News 2/11

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1072618&format=text

Hobbled C’s spurred on
Beat SA without KG, Perk

By Steve Bulpett | Monday, February 11, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Tara Carvalho
Playing without Kevin Garnett apparently wasn’t enough of a challenge for the Celtics [team stats]. Yesterday they took away Kendrick Perkins [stats] and still managed to defeat the vaunted Spurs.

The 98-90 decision moved the Celts to 5-2 without Garnett - the two losses by a combined four points. Hey, if they could find a way to send Paul Pierce [stats] and Ray Allen on an extended vacation, the Shamrocks might just run the table.

“Oh, I don’t even want to think about that,” Pierce said with a laugh after throwing in 35 points to put the C’s at 16-0 against the Western Conference this season.

Alleged humor aside, the Celtics have become remarkable in their ability to play through adversity and absence. Yes, Pierce and Ray Allen (19 points) were large, but the C’s don’t knock off the NBA’s Gold Standard without the work of pseudo centers Glen Davis and Leon Powe, as well as Rajon Rondo [stats] (11 rebounds, career-high 12 assists), Eddie House (10 points off the bench), James Posey and Tony Allen.

Tim Duncan had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Manu Ginobili added 21 for the Spurs, but the Celtics turned a tenuous two-point lead into a rolling rally by scoring nine of the game’s last 12 points.

“Obviously, the stars, Paul and Ray, were terrific,” said C’s coach Doc Rivers, “but I thought the contribution from Eddie in the first half was big for us because we were struggling offensively and we needed points. Then Tony Allen in the second half when we took Ray off the floor and Baby (Davis) and Leon overall, just their contribution guarding Tim Duncan and throwing their body around.”

The other huge key was tempo. The Spurs wanted to waltz, and the Celts needed to rock.

“We could not win this game if the pace slowed down at all,” Rivers said. “We’re not going to win a halfcourt game against the Spurs because we didn’t have a post presence. We had to keep the floor spread, and I thought we did a nice job.”

Nice doesn’t begin to describe it. The Celtics had 18 fast-break points to San Antonio’s grand total of zero.

Still, if Michael Finley’s 3-pointer hadn’t rattled out, the game would have been tied at 90 in the final minute. But after a Pierce miss, Rondo picked up an enormous offensive rebound, and the Celts, who had been just 15-for-26 from the line, went on to hit their last eight free throws.

“It was a great effort,” Pierce said. “We played with a lot of intensity, and that’s what it’s going to take to beat these elite teams in the NBA. We’ve got to make up for our lack of players with our hard work and our hustle, and that’s what we were able to do today. Everybody grinded it out, made it a physical ballgame, and we pulled it out at the end.”

The win broke a nine-game losing streak to the Spurs in Boston, the last victory coming on Jan. 8, 1997.

“Any time you beat a quality team like the Spurs, it’s a quality win, so, yeah, it’s nice,” Rivers said. “Guys get up for different games. They play hard every night, but they really wanted this game. You know, when you win a game - and I don’t care who it is against and where it’s at - with Kevin out and with Perk out, it’s a significant win.

“We don’t talk about (the missing bodies) a lot. We just don’t. We don’t sit and hold a vigil. I just don’t believe in that, and I think our guys fall into that. They understand that he’s not playing. We try not to make a big deal of it, because if we do, they will.”

But keeping up the pace with a record that now stands at 39-9 is certainly a sizable deal.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1072706&format=text

Plate full of defense
Rivers cooks up way to slow down Duncan

By Jeff Horrigan | Monday, February 11, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Tara Carvalho
It was only fitting that one of the Food Network’s biggest stars, chef Mario Batali, was sitting in the front row along the baseline at TD Banknorth Garden yesterday to observe Doc Rivers operate in the Celtics [team stats]’ 98-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Even though he was missing his two biggest (size-wise) ingredients - Kevin Garnett (abdominal strain) and Kendrick Perkins [stats] (dislocated shoulder) - the Celtics coach did a masterful job of mixing and matching with what he had left at his disposal to handle one of the game’s greatest stars: Tim Duncan.

Rivers deployed rookie Glen Davis and second-year forward Leon Powe on defense against the San Antonio big man, who was never allowed to take control of the game. Duncan scored a team-high 22 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, but was rendered ineffective during vital stretches.

“I think we did a pretty good job,” said Powe, who got the surprise start at center in place of Perkins. “We have pride in our defense and we came out with a defensive mentality today because we were missing some key guys. If we didn’t get some crucial stops, the game could have gone in a different direction.”

