1009/SPORTS

House answers the starting bell

CELTICS NOTEBOOK

By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF


BOSTON— Tony Allen is no longer the designated fill-in starter. Eddie House has replaced the injured Rajon Rondo in the starting lineup the past two nights.

Allen had started the first five times when either Rondo or Ray Allen was hurt, but after he turned the ball over four times and failed to dish out any assists in a loss at Washington Saturday, Celtics coach Doc Rivers decided to turn elsewhere.

Rivers said he went with House because of his ability to spread the floor with his jump shooting.


Rivers said he considered starting the 6-foot-4, 213-pound Tony Allen to guard André Miller, the 6-2, 200-pound Sixers point guard, but decided to go with the smaller House, who is 6-1, 175.

“I just like starting with Eddie,” Rivers said. “If it doesn’t work, in a minute you can go to Tony. I think our team runs better offensively when Eddie’s in.”

House hasn’t shot the ball well of late. In his last nine games, House has made only 28.3 percent of his 3-pointers (13 of 46) to drop his percentage for the season to 39.9.

“With jump shooters,” House said, “sometimes they go on hot and cold spells. Right now, I don’t think I’m shooting the ball particularly well from the 3-point line, but it comes back. That’s what happens with shooters — you have to keep taking your shots. It’s not like we’re taking bad shots, but at the same time, it’s up and down sometimes.”

House’s 3-point shooting percentage still ranks second on the team. Believe it or not, Tony Allen, who is not known as a 3-point shooter, is first at 41.7 percent. In his first three seasons in the NBA, Allen shot only 31.6 percent from beyond the arc, including just 24.2 percent last year. Allen doesn’t shoot nearly as many 3s as House, but has made 10, just two shy of his career high. House has made 61.

By playing point guard, House can’t hang around the 3-point line and wait for someone to pass him the ball. He has to set up his teammates. He could also help out by penetrating more often and drawing fouls because he’s a 90-percent free-throw shooter.

House said he’s getting more comfortable playing the point. In his first start Wednesday against Portland, House had 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and only 2 turnovers in nearly 34 minutes. Most importantly, the Celtics snapped a two-game losing streak.

“I know the offense,” House said. “I know what I need to do to get us in the offense. I’m just playing my part, doing my job.”

“I think Eddie is more than capable,” captain Paul Pierce said. “He’s been a starter in this league before. He’s been solid on both ends of the court. With him at the start of the games, he’s such a great shooter, teams have to find him. I don’t think he gets enough respect for the type of defense he plays.”

House defends differently than Rondo.

“Eddie is a little bit more solid than Rajon,” Pierce said, “as far as not reaching, not gambling as much. He picks up full court here and there. It’s a different tempo.”

“Obviously, we miss him,” Ray Allen said. “He’s done a lot for us, and I think he’s grown a lot.”

Rondo felt better, good enough to shoot around before last night’s game, but said his hamstring and back were still too sore to play. He’s not sure if he’ll play Monday at New York.

Unfazed by off-night
Poor shooting nights are so rare for Pierce, whenever he suffers through one, you wonder if he’s sick or hurt. Pierce, however, insisted he felt fine while making only 3 of 11 shots Wednesday against Portland.

“It happens. I’m human,” Pierce said. “Other guys had it going — K.G. and Ray. It really doesn’t matter, as long as we get a ‘W.’ That’s all I’m concerned about. Off shooting nights really don’t affect me. I don’t think about it.”

Pierce said he feels fine and joked that the stress reaction in his foot that sidelined him for much of last season was misdiagnosed.

“I never heard of a stress reaction in a foot before,” he said. “So I’m calling it a broken foot.”

Renardo Sidney, a 6-foot-10 junior from Los Angeles, is ranked by many as the nation’s top high school basketball player. Pierce didn’t know who he was when he played him one-on-one last summer in L.A., but came away impressed.

“He could do pretty much everything,” Pierce said. “He made me kind of raise my game up. You don’t want to let a high school guy beat you, so I went extra hard on him.”

Pierce described himself as “fearless” when he was a high school player in L.A. and enjoyed the challenge of playing against NBA players during the offseason. In one pickup game at UCLA, Pierce thought he got fouled when he almost dunked on NBA center Olden Polynice.

“He didn’t want to give me the foul,” Pierce said. “We almost got into a fight.”

Magic Johnson played in a few pickup games against Pierce back then and commanded special treatment.

“You can’t touch Magic,” Pierce said. “You can’t blow on him. Magic was retired, but he won all the games.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20080119_Sixers_-_Sixers_hopes_rise__then_are_dashed_in_a_hurry.html

Sixers - Sixers' hopes rise, then are dashed in a hurry
By PHIL JASNER
Philadelphia Daily News

[e-mail]

BOSTON - For much of last night, the 76ers were in the Boston Celtics' living room, in their kitchen, in their den. They bowled over anyone in a green uniform who moved.
Trouble was, the feisty Sixers were scoring points, then giving them back at an alarming rate.

Trouble was, the Sixers gave away a massive 33 points on 23 turnovers, got crushed, 42-6, on three-point scoring and missed 14 of 33 free throw attempts.

Trouble was, the Celtics have had tougher challenges.

The Celtics, 32-6 after this 116-89 victory, had the perfect philosophy for this one.

That's the difference between a team now 18-3 at home and 15-1 overall vs. sub-.500 opponents and a team that is 15-25 with eight losses in its last nine games.

