News 2/5

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1071366&format=text

C’s far from finished
Learn from Pats’ demise

By Mark Murphy | Tuesday, February 5, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone (file)
With the Pats’ Super Bowl loss, Paul Pierce [stats] will have to pick the championship chase.

The stage is all theirs - at least until the equipment truck makes its ceremonial drive from Fenway Park [map] south to Florida.

The good news is the Celtics [team stats] - even with Kevin Garnett temporarily inactive - are more ready than ever for the post-Super Bowl spotlight during this period of great success by local teams in professional football and baseball.

A Belichickian blandness even settled in yesterday at the team’s practice facility in Waltham.

“It is what it is,” Paul Pierce deadpanned about picking up the championship grail dropped in the Super Bowl by Patriots [team stats]. “We take it all in stride. We have all of these expectations facing our team, and we haven’t had to deal with that for a while.

“We’re going to be what we can be at the end of the day. I don’t know what can be learned from (the Pats’ Super Bowl loss), but if we go into the playoffs with the best record, it will be because of what we earned, and nothing else. What the Patriots did was incredible, but we’re taking our season one game at a time.”

But, as Ray Allen knows from his previous NBA homes in Milwaukee and Seattle, that game-by-game progression can be a little different when set against the backdrop of an NFL hangover.

“I played in two football environments before I came here,” the Celtics guard said. “Milwaukee has always had its heart with the Packers, and then Seattle was in the Super Bowl two years ago. There is always disappointment when a team loses, and then they turn to you.”

In the case of the SuperSonics, who at that time had Allen and few other premium NBA talents, there was no hope of filling that painful void.

“People support their team, and they bring that confidence to your environment,” he said. “But you can only do what you’re capable of. As they used to say in college, never overassess your abilities.”

That’s why these Celtics, still with the best record (36-8) in the NBA, can fulfill a need that Allen’s old Seattle team had no hope of supporting.

And along those lines, Allen believes there is indeed a lesson from the Patriots to take into the last 2 months of the regular season.

“One thing I did notice with the Pats was that as much as they won, every game was going to be tough,” he said. “Obviously the best team didn’t win the other night. It was the hottest team.

“I’m going to remember that. We could be playing Atlanta late in the season, and the game could mean homecourt advantage in the playoffs.”

But Allen was of two minds yesterday.

“It (stinks) because they played a great season, and even if you’re not a Pats fan, you wanted to see history be made,” he said. “But seasons aren’t guaranteed. You also have to finish the job.”

And the Celtics still have a lot of finishing ahead of them.

“The Patriots are as professional a team as I’ve ever seen,” C’s coach Doc Rivers said. “They just caught another team that played the perfect game. It happens. But from a fan’s perspective, I thought it was one terrific football game.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1071368&format=text

Garnett sees value in healing process

By Mark Murphy / Celtics notebook | Tuesday, February 5, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Nancy Lane (file)
From what coach Doc Rivers can tell, Kevin Garnett is past the hard part.

The wounded Celtics [team stats] forward can calmly talk to his coach about missing more time to a strained abdominal muscle.

That will include tonight’s game in Cleveland, tomorrow’s against the Clippers and - closer to the heart of Garnett - probably Friday’s game in Minnesota.

Under normal circumstances, the game in Minneapolis would have been his homecoming - his first appearance in front of the Target Center crowd in a Celtics uniform. Now, if Garnett even makes the trip, he probably will be wearing a nice suit and waving to his former fans from the bench.

“I think that’s out of the question right now,” Rivers said after much discussion with Garnett about playing in Minnesota.

“He’s antsy in this kind of situation, but he’s over that now,” Rivers said of the emotional element behind not playing. “We’ve talked about all of these things.

“He understands. Right (after the injury), it was all emotion, but he realizes right now that you have to get healthy for the team. So right now, the rotation we have to start the game is the same one that we have when we take Kevin off the floor. The bottom line is that with this situation, we’re going to develop mental toughness.”

In the meantime, Garnett continues to heal from an injury that is known for slow, gradual recoveries.

“I’m trying to be patient about it,” said Rivers, who brought Garnett along for tonight’s game against the Cavaliers, just to watch. “It will be good to have him around.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1071367

Scal doing the job
Doc: He wows us with the little things

By Mark Murphy / Celtics notebook | Tuesday, February 5, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Nancy Lane (file)
Brian Scalabrine, who started in place of the injured Kevin Garnett during last week’s win against Dallas, is expected to fill that role again tonight.

Though his start against the Mavericks was statistically empty - the forward did not take a shot or grab a rebound in 17 minutes - that’s not how the forward measures his game.

“I’ll never look at Scal’s numbers,” Rivers said. “He’ll always wow us with the little things he does.

“One thing the other night against Dallas that someone would never think of is the way he shadowed the ball coming down the floor. I think that took nine seconds off their time on the shot clock, he was doing that so well. That’s the kind of thing you look for with Scal.” . . .

Tonight’s opponent, as always, is about one of the biggest names in the league. But beyond LeBron James, the Cavaliers have ironed out a number of issues since their last meeting - an 80-70 Celtics [team stats] win on Dec. 2 at the Garden.

“They’re tough,” Rivers said of the defending Eastern Conference champions. “They’re the team we’re trying to catch. For us to go anywhere, we’ll have to go through Detroit, through Cleveland, through any of those teams that were ahead of us last year.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1071369&format=text

Celtics-Cavaliers scouting report

By Mark Murphy | Tuesday, February 5, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP (file)
Tonight - 7, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland. TV - CSN. Radio - WEEI-AM (850).

The numbers: Win for each team in the season series so far.

30.1: LeBron James’ league-leading scoring average. He also averages 7.9 rebounds and a team-high 7.2 assists.