Powe, who is generously listed at 6-foot-8, and Davis, who is likewise at 6-9, played extremely physical against Duncan. They held him scoreless for a stretch of 8:22 from midway through the second quarter until early in the third, which helped the Celtics turn a 36-30 deficit into a 45-41 advantage. The Celtics never trailed again. Davis and Powe combined for 14 points and 11 rebounds, while the Celtics outscored the Spurs in the paint, 30-26.

Davis said his goal was to get under Duncan’s skin.

“It was just about agitating him and aggravating him and make him react to me, not me reacting to him because, as an offensive player, making a defensive guy react, there’s so many counters you can do,” said Davis, who scored nine points and pulled down eight rebounds. “So you try to make him react to me and make him do this and make him do that, so I know what he’s doing. I’m not going to block shots. All I can do is contest. If the ball’s low, swipe at it.”

Rivers said that he was happy with the way Davis followed orders.

“What we told Glen was, ‘He’s taller than you; you’re heavier than him, you know, literally,’ ” Rivers said. “And we said, ‘You’re lower than him, you’re not going to grow today. He’s going to be taller than you by the end of the day but because you’re low and you have a low center of gravity, get into his legs and try to push him off the block and try to keep him out of the middle and beat him to the spot baseline.’ A couple of times and Glen was shaking his head, he was frustrated because he did that and Duncan still scored. And we had to remind him that Duncan was really good.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1072713&format=text

Rondo plays like Parker

By Jeff Horrigan | Monday, February 11, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics
San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker missed his sixth consecutive game yesterday due to a nagging left ankle injury, but his almost-incomparable point-guard style still made an appearance at TD Banknorth Garden thanks to Rajon Rondo [stats]’s work in the Celtics [team stats]’ 98-90 victory over the defending NBA champions.

The second-year Celtics guard scored only five points, but still managed to record his fourth career double-double thanks to a career-high 12 assists and a team-high 11 rebounds.

“He was great,” lauded San Antonio superstar Tim Duncan. “He rebounded the ball from the guard position and he just kept finding people. He played a very good game all around. He’s been playing well this season, obviously, in that position for them and he did it again tonight.”

Rondo, whose previous double-doubles all included double figures in scoring, kept the offense moving and helped the Celtics outscore San Antonio 18-0 on the fast break.

“My role on this team is not to score but, at the same time, I can score,” said Rondo, who had one other double-double this season (14 points, 12 rebounds against Dallas on Jan. 31). “I just try to go out and defend and do the intangibles.”

Rondo, who had 11 assists on two occasions during his rookie season, was proud to reach a dozen for the first time in the NBA.

“It means a lot,” he said. “I’m still learning the game, but I’ve got to be unselfish, being the point guard.

“Ray (Allen) and Paul (Pierce) were hot early, so I just kept trying to get them the ball.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Rondo already has established himself as an elite point guard.

“I think as the jump shot improves, he’ll be scarier,” Popovich said. “I think he’s already exceeded expectations for this season and what he’ll do. I remember reading or seeing things on TV that he can’t do it, he’s not a good point guard, like, no way and that kind of stuff. Well, obviously there is a way. He’s done a hell of a job and showed a lot of people wrong.”

Celtics coach Doc Rivers has no problem with the growing number of comparisons between Parker and Rondo.

“I’m all for it,” Rivers said. “I want Rajon to be Rajon. I don’t want him to be anybody but him. Having said that, if you’re going to be someone else, that’s not a bad guy to be. You know, Magic (Johnson), Oscar (Robertson), there are a lot of guys I’d like him to be. But as far as speed and quickness, it probably makes more sense that you put those two (Rondo and Parker) in the same category.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1072714&format=text

No ‘Big Ticket’ for an All-Star event

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Monday, February 11, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP (file)
The Celtics [team stats] officially announced after yesterday’s 98-90 triumph over San Antonio that Kevin Garnett will not play in Sunday’s All-Star Game in New Orleans.

The commissioner’s office wasted no time naming Garnett’s replacement on the Eastern Conference squad, selecting Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace. With Ray Allen bypassed, the Celts, with the best record in the league, have just Paul Pierce [stats] on the All-Star team, while the Pistons now have three (Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Wallace).

“I’m really happy for Rasheed,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said yesterday. “I understand them selecting him. They lost Kevin at the 4-5 (power forward-center) spot, and they needed a 4-5 to replace him. Rasheed is the right selection for that, and, to be honest, he’s one of the guys I voted for in the first place.

