News 2/6

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1071631&format=text

Celtics let defense rest
Green can’t put a stop to LeBron, Cavs

By Steve Bulpett | Wednesday, February 6, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
CLEVELAND - The Celtics [team stats] came into last night’s game against the Cavaliers leading the league in defense. They left it shaking their heads.

On a night when most everything was going right for them - at one end of the floor - the Shamrocks couldn’t find a way to make 113 points and 57 percent shooting add up to a victory.

“On defense we were god-awful,” said the educated Doc Rivers after the Celtics’ 114-113 loss. “That’s a tough one to swallow.”

“For our standard, they scored too many points,” said the erudite Ray Allen.

“Our defense (stunk) tonight,” said Kendrick Perkins [stats].

Allen had 24 points, and Rajon Rondo [stats] added 20, and the fact the Celts were that close to a win without defensive leader Kevin Garnett and with Paul Pierce [stats] struggling through the flu might tend to soften the blow a bit. But Rivers wasn’t having any of that after the Cavs tied a Celtics opponent season-high (Toronto on Jan. 23).

“There’s a lot of parts to games that Kevin’s not in, and we’re still a better defensive team,” he said. “And we’re not going to use the Garnett thing. We just can’t. He’s not going to be around for probably a couple more games, and I won’t allow them to use it. We’re good enough with what we’ve got to win basketball games.”

Pierce felt ill and had to come out less than five minutes into the game. He sat on the bench the last 7:09 of the quarter, a bucket at his side - just in case. Pierce came back to finish with 19 points in 35 minutes.

Afterward, he didn’t really stop to talk, saying only it was the same bug that bit Allen last week and that it first hit him Monday night. Pierce appeared fine at yesterday morning’s shootaround, but his condition had worsened when he came back to the arena.

“He was sick,” said Rivers. “He didn’t feel great. But I thought he played great. Obviously now we’re concerned about (tonight’s game against the Clippers) with him. That’s going to be a tough one for him, as well.”

Last night was tough enough for the Celts. With Tony Allen digging in during the second half, LeBron James had just 12 of his 33 points after the break on 4-of-11 shooting with four turnovers (he still finished with nine rebounds and 12 assists). But even the Cavaliers’ misses weren’t such a local concern. They pulled in a whopping 17 offense rebounds - part of a 39-29 overall edge on the boards.

And while both teams turned the ball over 19 times, the Cavs turned the Celtics largesse into 27 points, while the Bostonians extracted 25. It turned out to be a significant difference when the Celtics were failing to get over the hump in the waning moments.

Down by two with 42 seconds left, the Celts got James to miss, but neither Ray Allen nor Rondo could secure the long rebound that danced off their hands, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas pretty much iced it with two free throws at 16.6.

“I think it was the worst defense we’ve played all year, 1 through 5. We gave up 114 points in four quarters and no overtime,” said Perkins. “That ain’t us. It just felt like we weren’t there. Our rotations weren’t there. They got a lot of open looks. They had easy baskets.

“That ain’t Celtic basketball. That ain’t what we do.”

On a night when the teams needed just 5 minutes to beat the combined score of the Super Bowl, it was.

“I think both teams gave up some plays that they don’t want to see happen again,” said James after the Cavs had beaten the Celts for the second time in three meetings (they’re 2-0 when he plays).

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1071630&format=text

Load is off
Pierce, unlike LeBron, can share in 4th

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Wednesday, February 6, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
CLEVELAND - Among the many laudable facts about LeBron James is that he’s the NBA’s leading scorer in the fourth quarter. That’s a title Paul Pierce [stats] was familiar with a couple of years ago.

“The difference now is that I don’t have to carry my team like that,” Pierce said before the Celtics [team stats]’ 114-113 loss to the Cavaliers last night. “LeBron does, and he’s great at it.”

James had eight of his 33 points in the fourth quarter.

“I definitely had to change when I got these players around me,” Pierce said. “You look around the league at guys who’ve won the championship, and you have to learn that. You don’t always have to take the big shot. Sometimes you can get the shot for somebody else. You saw Michael Jordan going to (John) Paxson and (Craig) Hodges and (Steve) Kerr for big shots. We’ve got a supporting cast that’s capable of making plays. We’ve got a number of plays where we go to Eddie (House) and James (Posey), guys who I believe can make shots.

“It’s a change you have to make, but I don’t think it was that tough for me after I got used to the guys we have. I’m a player that understands the game and understands that, hey, if you’re going to get it done, you’ve got to get it done with these other guys.”