.667: Cavs’ winning percentage at home (14-7).

Who’s hurt: For the Celtics [team stats], Kevin Garnett (abdominal strain) and Scot Pollard (ankle) are out. For the Cavaliers, Sasha Pavlovic (foot) and Anderson Varejao (ankle) are out.

Who’s hot: For the C’s, Rajon Rondo [stats] is averaging 17.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in his past three games, including a 14-point, 12-rebound outing against Miami last week. For the Cavs, James has scored 36 or more points in three of his past four games.

Who’s not: For the Celts, Eddie House has scored more than four points just once in his past five games. For the Cavs, Devin Brown has scored just 10 points in his past three games and is shooting 25 percent (4-for-16) in that stretch.

Bottom line: Look for Leon Powe early in this game. Without Garnett, the Celtics have to find another way to combat Cleveland’s interior strength. The Cavs are third in the league in overall rebounding, so winning the battle of the boards will be a key tonight.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/05/hes_becoming_a_one_man_james_gang?mode=PF


He's becoming a one-man James gang
By Peter May, Globe Staff | February 5, 2008

CLEVELAND - Out here, they try to distract opposing free throw shooters by showing the University of Michigan logo on the big screen. Or maybe by showing the Pittsburgh Steelers logo.

But when favorite son LeBron James steps to the line at Quicken Loans Arena, no prompting is needed. It's "MVP, MVP."

James is once again making a case for the NBA honor, and he has to be in everybody's fave five right now, along with Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and perhaps Dwight Howard. He's come close before; he was runner-up to Steve Nash two years ago.

Even the casual fan seems to understand that, of the above group, he may have the most underwhelming supporting cast, a fact that Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry comes to grips with every time he tries to make a trade. You want us to take Larry Hughes? Click.

But this year, James is outdoing even the James of the past, which was, you may recall, a pretty good version. The Cavaliers have played six games without him and lost all of them, including a defeat in Seattle last Thursday night. In the two games previous to that, he had scored 41 points and hauled down nine rebounds in a 98-95 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles and then, three nights later, went for 37 points against the Trail Blazers, scoring the winning basket on a driving layup with less than a tick left on the clock, the last of his 17 points in the period.

Asked about that play yesterday at the Cavs' practice facility in suburban Independence, coach Mike Brown laughed and said, "The coaching staff, we all put our brains together. We said, 'We've got five options.' Then we said, 'Let's go to LeBron and have him try to win the game.' After I got the [Coach of the Month] award, I had to go thank him - and then the other 14. I know where my bread is buttered.

"But you go back and watch that play and all you can say is, 'Wow.' Because everyone knew he'd have the ball."

James was not in a regaling mood yesterday; he skipped a chance to talk to reporters so he could get more treatment on the sore right ankle that sidelined him last Thursday. He returned to score 28 points in a 98-84 victory over the Clippers Saturday night and is expected to be in the lineup tonight when Cleveland hosts the Celtics. Then again, Brown acknowledged that he has to find more rest for James, who is averaging more than 40 minutes a game and getting banged up every night.

"With him being the superstar he is, he's got to expect that pounding to come," Brown said. "And I've got to find ways to rest him. Same thing we did with Jermaine [O'Neal] in Indiana and with Tim Duncan and David Robinson in San Antonio. When you have superstars like that, they take a pounding, they play the minutes, and you've got to get some rest for them every once in a while."

Only problem is, the Cavs don't play very well when James is getting a rest. The average margin of defeat is more than 11 points in the six games James has missed. (The Celtics beat them, 80-70, Dec. 2 in Boston with LeBron out of action.) In a game this season that he did not finish because of injury, the Cavs lost by 25.

The Cavs are 26-14 in the games James has played, and in 18 of those wins, they trailed in the fourth quarter. He is playing as well as he ever has, which is saying something. "A real high level," is how Brown describes James's play.

In this, James's fifth season, he is leading the NBA in scoring (30.1) and fourth-quarter scoring. His averages for assists (7.2) and rebounds (7.9) are at career-high levels, as is his field goal percentage. (He has passed John Bagley and is now No. 2 in franchise history for assists, trailing only Mark Price.)

More important, the Cavs are starting to play more like the team that won the Eastern Conference last season. After a rough start, complicated by the absence of Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao in contract holdouts, Cleveland is on a 14-4 tear since Christmas, the only losses coming to New Orleans, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Seattle. But both Pavlovic (sprained left foot) and Anderson (sprained left ankle) are again out, this time with injuries, which makes James's recent spree even more impressive. He was Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January, averaging 32.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists. The Cavs were 11-2 in the games he played.

"The sky is the limit for this man," Brown said. "He can get a lot better, and that's scary. And he knows he can. So we make sure we try to not take him for granted because people take him for granted all the time. I know that I, as his head coach, I've got to make sure I don't.

"He does things so easy and natural. At the end of game, it'll be 'LeBron had 43.' Or, 'LeBron had 38, 10, and 7.' You say, 'OK, that's LeBron.'

"Come on, guys! Those numbers are hard to get when people know the ball is coming to you. It's unbelievable it can still happen."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/05/homecoming_delayed?mode=PF

Homecoming delayed?
Garnett may skip Minnesota trip
By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff | February 5, 2008

WALTHAM - Doc Rivers doesn't think Kevin Garnett's abdominal strain will improve enough over the next few days to allow the All-Star forward to play in Minnesota Friday night.

He won't be missing much.

The only plan the Timberwolves had for the player who was once their Big Ticket was to announce him first to allow him to get a lengthy ovation.

No flashy video tribute or special gifts.