“But I’m still not happy that Ray isn’t on the team. I just think he should have been taken in the voting (of the reserves by the coaches). He’s the guy on our team who’s had to sacrifice the most, and I don’t know why that sacrifice wasn’t recognized.”

There is still a possibility that Allen will find his way to New Orleans. Washington’s Caron Butler has been bothered by a strained left hip flexor, and a league source last night said it’s about 50-50 on whether he plays. If he’s out, Allen would seem a logical choice.

As coach of the East, Rivers will get to choose who starts in Garnett’s place.

Dislocation for Perk

Garnett’s abdominal strain will keep him out at least until after the All-Star break, and fellow big man Kendrick Perkins [stats] is looking at a similar timetable after dislocating his left shoulder in Minnesota Friday. The injury comes almost precisely two years after he first dislocated it in a practice (Brian Scalabrine got him).

“From the MRI, they’re telling me it’s a different injury,” Perkins said yesterday. “It’s just a little sore right now. It’s pretty much day-to-day.

“It’s scary because you just don’t want it happening again. But other than that, it’s all right. I’ve got to play through it.”

Scarier still is that Perkins doesn’t believe contact led to the injury, which occurred late in the third quarter of Friday’s win.

“I didn’t even get hit, and it just popped out,” he said. “I popped it back in. Injuries happen. I’d rather it happen now than in the playoffs.”

Added Rivers: “It’s serious because it’s his shoulder and it’s the one he had surgery on. But I think he’ll be back pretty soon - probably not (tomorrow) or Wednesday. He should play after the break. There’s a chance he could play (tomorrow) or Wednesday, but I doubt it.

“The shoulder is always a concern. If you know histories of shoulders, when they come out that usually means they’re going to come back out. When they have surgery, you hope they never come back out. If it happens again, it probably will happen again. That’s just the nature of that injury.”

Garnett, meanwhile, did some light running yesterday and is tracking steadily toward a return.

“He didn’t sprint, but he did some movement,” Rivers said. “Hopefully (today), we can actually put him on the floor and do dummy O (offense) - no defense and very slow-moving offense - just to start building his rhythm back up of what we do.”

No help on way

Considering his lack of available big men, Rivers was asked if the team needed to bring in help.

“Injury-wise, yeah,” he said. “But when we’re all healthy, then no. And we’re going to be all healthy. We’re going to be healthy eventually. We just have to get to that day.” . . .

Scot Pollard (sore left ankle) dressed for yesterday’s game but didn’t play.

Rivers said beforehand he’d only use him in an extreme situation . . . “like both (big) guys (Leon Powe and Glen Davis) have fouled out.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/11/small_wonders?mode=PF


Small wonders
Without big men, Celtics a little better than champion Spurs
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | February 11, 2008

There was a big road win against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The home victory over the Mavericks wasn't bad either. But with their three tallest players out, the Celtics might have earned their most impressive victory this season against the reigning NBA champion Spurs yesterday.

Without starting big men Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics defeated San Antonio, 98-90, in a nationally televised matinee at a sold-out TD Banknorth Garden. Boston is a surprising 16-0 against the mighty Western Conference.

"Well, any time you beat a quality team like the Spurs, it's a quality win," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "So, yeah, it's nice. Guys get up for different games. They play hard every night. But they really wanted this game. When you win a game, and I don't care who it is against and where it's at, with Kevin out, with Perk out, it's a significant win."

The Celtics are 5-2 without the 6-foot-11-inch Garnett, who is out with an abdominal strain that has forced him to pull out of Sunday's All-Star Game in New Orleans. The 6-10 Perkins missed yesterday's game with a strained left shoulder and is day-to-day. While he was available in case of an emergency, 6-11 veteran Scot Pollard hasn't played since Jan. 9 because of a sore left ankle. The Spurs, however, were without point guard Tony Parker because of left ankle inflammation.

"They're the best team in the league, so it's not shocking that they beat us," said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who had 21 points and five 3-pointers. "We are not playing well. They have absences the same way that we do. I was expecting a really hard game that was tough to win."

Paul Pierce filled the scoring void for the Celtics with a game-high 35 points, including five 3-pointers. Ray Allen added 19 points, while reserve guard Eddie House added 10 points and two treys. Rajon Rondo had a career-high 12 assists and one turnover for the Celtics, who have an NBA-best 39-9 record and are 22-4 at home. The Spurs are 32-17.

"I don't know that this game really sends a message," Pierce said. "We just want to continue to play well."