"A team doesn't really know it's not a good team the first three quarters," the Celtics' Ray Allen said before the game. "You have to make a team feel bad about themselves, make a team play to its weaknesses, not its strength, take the confidence of them away, make them question what they're doing. That's any team."

The Sixers, as it developed, were as good an example of that as any opponent could be.

They shot 24-for-42 in the first half and led, 57-54.

And then . . .

They shot 6-for-18 in the third quarter.

They shot 4-for-15 in the fourth quarter.

That's a recipe for getting blown out, which is exactly what happened. Celtics coach Doc Rivers asked his players at halftime what defensive changes they wanted to make.

"Our rules. No changes," was the overwhelming response.

"They knew it, but it was for them to say it [rather than me]," Rivers said. "Not one guy wanted to make one defensive change. They wanted to do our rules in the first place, and it was great . . . They knew we were better than that defensively."

The Celtics, 19-2 when they crack 100, scored 26 of the evening's final 30 points. They led, 90-85, with 6 minutes 56 seconds to go. The rest was a blur.

"We were there for 3 1/2 quarters," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "As I've seen [the Celtics] do before, they spread the floor and made shots. That's obviously what they do. They spread us out and went on a shooting exhibition."

The Celtics finished their work at 58.9 percent, with Allen scoring 23 points including five triples. Paul Pierce, who sat out the fourth quarter in favor of second-year forward (and new father) Leon Powe, had 22 points, and Eddie House - who started at the point in place of the injured Rajon Rondo - had 15.

Powe and the veteran James Posey (in place of Kendrick Perkins) each played all but 10 seconds of the final period. Together, they accounted for 15 of their team's 38 points in the fourth quarter.

"Powe was absolutely fantastic," Rivers said. "We needed energy, we needed toughness, we needed grit, and he answered the call in all those [areas]."

Powe said: "I've got to go in there and just bang it out. It comes from [my hometown of] Oakland. That's where I get it from, just playing on the playground. You know, you've got to man up. There's no help . . . If the dude's bigger than you, you've just got to play them. That's how I was raised."

The Celtics' 14 threes were a season high, as were the eight assists by Kevin Garnett(11 points, six rebounds, two blocks) and Powe's 10 points, six rebounds and 14:54 of playing time.

"We're a young team, and sometimes we don't realize the little things that can affect a team," said Andre Iguodala, who had 17 points. "We've got to play smarter. We don't really have a team full of veterans who understand that. We have to make the younger guys understand turnovers, unforced turnovers, points in the paint, fastbreak points, the little things that can change the outcome of the game.

Cases in point: Five Sixers, including Iguodala, had at least three turnovers; six Celtics had at least four field goals, and six Celtics had at least three assists. The Sixers also shot a weak 19-for-33 from the foul line.

"It's hard to make adjustments in the middle of the game, because we have a lot of young guys who haven't caught up yet," Iguodala said. "You can't make the mistakes we made. We have to know how to rotate [defensively]."

The Sixers aren't the first team that couldn't handle the raging Celtics, who might well have been motivated by the knowledge that they had dropped three of their previous four games.

"This would have been huge for us, a huge win," said Samuel Dalembert, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds. "We felt good playing the first three quarters. "We gave them a good game, then made some dumb mistakes."

That, of course, made Allen's pregame philosophy ring true.

"They gave us a great shot early," Allen said. "I told the guys, 'This is a four-quarter game.' They gave us a strong three quarters, but by the fourth quarter, we were just wearing them down and staying true to what we know and what we do."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20080119_Sixers_Notes___Williams_playing_through_toe_pain.html


Sixers Notes: Williams playing through toe pain

76ers Notes
BOSTON - It's been more than five weeks since 76ers guard Lou Williams broke his right toe in a game at New York, but the pain persists.

When the injury occurred Dec. 8, Williams missed two games and frequently skipped practice, though now he is practicing every day.

"It's still a little sore and a day-to-day thing, but hopefully, it will pass over in the next couple of weeks," Williams said during yesterday's shoot-around in preparation for a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Banknorth Garden. "At this phase of the injury, I can't ice it or treat it because it has to run its course. At least the swelling is down now to a normal bruise."

Williams, who entered last night's game averaging 11 points, is coming off one of his best efforts since the injury. He had 18 points, six assists, and just one turnover Tuesday as the Sixers overcame a 16-point, third-quarter deficit to win at Houston, 111-107. It snapped a seven-game losing streak.

"It brings the morale back for the team to have a game like that," Williams said. "We hope to grow from that."

Miller feeling fine. Andre Miller looks like a different person, especially compared to the way he appeared after getting poked in the right eye during Monday's 89-82 loss at San Antonio.

The swelling is almost gone, though he still has a shiner.

"It's feeling better and the blurriness is gone," Miller said. "What really felt good was winning the other night."

Impressed by the Sixers. The Celtics entered last night with a 31-6 record, the best in the NBA. Nevertheless, coach Doc Rivers talked about the 76ers as if they were challenging Boston for the Atlantic Division lead.

"They should have beaten the Spurs the other night, and that impressed the hell out of me," Rivers said. "Louis Williams had one of his rare bad nights. If he had a good night, like he's been playing, they win that game."

Quote of the night. Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks was asked what he thought of the Celtics' recent skid - three losses in five games.

"I wish I had that problem," Cheeks said.

One more try. The Toronto Raptors, who beat Atlanta last night, play the Sixers tonight at the Wachovia Center. It is the final regular-season meeting of the teams. The Sixers are 0-3 against the Raptors.

-Marc Narducci