No celebrations for the player that's still the team's career leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks and transformed a franchise that was 21-61 before drafting Garnett with the fifth pick in 1995 into a Western Conference finalist in 2004.

It's altogether emotionless, but Rivers said Garnett settled down as well, and is coming to grips with his injury.

"He's past that part of the emotion," Rivers said. "Clearly he'd love to play. But if he's not right, he's not right."

Garnett was injured when the Wolves came to town Jan. 25. He went one-on-one with Sebastian Telfair, diving across the parquet to snare a loose ball, then coming up with a facial expression that was equal parts euphoric and painful.

He finished that game, but hasn't played since. Not that he hasn't been antsy.

"I think this is the first time he's been out like this and he's gotten better each day as far as handling his emotions and not being able to play," Rivers said. "He's working hard and we have to be careful with that, that he doesn't overdo it."

There's no timetable for Garnett's return and Celtics are 2-1 without him.

"He understands," Rivers said. "Right away it's all emotion. But then I think when you pull back from it a little bit, you understand you've got to get a little bit healthy for the team. It's more important to get 100 percent for the team than go out there and maybe help us win one game and then you're out for the season."

Garnett sat out practice yesterday, shooting a few free throws but otherwise making himself scarce. Rivers was still tussling with the idea of even bringing him along for the trip.

Friday's game is sold out. Originally, Wolves fans had to buy a full or partial season-ticket plan to get the Celtics game. Most recently, it has been available in a two-game package.


Seeing his shadow
With Garnett out, Rivers has started Brian Scalabrine the past three games.

His box score looks like binary coding, but Rivers is still very pleased with what Scalabrine has been able to do.

"I'm never going to look at Scal's numbers," the coach said. "He's not a numbers guy. He's not going to wow you with scoring or rebounding or assists or forcing turnovers. He's going to wow us with all of the little things he does, setting the right pick, moving to the right spot, spacing the floor, hustle plays."

Rivers said Scalabrine shadowing the ball up the court on defense against the Heat and Mavericks was very important. It's something nobody noticed, Rivers said, but it made a difference if only because it took at least nine seconds off the shot clock.

"They were starting their offense at 12 seconds because of Scal's shadows," Rivers said. "That's not going to show up the next day. No one's going to notice it but we notice it because it allows us to pressure more and take teams out of their sets."


Powe in the flow
Leon Powe's minutes have increased since Garnett went down, but they were climbing before that. After seven straight DNPs from Jan. 4 to Jan. 16, Powe has averaged 19.1 minutes. His first game off the bench, he scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in a 116-89 blowout over Philadelphia. His shining moment was against Miami, when he collected 25 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes.

"Really, for this team, it's a perfect fit," Rivers said, "because he's not going to try to go outside of his role. He knows who he is."

Powe has taken minutes away from Glen Davis, owner of two DNPs in the last three games, mostly because of consistency, urgency, and execution.

"Leon's definitely more consistent," Rivers said. "So it's safer. With Baby, he's so up and down . . . That's a youth thing. But Glen will have his day again, too."


Right to the point?
As far as Rivers is concerned, Sam Cassell doesn't exist. When asked what he thought of the Clippers point guard (who will be in town tomorrow night), Rivers replied, "He's been hurt, right? Livingston." The response was clever, considering the rumor mill has been cranking out scenarios, including the Clippers buying out Cassell and the 14-year veteran possibly landing in Boston. Without Shaun Livingston and Elton Brand, both of whom are injured, the Clippers are the Clippers again, 14-30 and at the bottom of the Pacific Division. Cassell, who played with Garnett in Minnesota, is averaging 13.9 points and 4.5 assists, both below his career averages.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/05/cavaliers_thumbnails?mode=PF

Cavaliers thumbnails
February 5, 2008

When, where: Tonight, 7, at Quicken Loans Arena.

TV, radio: CSN, WEEI (850).

Records: Boston is 36-8; Cleveland is 26-20.

Scoring: LeBron James 30.1, Zydrunas Ilgauskas 13.8, Daniel Gibson 11.8.

Rebounding: Ilgauskas 9.7, Drew Gooden 8.6, Anderson Varejao 8.5.

Assists: James 7.2, Gibson 2.7, Larry Hughes 2.3.

Head to head: This is the third of four meetings. James scored 38 in a 109-104 overtime victory at Cleveland Nov. 27. On Dec. 2, with James out with a sprained left index finger, the host Celtics posted an 80-70 win as Ray Allen scored 20 points.

Miscellany: Cleveland has won eight of its last 10 games, including a 98-84 decision over the Clippers Saturday . . . Ilgauskas is averaging 17.1 points and 10.4 rebounds over his last seven games . . . Gibson is shooting 46.8 percent from beyond the arc, fifth best in the NBA. He has connected on 102 trifectas.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonsportsmedia.com/celtics/2008/02/high_above_courtside_reflectio.html

High Above Courtside: Reflections on Johnny Most Fifteen Years Later
By Shirley Coshatt

To Johnny Most, being called a "homer" was a badge of honor. In fact, it was his complete and utter lack of pretense about his rooting interests that made him a "must listen". During his heyday, many fans were known to turn down the television and listen to his broadcasts instead. They were always rewarded with a colorfully painted picture of the on-court action peppered with his blind praise for all things Celtics and his often-amusing hostile distaste aimed toward those wretched players not fortunate enough to wear the green. As last month marked the fifteen year anniversary of Most’s passing, it’s an appropriate time as ever to take a look back at the man who served as the primary voice of the Celtics during their lengthy reign as the best team in basketball.