The Celtics started Brian Scalabrine (2 points, 1-of-5 shooting) in place of Garnett and Leon Powe (5 points, 4 fouls) for Perkins. But reserve forward Glen Davis gave Boston some much-needed punch in the post offensively and defensively with 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals in 33 minutes. The rookie also played tough defense on Spurs superstar Tim Duncan, who had 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists but also had 6 points on 2-of-4 shooting in the fourth quarter. Duncan lost in Boston for the first time in his illustrious NBA career; the Celtics hadn't beaten San Antonio in Boston since Jan. 8, 1997, a streak of nine consecutive losses.

"It was amazing to be out there with Tim Duncan, knowing that he is one of the greatest," Davis said. "The matchup against him today meant a lot for my confidence and also for my team. I think my team gave me a lot of confidence, my coach gave me a lot of confidence putting me out there, and you know it just felt good."

Said Duncan: "They got some good play from Glen Davis."

The Celtics went into halftime with a 43-41 lead after both teams shot 42.1 percent from the field. Boston, however, missed 6 of 12 free throws before intermission. Pierce had 14 of his 18 first-half points in the first quarter.

Boston outscored the Spurs, 25-20, in the third quarter to take a 68-61 lead. After being up by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, Boston's lead was sliced to 2 (83-81) after Ime Udoka's layin with 3:59 left. The Celtics responded with an 11-6 run capped by two Rondo free throws with 16 seconds left to take a 94-87 lead that gave them the breathing room they needed.

"In the end they just played better basketball than we did," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They were a little sharper, and they took care of the ball a little bit better than we did. They made some shots when they needed to, got some rebounds when they needed to down the stretch, and that was the difference in the ballgame."

After the All-Star Game, the Celtics will get challenged again out West with a road trip against Denver, Golden State, Phoenix, Portland, and the Los Angeles Clippers. And in March, Boston has a five-game trip that includes San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and New Orleans.

Of Boston's success against the West, Allen said, "It doesn't really matter except when the Finals come if we are fortunate to still be out there still playing. We have a lot of basketball ahead of us, we are approaching the All-Star break, and we have a West Coast swing that we are going to be tested [on], so we want to get some wins when we go out that way."

Said Pierce: "We realize we have to go back out West in about a week or so, so we just want to continue to play well, get through this part of the schedule where we can get some guys back off the injured list, and go into the second half of the season."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/11/they_find_an_opening_with_shutdown_d?mode=PF

They find an opening with shutdown D
By Peter May | February 11, 2008

The Spurs, or what's left of them, made their annual visit to Boston yesterday. The Celtics, or what's left of them, ended a home losing streak to San Antonio that stretched to Jan. 8, 1997, when Tim Duncan still was enjoying the pleasures of Wake Forest, Tony Parker was a teenager, and Bruce Bowen was league-hopping three times, including a stop in renowned hoop hotbed Besancon, France (he somehow averaged 25.5 points a game there; that is not a misprint.)

And, as always when the Spurs are around, the talk turns to defense, and the outcome hinges on which team can make the stops in a close game. San Antonio always used to be that team when it played the Celtics. Yesterday, even without Kevin Garnett to anchor things, the Celtics were that team.

In the end, the Celtics made the stops in a 98-90 victory. In the end, the Celtics made the hustle plays. In the end, the Celtics got a welcome, if surprising 33-minute stint from Glen Davis that had everyone in black and silver throwing bonbons his way following a 9-point, 8-rebound performance. The Celtics now have a two-game winning streak over a team that, until last St. Patrick's Day, hadn't lost to a Boston team in a decade.

Kind of overnight, the Celtics have become the Spurs. They brought in defensive guru Tom Thibodeau ("He's a master," lauded Bowen). They brought in Garnett ("By osmosis, his energy and effort rubs off. He makes his teammates play hard and they don't want to mess up and have to hear it from him," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said). At times yester day, the Spurs must have felt like they were playing against their old selves. The Celtics allowed them very few uncontested shots and 0 (as in zero) fast-break points in the game.

"Defensively they were solid," Duncan said. "They are always solid."

Now that qualifies as high praise.

The stats say the Celtics have been, from Day 1, the best defensive team in the league. The Spurs were always among the top two or three teams in the two big categories - points allowed and defensive field goal percentage. Yesterday, they walked onto the TD Banknorth Garden floor No. 3 in points allowed (behind Boston and Detroit) but, ahem, 14th in defensive field goal percentage (behind such defensive juggernauts as Indiana and Phoenix). And the Celtics shot 46.5 percent, higher than what the Spurs usually allow.