LeBron all talk

James can see that the Celts have the best record in the NBA, and he also believes they are at or near the top in another category.

Asked if the C’s were among the most talkative teams, he said, “They’re up there. You’ve got them and the Pistons. Those are the two teams that talk, but they’ll back it up.”

On whether the talk is antagonistic, James said, “In a competitive way, but sometimes it can get annoying. But they back it up. Detroit, we all know that they get flying at the mouth sometimes, but they play great basketball. The same with the Celtics.”

The quietest team?

“Utah,” James said. “They just kick your (butt) and they don’t say nothing.”

KG update

Kevin Garnett was on the trip, but he’s still resting his abdominal strain.

“I think he’s out definitely, I think, until after the Minnesota game for sure,” coach Doc Rivers said. “You know, maybe (he’ll play against) the Spurs (Sunday), maybe not.

“We’re just going to wait and see. He’s improving quickly. There’s no doubt about that. That’s a good sign for us.”

As for why Garnett made the flight here and possibly won’t go to the game against his former team, the Timberwolves, on Friday, Rivers said: “He wanted to come here. The Minnesota thing, we’ll cross that when we get to it. He may go, he may not. It’s just he doesn’t want to be a distraction.”

When it was noted that Minnesota fans might want to express their affection, Rivers said: “I understand, but we’re in the win business. . . . Kevin’s such a great team player. He doesnt want it to be about him, and he knows there it would be.” . . .

Scot Pollard (sore left ankle) also was with the team last night, but he didn’t play against his former mates.

“Yeah, they’re retiring my jersey,” he joked. “I didnt want to tell anybody.” . . .

House didn’t attempt a 3-pointer for the second straight game. They are the only two games this season in which he hasn’t tried a trey. . . .

Leon Powe started the second quarter and picked up two fouls and a seat on the bench in 1:30. He had two points and two rebounds in eight minutes. . . .

Glen Davis was a DNP in two of the previous three games, but he had nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. . . .

The Patriots [team stats] were on the minds of many fans in Cleveland. “18-1 losers” read one sign, while another said, “Gisele, dump Tom for LeBron.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1071637&format=text

Shaq expects to be dealt by Heat

By Associated Press | Wednesday, February 6, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage

Photo by AP
MIAMI - Shaquille O’Neal is prepared for the Miami Heat to trade him, a confidant of the 14-time All-Star center told The Associated Press last night.

O’Neal’s associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal anything publicly, indicated a move could be imminent.

“Shaq thinks something will happen,” the associate said.

The Miami Herald reported earlier yesterday that the Heat are in “serious and ongoing” trade negotiations with the Phoenix Suns. A Heat spokesman said the team had no comment, and several Suns officials didn’t immediately return phone calls from The AP.

The Herald report said the Suns would send Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to Miami in exchange for O’Neal, who is averaging a career-low 14.2 points and has been sidelined for the past two weeks by a lingering hip injury.

When asked last week about another report that a Shaq trade was possible, Heat coach Pat Riley said, “Not true.”

It isn’t known if O’Neal - who has two full seasons remaining after this one on his $100 million, five-year contract - would welcome a trade.

A four-time NBA champion, O’Neal entered this season talking about how he wanted to win at least one more title, saying his “legacy” wouldn’t be complete unless he left the game with at least five rings.

If he’s going to get No. 5 this year, he’d have to go elsewhere.

The Heat have lost 19 of their last 20 games and have the NBA’s worst record at 9-37 - meaning the 2006 NBA champions are almost a lock to miss the postseason. Phoenix, meanwhile, entered yesterday with a 1-game lead over New Orleans and Dallas in the race for the best record in the Western Conference.

To this point, O’Neal’s year has been largely forgettable.

Miami’s record has plummeted, O’Neal is going through a divorce and his scoring average is nearly 11 points below his 25.6 career mark. He suffered a bruised hip on Dec. 22 and has missed four of the past five weeks while trying to recover.

The team said he was undergoing another MRI exam yesterday, presumably to further determine the extent of the injury, and O’Neal didn’t speak before leaving Miami’s practice. The Heat play at Detroit tonight.

Last Friday, O’Neal said he and Riley have not discussed any trade possibilities.