It’s fitting to begin by pointing out that there was a lot more to Johnny Most than what you heard in his broadcasts. As an aerial gunner on a B-24 bomber, he flew 28 combat missions with the 15th Air Force during World War II, earning seven medals. He was also a prolific poet who wrote these lines as he looked over the graves of his fallen comrades just after VE Day:

“I stood among the graves today and swept the scene with sight.
And the corps of men who lay beneath looked up to say goodnight.
The thunder still, the battle done, the fray has passed them by;
and as they rest forever more, they must be asking, ‘Why?’”

After his service to his country, Most began his broadcasting career in the 1940s, initially mentored by Marty Glickman, the voice of the Knicks and Giants for over twenty years. In New York, Most cut his chops calling road games for the Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers as well as for the Army football team. In 1953, Boston Celtics owner Walter Brown and legendary coach Red Auerbach came calling, hiring Most to replace Curt Gowdy as the team's radio play-by-play man on WBZ radio.

During his tenure with the Celtics, Most was never shy about criticizing the other team's players, often delivering delicious insults and derogatory nicknames at their expense. For example, Most once described the Los Angeles Lakers' Kurt Rambis as "something that had crawled out of a sewer." He also nicknamed Washington Bullets players Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland as "McFilthy" and "McNasty." Kareem Abdul Jabbar was "Kareem Puff", Isaiah Thomas was "Little Lord Fauntleroy" and Magic Johnson became "Crybaby Johnson" whenever he challenged a call. Most's pro-Celtic descriptions frequently turned shoving matches into "blood baths" and minor fouls into "vicious muggings" and once during a game in Detroit, he loudly proclaimed, "Oh the yellow, gutless way they do things here." Even now, whenever a Celtics player is fouled hard, I imagine the voice of Johnny Most declaring that an unfathomable crime against the Celtics had just been perpetrated. On the flipside, whenever a prior sworn enemy such as Xavier McDaniel would come to the Celtics, he would instantly be rehabilitated into a wonderful guy.

Most was also famous for coming up with his own phrases to describe the action on the court. Perhaps he is best know for the term He originally used the term “fiddlin' and diddlin'”, which he used to describe the habit of Philadelphia point guard Maurice Cheeks of dribbling the ball for four or five seconds while he waited for his team to set their offense. Eventually, it also became a signature expression to describe the play of Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge. Neither Ainge nor DJ were true fast break style point guards and both would frequently dribble the ball to one side of the court and then back to the middle while waiting for the offense to set up. Rather than describe the seemingly aimless ball-handling for five or six seconds at a time, Most would use the phrase “he fiddles and diddles” while he waited for the ball to move.

Johnny's most notable call came, of course, during the closing seconds of Game 7 in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals between the defending champion Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. Taking you back to that game: the Celtics' lead had shriveled to 110-109, and Philadelphia had regained possession with five seconds left after an inbounds pass attempt by Boston's Bill Russell hit one of the wires that ran down from the ceiling of Boston Garden and helped support the baskets in those days. Hall of Fame guard Hal Greer prepared to toss the ball inbounds under his own basket. The logical target seemed to be Wilt Chamberlain in the low post, but Russell fronted Chamberlain and took away that option. K.C. Jones, guarding Greer, leaped along the baseline and frantically waved his arms to distract him as the five seconds ticked away. To get a better view of the court, Greer jumped up and spotted high-scoring forward Chet Walker, seemingly open beyond the key. But Boston's John Havlicek had taken a position several feet off the direct line between Greer and Walker, making it look like Walker was open when he really wasn't. After counting off a couple of seconds in his head, Havlicek sneaked a peek over his shoulder at Greer just as he prepared to release the ball. He moved into the passing lane…but we’ll let Most tell the rest of it:

"Greer is putting the ball into play. He gets it out deep," Most intones, before his voice rises into a frenzy. "Havlicek steals it. Over to Sam Jones. Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over! Johnny Havlicek stole the ball!"

Havlicek had tipped the inbounds pass away from Walker and toward teammate Jones, who dribbled out the clock as fans poured onto the court. The Celtics had the win, and would go on to capture their seventh consecutive championship. As Havlicek tipped the ball, Johnny Most could be heard yelling into the microphone in his raspy voice, "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over! It's all over!"

His second most famous call (and my personal favorite) came in Game 5 of the 1987 playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, the series tied at 2-2. Detroit had a one-point lead late in the game and merely needed to inbound the ball to secure the victory and take a 3-2 Series lead, with Game 6 to be on their court. Isiah Thomas was inbounding the ball to Bill Laimbeer, who was in the backcourt. But in the words of the immortal Johnny Most…

"Now there's a steal by Bird! Underneath to DJ! He lays it up and in!! ... What a play by Bird! Bird stole the inbounding pass, layed it up to DJ, and DJ layed it up and in, and Boston has a one-point lead with one second left! OH, MY, THIS PLACE IS GOING CRAZY!!!"

But perhaps his most memorable on air moment wasn't even the call of a play, but rather when he dropped a lit cigarette into his lap, setting his pants on fire while he was on the air.

On October 10, 1990, Johnny Most, who was a lifelong smoker, announced his retirement due to health concerns. On December 3rd of that year, Most was honored with the permanent installation at Boston Garden of his microphone, silver-plated and encased in a Celtic-green frame. The microphone was attached to the façade of the vantage point that Most always described as "high above courtside." Just a shade over two years later, on January 3, 1993, Most died at the age of 69 from a heart attack in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

Shortly after his death, Johnny Most was awarded the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Trustees of the Basketball Hall of Fame for his contribution to basketball. The honor was ironic, considering Most was Gowdy’s replacement as the Celtics' play-by-play announcer. On October 4, 2002 (almost ten years after his death), Most was inducted into the media category of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame at the University of Rhode Island.