"I had noticed watching some of their games before and then looking at the stats that they were the top defensive team in the league," the Spurs' Manu Ginobili said. "You gotta give them credit. They play hard. They do it consistently."

Or, as Popovich noted, perhaps somewhat plaintively, "They play harder and more aggressively, more physically, than anyone, than any other team in the league on a consistent basis. That's what makes them special."

The Spurs were without Parker and Brent Barry while the Celtics were without Garnett and Kendrick Perkins. While Garnett is a huge absence, so is Parker, for the Spurs have trouble scoring without him, and that puts even more pressure on their defense. Yet they were within a spin of the ball of tying the game in the final minute when Michael Finley's 3-pointer went in, went down, and still somehow spun out.

But even with that, the Celtics' plays at both ends showed a maturity and a focus that, well, we always saw from the Spurs when San Antonio came through town and left with the obligatory W. There was Big Baby grabbing an offensive rebound in a 2-point game, outmaneuvering Duncan, and going right back up for a layup. "You don't see that too often in a rookie, especially going up against a four-time champion and an MVP," Paul Pierce said of Davis. "But he wanted the challenge."

There was Rajon Rondo, getting a key offensive rebound and registering a double-double that did not include points (12 assists, a career high, and 11 rebounds). Said Duncan of Rondo, "He was great." There was Ray Allen getting his hand on a rebound off a missed free throw and James Posey forcing two big turnovers.

"Too many mistakes that bit us in the butt down the stretch," Duncan lamented. He saluted the work of Davis. "Glen did a great job of using his wide body, cutting down my angles. He played well."

It's hard to get a real read on either team from this game, other than the obvious - they're both pretty good. Perhaps they will be whole again when the Celtics meet the Spurs in San Antonio on - yup - St. Patrick's Day. By that time, every Eastern Conference team will have passed through San Antonio except Boston. By that time, Parker's sore left ankle and Garnett's abdominal strain should be healed.

But regardless of who plays, you probably can look for another defensive grinder, given the decade-old slant of the Spurs and the newfound orientation of the Celtics.

The Spurs didn't win four titles firing away and living on the edge in the Wild, Wild West. And if the Celtics are lucky enough to get that far this year, it won't be for that reason, either. You know what they say: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/11/garnett_a_fallen_star?mode=PF


Garnett a fallen Star
Wallace takes his spot in New Orleans
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | February 11, 2008

The Celtics may have the most wins in the NBA, but as of now they will have only one representative in uniform during the All-Star Game.

The NBA announced yesterday that commissioner David Stern had selected Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace to replace injured Celtics forward Kevin Garnett in the game Sunday in New Orleans.

Boston's Doc Rivers, who will coach the Eastern Conference, said Garnett will be out through All-Star weekend. He missed his seventh straight game with an abdominal strain yesterday as the Celtics defeated the Spurs, 98-90, at TD Banknorth Garden. Boston's lone All-Star available to play is forward Paul Pierce.

"With losing Kevin at the forward spot, it makes sense to replace him with a forward," said Rivers via text message yesterday. "[Wallace] is well-deserving and one of the guys I voted for in the first place." Yet Rivers said he was disappointed Celtics guard Ray Allen was not selected.

Before yesterday's game, Rivers had expressed hope that Allen would replace Garnett in the All-Star Game. But the first-time Eastern Conference coach also expressed concern Garnett might not be replaced with another forward. There have been occasions when the NBA replaced an All-Star at one position with a player at another position. With Wallace, the East now has five forwards.

Allen is averaging 18.4 points and shooting 42.4 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from 3-point range, in 38.3 minutes per game. Wallace is averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds.

"I'm still disappointed in the original selection, or lack of [selection], for Ray," Rivers said. "He has sacrificed more than anyone to make things work here, and that should be rewarded."

Said Allen in a phone interview about Wallace, "He definitely deserves it. His team is doing well."

Before yesterday's game, Allen had said, "Of course, I would love to go there and be a representative of this team. We've had a great first half of the season. There is no place that you'd rather be to walk into a hotel than at an All-Star city because you got so much to be proud of.

"It's tough when you've lost and you've had a bad season as a team and you go to the All-Star Game because there is not much going on. But the Celtics have been the story. I'll be watching if I'm not there."

The Pistons now have three Stars in Wallace and guards Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton. Before last night's game, Detroit coach Flip Saunders said, "There's a lot of guys that are good players that don't go to the All-Star Game because of their position. Ray Allen is probably a guy that's deserving, but from a position standpoint, as far as Garnett going out . . . [the East is] small as it is because they really didn't go with a backup center with Chris Bosh. He's a forward."