“He hasn’t spoken to me,” O’Neal said at the time. “He hasn’t talked about it. I’ve been in the league 15 years. I’ve seen it all, been through it all. I’ve just got to sit back.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1071640&format=text

Gasol’s LA debut a winner

By Herald wire services | Wednesday, February 6, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage

Photo by AP
Pau Gasol was a winner in his Lakers debut, without even much help from Kobe Bryant.

Gasol had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Lakers beat the New Jersey Nets, 105-90, last night in East Rutherford, N.J., despite a season-low six points from Bryant, his first single-digit effort in more than a year.

Derek Fisher matched a season high with 28 points to lead the Lakers, who improved to 3-1 on their nine-game road trip. Bryant shot 3-of-13 from the floor but had eight assists in his lowest-scoring effort since an eight-point game against Denver on Jan. 5, 2007.

He seemed to work well with Gasol, who was 10-of-15 and showed he may help the Lakers get by just fine until Andrew Bynum returns from his knee injury.

Vince Carter scored 27 points for the Nets, who trailed by only three points midway through the fourth quarter before Gasol keyed the decisive surge.

Consecutive baskets by Richard Jefferson cut the Lakers’ lead to 84-81 with 6:13 remaining before Gasol pulled down the rebound of Bryant’s missed jumper and put it back while being fouled. His three-point play made it a six-point game and kicked off an 11-2 spurt, and he added another bucket off a feed from Bryant before Fisher capped it with a layup to make it 95-83 with under 3 minutes to play.

Despite having just one practice and one shootaround with the Lakers, Gasol was in the starting lineup and received a loud ovation when he was announced during introductions.

The center from Spain was acquired last Friday in a deal with Memphis that Gasol said even surprised him. The Lakers sent Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, two first-round picks and the draft rights to Marc Gasol, Pau’s brother, to the Grizzlies in a move that could turn the Lakers into one of the Western Conference favorites.

76ers 101, Wizards 96 - Andre Iguodala scored 20 points and host Philadelphia stunned Washington with a 17-0 run late in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers trailed by 12 early in the fourth and showed few signs of taking off on such a decisive spurt. Then the Wizards got sloppy, missed nearly every shot and the scrappy Sixers capitalized with one of their more impressive comeback victories of the season.

Spurs 116, Pacers 89 - In Indianapolis, Tim Duncan dominated the middle and San Antonio’s stingy second-half defense turned what was a close game into a rout, leading the Spurs to a victory over Indiana.

Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds, and backup guard Jacque Vaughn scored 16 points off the bench.

Danny Granger led the Pacers with 16 points, not nearly enough to halt Indiana’s season-high seven game losing streak. The Pacers lost all four games on their longest homestand of the season and have now dropped five in a row at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Bucks 102, Grizzlies 97 - Mo Williams scored 32 points and led a fourth quarter rally to help visiting Milwaukee snap a three-game losing streak with a victory over Memphis.

Williams, who was 14-of-22 from the field, scored all 10 Milwaukee points as the Bucks overcame a five-point deficit in the final 2 minutes.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/celtics/


Tuesday shootaround notes
Posted by Steve Bulpett at 12:06 pm

CLEVELAND — Kevin Garnett and Scot Pollard are both on the trip and are at shootaround this morning, but, as expected, neither will play against the Cavaliers tonight.

Doc Rivers said a short while ago that the next possibility for a Garnett return from his abdominal strain is Sunday’s game against San Antonio, but he noted that even that might be pushing it.

Brian Scalabrine will again get the start at forward, though Leon Powe and Glen Davis should be ready early. The Celtics may not stay with their small lineup long against the hard rebounding Cavs. …

Say goodbye to The Jake. Jacobs Field, the home of the Indians, is now known as Progressive Field.

With the Cavaliers’ facility having switched to Quicken Loans Arena from Gund Arena, the names of the teams’ owners at the time of construction are now off the sign over the door.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/06/as_defenses_rest_celtics_lose_verdict?mode=PF

As defenses rest, Celtics lose verdict
By Peter May, Globe Staff | February 6, 2008

CLEVELAND - The bar has been set high, almost impossibly so. This Celtics team has won on defense all season long, leading the NBA in all the pertinent categories, and yet last night, Doc Rivers might as well have worn a Paul Westhead mask.

And, frankly, Mike Brown, his Cleveland counterpart, might as well have worn a Doug Moe mask.

Two teams whose forte is defense showed no inclination to play that particular part of the game. The result was a 114-113 victory for the Cavaliers, allowing Cleveland to become the third team this season to post two wins over Boston. Washington and Orlando are the others. There will be plenty more if the Celtics play defense the way they did last night. Or attempted to play.