Looking back, Johnny Most is fondly remembered by a legion of Celtics' fans who were fortunate enough to have listened to his broadcasts and appreciate his unique humor as well as his superior play-calling. As for those who criticized Most for being a homer, perhaps Red Auerbach said it best: "You're damn right he is, and that's just the way we want him!"

[FLCeltsFan]

www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2008/02/05/2008-02-05_sam_cassell_a_good_point_for_celtics.html

Sam Cassell: A good point for Celtics?
Tuesday, February 5th 2008, 4:00 AM

In the interest of keeping everything around here upbeat and on the sunny side of 33rd St., we will purposely avoid mentioning the local NBA team by name in this space today.

You know who we're talking about, the guys who will never see a trip up the Canyon of Heroes unless they choose to drive their luxury SUVs on their own up lower Broadway.

Why ruin a Giants feel-good story with your Garden-variety feel-bad story that can never go away?

Instead, we present a story of hope and dreams - and quite frankly, when you're assigned to do the You-Know-Whos vs. the L.A. Clippers, the worst team in the Atlantic against the bottom-feeders in the Pacific, you run to talk to a guy like Sam Cassell, who could render Plaxico Burress a footnote if he ever made it to Super Bowl media day.

Sam I Am has been mentioned as a candidate to land in Boston, where the Celtics now try to do what the Patriots could not. For all their wins so far, the Celtics don't have a first-rate point who knows how to win in the playoffs.

That's where Cassell, who won a ring a long time ago in Houston as a precocious rookie, at the expense of the You-Know-Whos, comes in. They say Kevin Garnett is working to bring his former Minnesota teammate in, and that possibility is bound to be discussed over dinner tonight when Cassell enjoys a night off in Boston with his old friend before they play tomorrow.

Tell Cassell that Boston coach Doc Rivers sometimes has resorted to having Ray Allen or Tony Allen run the most important position on the floor in fourth quarters, and he just snickers.

"I could still play a little bit," he said. "I can get it done."

He got it done Monday night to the tune of 11 points and seven assists in helping send the You-Know-Whos to another bad home defeat, 103-94. He's been getting it done since Game 3 at the Garden in the 1994 Finals, when he scored the game's final seven points, helping the Rockets regain the series lead.

Even with Cassell's track record, Boston's Danny Ainge still has to be convinced that he's got an Achilles heel, bound to be exploited in the playoffs by Detroit, and maybe even Cleveland if the Cavs make a move for Mike Bibby.

Cassell is on the last season of his contract and he's approaching his 39th birthday. He's got his two rings from his Houston days and his millions. So this isn't Jason Kidd trying to force his way to a contender.

Still, it's a natural fit. So would Cassell like to get a buyout from the Clippers, then move on to Boston as a free agent? Put it this way: With the Lakers getting Pau Gasol, he'd be crazy to want to stay in L.A.

"That's the only way anything can transpire," said Cassell, before icing the win with a 16-foot jumper in the final 30 seconds. "I don't want to get into all the details. I just play the game of basketball. But that's what (agent) David Falk is for. And he's working. He's working."

Cassell now works in a league that has changed drastically since he first broke in.

"I won a long time ago, when there was the real NBA," he said. "When the league was all about men."

What's it about now?

"The league is very soft now," he said. "I know a lot of guys, like Charles Oakley, LaSalle Thompson and Buck Williams, they couldn't play in the game like it is right now. The enforcer on the team, he'd be cut right now. The game was tougher. It ain't that tough right now. It's like they're protecting the quarterback."

Not that Cassell really minds. He admits that David Stern had to clean up play, even if the commissioner did go a tad overboard.

"I just wish they made it like it is now when I first came into the league," Cassell said. "Then I wouldn't have had elbow surgery in '95 from falling on the floor. But it is what it is. It's a great job to have."

It'll be even better if he lands in Boston, which is far from the home of the You-Know-Whos.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1698&dept_id=21848&newsid=19263127

C's are all about 'D'
Bob Finnan , [e-mail]