Perkins sits

Center Kendrick Perkins missed the game with what is being called a strained left shoulder, but he hopes to play before the All-Star break. Perkins suffered the injury during the third quarter of Friday night's win at Minnesota. He said he didn't know how he suffered the injury and said he pushed his shoulder back into its socket after it was dislocated. "I don't know how much longer it's going to be," Perkins said.

Perkins missed 13 games with a dislocated left shoulder during the 2005-06 season. While Rivers is concerned, he doesn't think Perkins's current injury is as severe as the last one. Perkins said doctors had to push his shoulder back in during the previous injury and it was different part of the shoulder.

"The shoulder is always a concern," Rivers said. "If you know the histories of shoulders, when they come out it usually means they are going to come back out. When you have surgery you hope it never comes back out. And if it happens again, then it probably will happen again. That's just the nature of that injury."

The big question

The Celtics are also without veteran center Scot Pollard, who hasn't played since Jan. 9 against Charlotte because of a left ankle sprain.

Although Pollard didn't play yesterday, he did dress in case of an emergency.

Because of injuries, the Celtics will not practice today before flying to Indianapolis for tomorrow night's game against the Pacers.

When asked if the Celtics needed some big-man help, Rivers said, "I don't know. Injury-wise, yeah. But when we are all healthy, no. But we're going to be healthy eventually. We'll have to get to that day."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x954872971

Celtics 98, Spurs 90: Another statement

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Photo by Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
Glen Davis (right) rips down a rebound against the Spurs and Tim Duncan during the Celtics win.
By Scott Souza/Daily News staff
GHS
Sun Feb 10, 2008, 09:31 PM EST

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Boston, Mass. -
Paul Pierce's mantra this season has been to stress defense over offense in the quest for a long playoff run.

So the Celtics captain was keeping true to form yesterday afternoon when he seemed more anxious to talk about the defensive effort of rookie forward Glen Davis on Spurs superstar Tim Duncan in the fourth quarter of a 98-90 victory than his own 35-point contribution to the stirring triumph.

"It was huge," Pierce lauded. "The way he used his body and his strength, just to kind of push Duncan out of the paint and take away his easy layups at times. That's big for a rookie. You don't see rookies coming in and accepting that challenge against a four-time champion and MVP of this league. He wanted that challenge tonight and when the coach called his number he was there."

Davis was there the entire fourth quarter pestering Duncan into errant shots and forcing him to pass out to the post. With Kevin Garnett (strained abdominal muscle) and Kendrick Perkins (strained left shoulder) out of the lineup, it was up to the 6-foot-8 Davis and 6-foot-7 Leon Powe to contain the daunting frontcourt of the defending champs. Davis, especially, rose to the occasion with seven points and three steals in the final 12 minutes as part of a nine-point, eight-rebound, three-steal effort.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers chose not to trap Duncan for much of the game - with Michael Finley and Manu Ginobili poised to burn the hosts with 3-pointers (8 for the game) whenever they did - so it was up to Davis to hold his own against one of the NBA's premier post players.

"To match up with him today, it meant a lot," Davis said, "for my confidence, and also for my team. My team gave me a lot of confidence out there and my coach gave me a lot of confidence out there by putting me out there."

The Celtics used their smarts to overcome the savvy Spurs throughout the nationally televised matinee.

Pierce had 14 in the first quarter and Eddie House had 10 in the second helping the Celtics hit the half up 43-41. The Celtics stretched the lead to seven three times before Pierce's jumper off Rondo's 10th assist gave the Celtics a nine-point bulge at 61-52 with 4:03 left in the third.

The Spurs used a 9-1 run to get within a point before James Posey's 3-pointer off a kickout from Davis capped a 7-0 run to end the quarter and sent the Celts to the final 12 minutes up 68-61.

A Pierce 3-pointer - his fifth of the game - stretched the lead to 71-61 in the opening seconds of the fourth and the Celtics kept it at nine, 79-70, off seven straight points off the bench from Tony Allen. A pair of Pierce baskets from Posey (5 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals) maintained the lead at 83-76 with 5:12 left before the Spurs ran off five straight to pull within a basket at the 3:58 mark.

A Davis put-back and Ray Allen (19 points) drive from Rondo (5 points, 11 rebounds, career-high 12 assists) made it 87-83 with 2:43 left, then Pierce stole a rebound from Duncan, was promptly fouled and hit two free throws for an 89-83 lead at 2:15.