It's hard to say which was greater - the number of easy Cleveland baskets or the number of epithets Kevin Garnett must have said in the locker room while trying to restrain himself from throwing every available piece of footwear through the TV screen. Garnett is the anchor on this team, its defensive conscience, and with him out for a fourth straight game with an abdominal strain, his teammates morphed into the Golden State Warriors.

"We're not going to use the Garnett thing as an excuse. We can't. I won't allow it," Rivers said. "We've played well enough to win without him and he's probably not going to be around for a couple more games."

Befitting a game in which layups begat layups, there were 28 lead changes, 23 ties, and no lead greater than 8 points. The referees whistled 52 fouls, 29 on the too-late-getting-to-the-spot Celtics. An inordinate number of fouls were called 20-25 feet from the basket.

But here's the grim news. The Celtics shot 57 percent, scored 113 points, and still lost. That's because the Cavs shot 51 percent, had a 10-rebound advantage, and had LeBron James, who once again torched the Celtics with 33 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, and 12 assists. (We'll forget the 7 turnovers.)

To a man, no one was happy with the way this one played out. Rivers told his players, "The first team to play defense will win this game." By default, that team became the Cavs.

"It was the worst defense we've played all year, 1 through 5," said Kendrick Perkins. "We gave up 114 points in four quarters, no overtime? That ain't us. That ain't Celtic ball."

Down the hall, the Cavaliers were saying essentially the same thing.

"This is not how we want to win games, by giving up 50 percent shooting to our opponent on our floor," James said. "I think both teams gave up some plays that they don't want to see happen again."

You think?

The lead changes all came in the first 36 minutes. The Cavs led by 5 after three and nursed things the rest of the way. Two free throws by James, who played the final 4:43 with five fouls, gave the Cavs a 106-98 lead with 4:52 remaining.

But the Celtics clawed back and four times cut the deficit to 2, the final time coming when a visibly ill Paul Pierce (stomach bug, 19 points) got a fortunate bounce and a hoop with 72 seconds left, making it 112-110. But Boston never got the stop it needed.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas (21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks) missed, but Rajon Rondo got stripped on a pretty defensive play by Daniel Gibson. Did we say "pretty defensive play"? Actually, it was.

The teams combined for 38 turnovers - Rondo had three of his five in a three-minute stretch in the closing minutes - which on most nights might indicate pressure on the defensive end. Most of these were careless or sloppy plays (or offensive fouls).

After Rondo's turnover, James drew the entire Celtics team on a drive and couldn't convert. The rebound was slapped around. Ray Allen (24 points) thought he had it. Rondo thought he had it. In the end, Gibson got it.

The Celtics were forced to foul, and Ilgauskas nailed two with 16.6 seconds left, making it a 114-110 game. A three by James Posey at the buzzer accounted for the final points.

"That's a tough one to swallow," Rivers said. "I thought we were two good defensive teams going into the game. Both were awful."

The Celtics, however, were just a tad more awful. They allowed an uncontested driving baseline dunk by Ira Newble in the final minute. Ira Newble! They had no answers on transition and hardly anything more on half-court sets. Neither team seemed inclined to play defense because, well, it was so easy to score, so why bother?

"Games like that can turn into shootouts," Ray Allen said. "We've been tremendous all season on the defensive end. For our standards, they scored too many points."

Oh well, at least Cavs fans walked away with free chalupas.

And for the Celtics, there's always the Clippers tonight.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/06/allen_would_answer_if_call_were_to_come?mode=PF


Allen would answer if call were to come
By Peter May, Globe Staff | February 6, 2008

CLEVELAND - When the final votes were tallied in 2007, Ray Allen trailed seven Western Conference guards for a spot on the All-Star team. He then was bypassed by the coaches - perhaps because of Seattle's dismal record - and prepared to spend his first All-Star Weekend in years away from the game.

Then came injuries to Steve Nash (shoulder) and Allen Iverson (ankle), and soon commissioner David Stern was summoning Allen to Las Vegas. Allen was an All-Star for the seventh time, scoring 12 points in 21 minutes, as the West beat the East, 153-132.

Could the same thing happen this year? Allen was not chosen by the fans (who selected Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade) and again was bypassed by the conference coaches. But with Kevin Garnett ailing, Allen may receive another call from the commish.

"If that was the case, I would accept, of course, no question," he said.