Even without Garnett, the 36-8 Celtics will be far from pushovers tonight for Cavs
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It's not a major surprise why the Boston Celtics have the best record in the NBA.
Their defensive numbers are awe-inspiring. They are ranked first in points allowed, opponents' field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and rebounding.
Even though the Celtics have several offensive threats, the reason they have a 36-8 record can be traced to the defensive end. They make their final regular-season appearance at Quicken Loans Arena at 7 tonight against the Cavaliers (26-20). The last time they played at The Q, the Cavs upset the Celtics in overtime, 109-104, on Nov. 27.
"They are defending at an unbelievable level," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "Everyone thought they'd win games. Nobody talked about their defense. They talked about the scoring Ray Allen would bring to the table. Yada, yada, yada. But that's the best defensive team in the league right there."
The most impressive numbers are the 88.2 points the Celtics allow per game, and their opponents' 41.9 percent shooting. That will keep them in a lot of games.
Celtics All-Star forward Kevin Garnett, a trash-talking demon paid large sums of money to protect the basket, has missed each of the previous three games with an abdominal strain. He's been ruled out of tonight's game. Taking their 6-foot-11, 253-pound shot blocker out of the lineup should have a huge effect on the Celtics' defense.
"You won't put an asterisk next to the win if we get it," Cavs guard Larry Hughes said.
Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said Garnett's absence wouldn't take any luster off a possible victory. Besides, two of the Cavs' important pieces, forward/center Anderson Varejao and guard/forward Sasha Pavlovic, are wearing boots and are nursing foot injuries.
"The Celtics have beaten a lot of good teams without (Garnett)," Ilgauskas said. "They are still very tough. We always have our problems with the Celtics.
"They are missing Garnett, and we are missing Andy and Sasha. Both teams are not at full go. Obviously, it's impossible to replace Andy. We were playing well when Andy got hurt. We hope it's not a big dropoff."
Brian Scalabrine will start at power forward for the Celtics.
Garnett will travel to Cleveland, but just to get treatment.
"He's not going to Cleveland to party," Celtics coach Doc Rivers told Boston writers.
Rivers said Garnett has to be patient.
"He's gotten better every day as far as handling his emotions of not being able to play," Rivers said. "We have to be careful that he doesn't overdo it. I'm in no hurry with it.
"You have to pull away a little bit from it. You have to understand it's more important to get 100 percent for the team than to get out there and help us win one game and then you're out for the season. You can't take the chance."
Ilgauskas said he was impressed with how fast the Celtics jelled as a team this season.
"You can accomplish all the individual stuff, but when guys get older, guys don't care about that stuff," he said. "They want to win. They sacrifice a little bit of their games."
The Celtics have shown they are mortal in the last couple weeks.
"It's difficult to play at a high level for a long time," Ilgauskas said. "It's such a long season. Guys get bored or injured and teams go through slumps."
The Cavs have won their last five games against the Celtics at The Q, but Ilgauskas said he thinks it's going to be a difficult game.
"When you play the team that's leading your conference, there's extra incentive to do well," Ilgauskas said. "The guys will be more focused than usual. We expect a tough game."
The Cavs haven't lost to Boston at home since Dec. 18, 2005.
Brown said every game is important, especially after his team's slow start.
"We dug ourselves such a hole," he said. "It doesn't matter who the next opponent is, it's a big game. We are a playoff team. We have to get in position to make a push at the right time."
Notes
Cavs forward LeBron James, who didn't make himself available to the media on Monday, was held out of all but the non-contact drills in practice. His right ankle is still tender, but he should be able to face the Celtics. ... Ilgauskas is four blocked shots shy of second-place Larry Nance on the Cavs' all-time blocks list. Nance finished his career with 1,087 blocks. Ilgauskas has 1,083. ... Hughes has four or five dunks in the last couple weeks, more than he's had all season. What does that show? "That I can still jump," he joked. "I've still got it." ... The Cavs rank third in the NBA in total rebounds (44.5 per game) and first in rebounding percentage (52.9 percent). They are 23-9 when they outrebound the opposition. ... James is averaging 35.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his last four games. He has 36 or more points in three of those outings.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/15298326.html?page=all&c=y

Celtics vs. Cavs offers playoffs clue
Tonight's matchup could repeat in second round. Both teams are adjusting because of key injuries

By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter


Published on Tuesday, Feb 05, 2008

INDEPENDENCE: If the NBA season were to end today, the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics would be on the same side of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket and might be headed for a matchup in the second round.

So not only does the Celtics' visit to Quicken Loans Arena tonight have its own entertainment value, it might be a postseason preview. At least in some regard.

This is the third meeting between the two teams this season and the third time at least one of the teams will not be whole. When the Cavs, who are 26-20 and currently fourth in the East, beat the Celtics, who have the league's best record at 36-8, in overtime on Nov. 27 it was without Anderson Varejao and Larry Hughes.

When the Celtics returned the favor the next week in Boston, it came with LeBron James on the bench after he injured his finger.

Tonight the Celtics will be without Kevin Garnett, who will miss his fourth consecutive game with an abdominal strain. Coach Doc Rivers told Boston media he doesn't expect Garnett to play until this weekend at the earliest.

The Cavs, of course, are without Varejao (ankle) and Sasha Pavlovic (foot). James is expected to play but is not 100 percent as he recovers from a right ankle sprain he suffered last week. James did not take part in any contact in practice Monday and spent much of the day receiving treatment on the ankle.

Nonetheless, the game still figures to have plenty of intrigue. The Cavs are 5-1 against teams with winning records since Jan. 1 and this will be a solid test to see how they perform while still adjusting to the loss of Varejao plus the potential playoff meaning.

''When you play the team leading your conference, there is always extra incentive,''Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. ''We expect a tough game.''

After a record-setting start, the Celtics are a modest 7-5 in their past 12 games. They have
looked more human and they have dealt with injuries to Garnett and guard Ray Allen. Nonetheless, they still own an NBA-best 16-4 road record and lead the league in field-goal percentage defense.

''A lot of people overlook their supporting cast. They have a nice cast of different pieces that bring different things to the table that help them win,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''People thought they'd win games and be good, but nobody talked about their defense. They're the best defensive team in the league.''

No Skills for James


On Monday, the NBA announced participants for the Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday. After taking part in the event for the past two years, James will skip it this year.

Two-time champ Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and Deron Williams will compete.

The league will announce the participants in the Three Point Shootout on Thursday. Cavs guard Daniel Gibson is expected to be invited.

Tough stretch

Starting tonight, the Cavs begin a challenging part of their schedule. The club will play six games in the next nine days, and five of them are against teams with winning records.

The Cavs will play four games in five days in four cities and fly more than 5,000 miles later in the week when they play Thursday in Houston, Friday in Atlanta, at home Sunday against the Denver Nuggets and Monday in Orlando.

The Cavs' final game before the All-Star break is Feb. 13 against defending champion San Antonio at Quicken Loans Arena.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Windhorst can be reached at [e-mail]. Read his blog at www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.

INDEPENDENCE: If the NBA season were to end today, the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics would be on the same side of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket and might be headed for a matchup in the second round.

So not only does the Celtics' visit to Quicken Loans Arena tonight have its own entertainment value, it might be a postseason preview. At least in some regard.