Ginobili soon countered with a trey for an 89-87 game at 1:24. Davis took a feed from Pierce and was fouled, hitting 1-of-2, for a 90-87 lead at 1:13. Posey grabbed a big rebound on a Finley miss the other way and Rondo's rebound of a Pierce miss went to Ray Allen for two free throws and a 92-87 edge with 22.8 seconds remaining.

The Celtics, who made 11 of their final 12 free throws after missing 10 of their first 22, then closed it out from the line with Rondo, Tony Allen and Davis in the final seconds.

"It was a great effort," said Pierce. "We played with a lot of energy and that's what it's going to take to beat these elite teams in the NBA. We gotta make up for our lack of players with our hard work and our hustle. That's what we were able to do today. Everybody grinded it out, made it a physical ballgame, and we pulled it out in the end."

The Celtics snapped a nine-game home losing streak against the Spurs that spanned more than 11 years. They also improved to 5-2 without Garnett in the lineup, including victories over Western powers Dallas and San Antonio.

"I don't get surprised about anything this team can do," determined Pierce. "I see how we approach each and every day in practice, our mentality in the games, our focus before the games. Nothing about this team really surprises me anymore."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1230355461

Megliola: Resiliency on display, C's now 5-2 minus KG

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By Lenny Megliola/Daily News staff
GHS
Sun Feb 10, 2008, 09:28 PM EST

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Story Tools: Email This | Print This
Boston, Mass. -
Preview of the 2008 NBA Finals? Dream on. But when the losing coach of two teams that were a combined 70-25 says "Good game," that'll have to be good enough for now.

It was a good game the Celtics and Spurs put on yesterday.

But Celtics zealots shouldn't be getting too far ahead of themselves. Yes, this has been a captivating team to watch, and for a whole bunch of reasons. You knew watching Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen play together was going to be easy on the eyes. But you didn't know James Posey and Eddie House, new on the scene, were going to fit in like they have. It's a nice tandem. If one is a little off his game, the other will give you something. Same with rookie Glen Davis and second-year man Leon Powe.

The Celtics are not only good, they're resilient, otherwise going 5-2, and counting, without Garnett wouldn't be have happening.

In front of a pulsating Garden crowd and a national TV audience, the Celtics had to find a way to deal with San Antonio's Tim Duncan without Garnett. Doc Rivers really didn't have much of a choice, since Kendrick Perkins' bum shoulder had him sidelined too. Rivers told Powe and Davis to go play hardball against Duncan, and let's see if you live to tell about it.

The kids did a terrific job in the 98-90 win. Yeah, Duncan had 22 points and 14 rebounds. But he wasn't dominating. There's a difference between numbers and what actually happens on the floor. It was more the work of Davis (33 minutes) than Powe (14 minutes) that made Duncan work for everything he got. "They got some good play from Davis," said the soft-spoken Duncan. Those would have been sweet words to Big Baby, who expressed awe about even sharing the same floor space with the future hall of famer.

"Oh man, it was amazing to be out there with Tim Duncan," said Davis. "The matchup against him meant a lot to my confidence. It just felt good."

Rivers tossed kudos to Davis and Powe for "throwing their body around." Davis finished with nine points and eight rebounds. He was not out of place playing gut-check minutes down the stretch. Quite the opposite.

Rivers called it "a quality win. Guys get up for difference games. They play hard every night. But they really wanted this game. When you win a game, and I don't care who it's against or where it's at, with Kevin and Perk out, it's a significant win."

Garnett probably won't suit up in anger again until Feb. 19 at Denver, if even then. Tricky business, these abdominal strains. Guys with 9-5 office jobs with the same injury get up from their desk gingerly. Getting in and out of a car can aggravate the problem. Try playing basketball. In Garnett's line of work, the only solution to the injury is rest.

Winning without Garnett isn't something the Celtics dwell on. "We don't talk about it a lot," said Rivers. "We don't sit and hold a vigil or anything. We don't make it a big deal." That's because they don't have to be told it's a big deal. So the Celtics have to roll up their sleeves a little higher, that's all. More grunt work is required.

Rivers wasn't sure if Davis got under Duncan's skin. "I don't know if you can frustrate Tim Duncan. What we told Glen was, 'He's taller than you, you're heavier than him. And lower than him. You're not going to grow today. He's going to be taller than you by the end of the day."'

It was going to be Davis against Duncan, with hardly any backup. "We told him, 'We're not going to give you a lot of help,"' said Rivers.

The game produced one of the weird lines of the season. Rajon Rondo shot just 1-for-6, but had a career-high 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Do you have to be reminded that Rondo is 6-foot-1, 170, and that might be padding it, if you know what I mean. "He was terrific," said Rivers. "We need that every night from Rajon, and he's been doing that every night."