Allen and Hedo Turkoglu of the Magic are the logical choices for Stern should any of the Eastern 12 not be able to play. Garnett missed his fourth game last night with an abdominal strain and conceivably could be held out of the All-Star Game to ensure his well-being for the tough Western trip that follows. If Garnett does not play, the Celtics would almost certainly warrant a second selection, and Allen is the obvious choice.

"I think he deserves to be there anyway," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who will guide the Eastern team. "And I'd rather have him spending the time with me. Plus, he plays golf."

Said Allen, "That's how I went last year, and you never turn it down, no matter how it comes."

He said he wasn't concerned about losing any downtime should he get the call.

"You learn how to get your rest anyway," he said, "and it's like you're doing something every single day. I'd find a way to rest, regardless."


Gut-check time
Paul Pierce showed up for last night's game with a stomach bug and looked a little wobbly leaving the arena. He took a seat on the bench just 4:51 into the game, and had a towel on his head and a trash can in front of him (never a good sign). He ended up playing 35 minutes and scoring 19 points. On his way out, he said he thought he might have what Ray Allen had last week in Miami. You don't want to go there, other than to note that Allen spent a night in the hospital. "I didn't know what we were going to get out of him," Rivers said of Pierce. "Obviously, now we're concerned about [tonight]. That's going to be a tough one for him as well." . . . The New York Daily News had a dicey item about Garnett and Sam Cassell dining last night in Boston, with Garnett trying to persuade Cassell to come to the Celtics. That would have been hard unless Garnett has a body double or it was a late, late meal in Chinatown (and Chinese wouldn't be KG's first choice) because Garnett was with the Celtics last night. He and Cassell were teammates in Minnesota, and Cassell is now with the Clippers, who are going nowhere. The Celtics wouldn't mind if the Clips bought out Cassell, making him a free agent.


Caving Cavs
It was a tough night for the Cavaliers. Already without Anderson Varejao (ankle) and Sasha Pavlovic (foot), they lost Drew Gooden to a right groin strain early in the third quarter. Additionally, Ira Newble got whacked by teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskus and needed four stitches to close a cut by his right eye . . . Rivers said he's not sure Garnett will travel to Minnesota Friday, when it's unlikely that he'll play. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Rivers said. "He may go. He may not go. He doesn't want to be a distraction to the team and there, he could be. Kevin is such a great team player. He doesn't want it to be about him and he knows there that it would be. And it should be." Rivers said Garnett was "improving quickly. Having said that, we're still going to wait." He said it was possible that Garnett might play Sunday against the Spurs.


Fast break
Yesterday's Akron Beacon Journal reported that LeBron James had to fork over $259 in fines and court costs after pleading no contest to speeding on Dec. 30. James was stopped after doing 101 m.p.h. on Interstate 71 on the night of his 23d birthday and entered the plea on Monday in Medina Municipal Court. He avoids a court hearing that had been scheduled for next Monday . . . Ray Allen, Pierce, and Rajon Rondo were a combined 18 of 23 from the field in the first half - and 6 of 18 in the second . . . Scot Pollard also made the trip, but not to play. He has a sore left ankle and hasn't played since a 10-minute stint Jan. 9 against the Bobcats . . . Dana Barros, the Celtics director of player development, accompanied the team on the trip.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2008/02/06/clippers_thumbnails/

Clippers thumbnails
Email|Print| Text size – + February 6, 2008
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When, where: Tonight, 7:30, at TD Banknorth Garden.
TV, radio: CSN, WEEI (850).
Records: Los Angeles is 15-30; Boston is 36-9.
Scoring: Corey Maggette 20.9, Chris Kaman 17.2, Tim Thomas 13.2, Sam Cassell 13.2.
Rebounds: Kaman 13.8, Maggette 5.9, Thomas 5.1.
Assists: Cassell 4.6, Brevin Knight 4.2, Cuttino Mobley 3.1.
Head to head: This is the first of two meetings. The teams will play again in Los Angeles Feb. 25.
Miscellany: The Clippers snapped a nine-game road losing streak Monday night by defeating the Knicks, 103-94 . . . Before Monday night, Kaman and Maggette had missed four games apiece because of flu-like symptoms, and coach Mike Dunleavy missed the game against the Knicks with the same illness . . . Thomas didn't play in the second half Monday night (back spasms) . . . There's been speculation that veteran point guard Cassell could end up with the Celtics as a backup, but the teams don't seem to match up for a trade.