This is the third meeting between the two teams this season and the third time at least one of the teams will not be whole. When the Cavs, who are 26-20 and currently fourth in the East, beat the Celtics, who have the league's best record at 36-8, in overtime on Nov. 27 it was without Anderson Varejao and Larry Hughes.

When the Celtics returned the favor the next week in Boston, it came with LeBron James on the bench after he injured his finger.

Tonight the Celtics will be without Kevin Garnett, who will miss his fourth consecutive game with an abdominal strain. Coach Doc Rivers told Boston media he doesn't expect Garnett to play until this weekend at the earliest.

The Cavs, of course, are without Varejao (ankle) and Sasha Pavlovic (foot). James is expected to play but is not 100 percent as he recovers from a right ankle sprain he suffered last week. James did not take part in any contact in practice Monday and spent much of the day receiving treatment on the ankle.

Nonetheless, the game still figures to have plenty of intrigue. The Cavs are 5-1 against teams with winning records since Jan. 1 and this will be a solid test to see how they perform while still adjusting to the loss of Varejao plus the potential playoff meaning.

''When you play the team leading your conference, there is always extra incentive,''Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. ''We expect a tough game.''

After a record-setting start, the Celtics are a modest 7-5 in their past 12 games. They have
looked more human and they have dealt with injuries to Garnett and guard Ray Allen. Nonetheless, they still own an NBA-best 16-4 road record and lead the league in field-goal percentage defense.

''A lot of people overlook their supporting cast. They have a nice cast of different pieces that bring different things to the table that help them win,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''People thought they'd win games and be good, but nobody talked about their defense. They're the best defensive team in the league.''

No Skills for James

On Monday, the NBA announced participants for the Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday. After taking part in the event for the past two years, James will skip it this year.

Two-time champ Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and Deron Williams will compete.

The league will announce the participants in the Three Point Shootout on Thursday. Cavs guard Daniel Gibson is expected to be invited.

Tough stretch

Starting tonight, the Cavs begin a challenging part of their schedule. The club will play six games in the next nine days, and five of them are against teams with winning records.

The Cavs will play four games in five days in four cities and fly more than 5,000 miles later in the week when they play Thursday in Houston, Friday in Atlanta, at home Sunday against the Denver Nuggets and Monday in Orlando.

The Cavs' final game before the All-Star break is Feb. 13 against defending champion San Antonio at Quicken Loans Arena.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080205/NEWS/802050433/1009/SPORTS

Rondo’s quick mind, feet bolster Celtics

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





WALTHAM— NBA point guards do their best to overhear opposing play calls and relay them to their own benches so their teams can log them and be better prepared to defend them.

“You have a chance of knowing what they’re running before they run it,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said yesterday after practice at HealthPoint. “That doesn’t mean you’re going to stop it, but at least you have an idea of what they’re doing.”

The fact that Rajon Rondo is able to both relay opposing plays and defend them is an indication of how far he’s come in only his second year in the league.


“He’s a smart player,” Rivers said. “Rajon is ahead of his time as far as the mental part of the game goes and knowing the game and understanding. The only time he gets in trouble is when he thinks he knows it all.”

Although only 6-foot-1, Rondo is a skilled rebounder. He pulled down a game-high 12 Thursday against Dallas. But as a rookie last year, Rondo gambled too often by going after offensive rebounds. When he didn’t get them, he got caught behind the play and left the Celtic defense vulnerable.

“We fought him on that,” Rivers said.

As the starting point guard this season, Rondo is doing what’s he’s told.

“I think I’m listening a lot better than last year,” Rondo admitted, “and I’m learning a lot more.”

Rondo scours the scouting report meticulously prepared by associate head coach Tom Thibodeau, watches a lot of video and has learned to stay alert even when he’s on the bench. When Eddie House replaces him, he keeps track of the opposing team’s plays.

“I think I have a good memory, like a photographic memory,” Rondo said, “so when I see or hear the signal I pick up on it quickly.”

Contrast Rondo’s ability to recognize opposing plays with the inability of teammate Leon Powe until recently to grasp his own team’s plays. The two players both entered the league last season.

Rondo doesn’t turn 22 until Feb. 22, but he runs the offense for the team with the NBA’s best record (36-8). He averages 9.7 points and ranks second among second-year players in assists (4.2) and steals (1.78). Rondo relies on reading passing lanes and quick hands for his steals.

“If certain guys throw lazy passes, I try to shoot the gaps on them,” he said.

Rondo often makes up for mistakes at one end by making a play at the other.

“But I don’t want to try to do too much and gamble and then give up another basket,” he said. “Two wrongs don’t make a right. I do try to make that play, but make it at the right time.”

Celtics captain Paul Pierce saw during training camp of Rondo’s rookie season that he had talent. Rondo didn’t put all his talent to use in games last season, however, refusing to take wide-open jump shots.

“He’s a confident ballplayer now,” Pierce said. “That’s 80-90 percent of the ballgame right there.”

Rivers still believes Rondo isn’t as intense as he needs to be in some games.

“You have to bring it every night,” Rivers explained.

One thing Rondo brings every night is his speed. He has quick feet as well as a quick mind.

Garnett not expected this week
Rivers said he doesn’t know for sure, but he doesn’t expect Kevin Garnett to play this week. The Celtics visit Cleveland at 7 tonight, host the Clippers tomorrow night and visit Garnett’s former team, the Timberwolves, Friday night. Rivers said Garnett would accompany the team to Cleveland last night, but he wasn’t sure if he’d go to Minnesota if he couldn’t play.

Garnett has missed the last three games with a strained abdominal muscle. Garnett did not practice yesterday and declined to speak to the media afterward. He hasn’t spoken since he stopped playing.

“It’s more important to get 100 percent for the team,” Rivers said, “than go out there and maybe help us win one game and then you’re out for the season or something. You just can’t take that chance.”

Attention will turn more toward the Celtics now that the Patriots’ unbeaten season ended with a loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

“They just caught a team that played a perfect game,” Rivers said of the Pats. “It happens. You wish it didn’t happen in the Super Bowl obviously. From a fan’s standpoint, I watched that game. I thought it was one terrific football game, an absolutely great football game. It just didn’t turn out the way we all wanted it to.”

“You have to understand that the best record doesn’t always guarantee a championship,” Pierce said. “It’s just a step getting you closer to where you want to be.”

[FLCeltsFan]

yardbarker.com/nba/articles/Im_Focused_Man/125517


I'm Focused Man
RajonRondo
submitted by RajonRondo
8 hours ago | 5 comments | Email to a Friend
I made the All-Star sophomore team, and I'm looking forward to going down to New Orleans. Some of my family members are going down to watch me play in the game. I will mostly be relaxing and enjoying myself the whole weekend. I have some events to go to, and I have to go see my homie Rudy in the dunk contest. He's going up against my old teammate G. Green. That's going to be a good contest. I may go to see Kentucky play while I'm down there-not sure yet. I have to check and make sure I don't have anything already set up first. Other than getting prepared for the trip to New Orleans, I'm just doing my regular...resting and preparing for our upcoming games.

Last Thursday's game against Dallas was great. I'm glad we came off that one with a W. I went to the Mayor's Cup Breakfast at Fenway Park this past Saturday. It was a really nice charity event. This past weekend was actually really great for me. I got to get some good rest, and I needed that.

As for the Super Bowl, I don't think that there was one person in all of New England that wasn't just gravely hurt. That had to be the hardest loss for the Pats-going 18-0 all season and losing the only game in the Super Bowl. I wouldn't know what to do. I have much respect for those guys though. They had an amazing season at 18-1. I got together with a few of my teammates and watched the game. It was fun watching the game with them. We laughed and joked around up until the last few minutes of the game-that's when it got serious.

Now, we're in Cleveland. We play the Cavaliers tomorrow. I'm about to lay it down for the night. I'll holla!

[FLCeltsFan]

ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2008/02/05/sports/sports06.txt


Celtics to get the spotlight now



By MIKE FINE
The Patriot Ledger

WALTHAM - The Boston Celtics are about to experience something that only the Red Sox and Patriots have over the past decade: an influx of media as they try to hang on to the best record in basketball.

With the Patriots about to become a painful memory, with the Red Sox about to head off to Florida and Japan before returning April 8, and with the Bruins, well, scuffling, the Celtics are about to become the hottest show in town, all of which means an increased media presence and more intense scrutiny in Boston as well as on the road.

When all the cameras and talking heads show up, though, the one person they’d really like to speak to won’t be there, at least in the near term.

Kevin Garnett remains out with a strained abdominal muscle that has caused three straight DNPs, and his prognosis for return remains cloudy. He did fly with the team to Cleveland Monday afternoon, but will not play there tonight. He’s out for the team’s home contest against the Clippers Wednesday, and when coach Doc Rivers was asked if it was out of the question that Garnett would return to Minnesota to play against his former team Friday, Rivers said, ‘‘I think it is.’’

Actually, Garnett might return, but he will not suit up. ‘‘It’s good to have him around,’’ Rivers said. ‘‘He’s such a great guy, a good leader. He’s not going to Cleveland to party.’’

Rivers said Garnett does get antsy, but he’s come to terms with his condition, which in some players causes a lengthy recovery period. ‘‘He’s been good. I think this is the first time he’s been out like this and he’s gotten better every day as far as handling his emotions of not being able to play. He’s working hard and we have to be careful that he doesn’t overdo it.’’

Garnett said going to Cleveland is one thing, but Minnesota, where he played 12 seasons, is another matter. ‘‘I think that’s something we’re going to decide. That’s a special situation. If he’s not gonna play I don’t know if you bring him or not, so we’ll decide that.’’

It’s a special situation on both ends. Ticket demand to see Garnett was so strong in Minneapolis that the Wolves required all non season-ticket holders to buy a ticket to the Feb. 24 Dallas game if they wanted single-game seats to see KG and the Celtics. But Garnett can’t be pressured.

‘‘He understands. Right away it’s all emotion - the Minnesota game (at home Jan. 25, when he was forced out in the fourth quarter) and then the next game. ‘I’ll play. I’m fine.’ But then when you pull away a little bit from it you understand it’s for the team and it’s more important to get a hundred percent for the team than to get out there and help us win one game and then you’re out for the season. You can’t take the chance.’’

The series

The teams have split two games, the Celtics losing in overtime in Cleveland and taking a 10-point win at home. But the Cavs come into Boston as the hottest team in the Eastern Conference since Christmas Day, going 14-4, and it’s not just because they’re a one-man show. ‘‘The thing about their team, you’re so worried about LeBron but these other guys can beat you,’’ said Pierce. ‘‘(Drew) Gooden had a great game (10 points, 11 rebounds) along with (Zydrunas) Ilgauskas (12 points, 13 rebounds) the last time we played them. These guys are more than capable. I mean, you don’t go too the NBA Finals on just one player alone.’’

In the Spotlight

By the way, James missed the last game against the Celtics. He was held out of contact drills in Monday’s Cavs practice, thanks to a balky right ankle. Regardless of his teammates, he is what makes the Cavs tick. ‘‘He’s been a great talent since he’s been in the league,’’ said Pierce. ‘‘It just seems like he’s gotten smarter and smarter finding new ways, figuring out new defenses that are coming at him. That’s what great players do: they find different ways.’’