Praise for Rondo came from the top. "He was great," said Duncan. "He rebounded the ball from the guard position. He got a big offensive rebound at the end, and he just kept finding people." The Spurs, it should be noted, played without their super point guard Tony Parker.

The modest Rondo said, "I just try to do the intangibles. My role is not to score, but sometimes I can score."

The Celtics are now 16-0 against teams from the West, but Pierce, who had a 35-point afternoon, toned down any bubbly relevance to it. "I don't know if this game really sent a message," said Pierce. "We just want to continue to play well."

Wise words from the captain.

[FLCeltsFan]

sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-080211

New Kid On The Block Weighs Heavily On Duncan, Champs
By John Hollinger
ESPN.com

(Archive)
BOSTON -- Remember this summer when everyone thought the Celtics were three All-Stars and nine CBA players? Might be time for a rethink, huh?


The reason Boston is 39-9 and making a run at the NBA title is because this team is much more than just its three heralded stars, and Sunday's 98-90 win over San Antonio provided further validation. With Kevin Garnett again sidelined, it was Boston's "other guys" who made the difference against the defending champs.

Chief among them was backup forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Although the 290-pound rookie's minutes had dwindled in recent weeks, he earned 33 Sunday by playing strong on-ball defense against Tim Duncan and finished with nine points, eight boards and three steals. On a night when the Celtics were without both Garnett and starting center Kendrick Perkins (shoulder), his contribution was critical.

"What we told Glen was, 'He's taller than you; you're heavier than him,'" said Boston coach Doc Rivers. "And we said 'and you're lower than him. You're not going to grow today. He's going to be taller than you … but because you're low and you have a low center of gravity, get into his legs and try to push him of the block.'"

Indeed, Davis stymied Duncan's back-down efforts by using his heft to force San Antonio's star away from the block. Although Duncan's final numbers were hardly chopped liver -- 22 points, 14 rebounds, six assists -- Davis kept him off the line (four free-throw attempts), and two of his steals came when he used his surprisingly nimble feet to foil entry passes to Duncan.

As a result of how well he played in single coverage, the Celtics didn't need to provide double-team help -- even though they were facing one of the league's premier post players with a short-handed frontcourt.

"I'm sure people thought going into the game that we were going to trap Duncan every single time. The way he's passing now, I didn't think we could win the game that way," Rivers said.

Because of the absence of Garnett on the Boston side and Tony Parker for San Antonio, this game fell a bit short of the "Finals preview" hype that otherwise might have followed it.

Nonetheless, it was a hard-fought, defensive battle that had a playoff feel to it -- punctuated by James Posey 's gratuitous after-the-whistle chuck of Manu Ginobili that got him T'd up in the third quarter. And you could tell it meant more to Boston than a typical regular-season win by the howling and screaming coming from the locker room -- boisterous enough that it was easily heard from the outside hallway.

Davis wasn't the only "other" Celtic to make a difference. Rajon Rondo had 12 assists and 11 rebounds and played stellar defense. Leon Powe struggled with fouls but also did a serviceable job in single coverage against Duncan. Tony Allen came off the bench to help harass Ginobili into six turnovers, including one play on which a falling Ginobili drilled Duncan in the head with a pass from three feet away. And Eddie House scored 10 points in a 2:23 span of the second quarter to keep Boston in the game early.

More than anything, however, the group's young legs helped Boston to a huge advantage in the running game. Boston had 18 fast-break points; San Antonio had none.

"We could not win this game if the pace slowed down at all," Rivers said. "Even to the point with three minutes left, I told them, 'If we got a break, we're taking it.' We're not going to win a half-court game against the Spurs because we didn't have a post presence."

Of course, Boston still needed some star power to close the deal. Paul Pierce was ridiculous in the first quarter, when he started 5-for-5 and scored 14 of his game-high 35 points. The highlight was a fadeaway from the right corner over Ginobili that set off a "That's my dog -- no, that's my dog" scream-off between bench cheerleaders Allen and House.

As far as the Spurs are concerned, they looked as sharp as they have in weeks despite Parker's absence -- raising hopes that the Rodeo Road Trip again will be their salvation. They had won four straight coming in and need only a split of the final two contests (Monday in Toronto and Wednesday in Cleveland) to come away with a winning record on the nine-game stint.

And even with Boston's kids playing so well and Parker out, San Antonio had a chance to tie when Michael Finley's 3-point try rattled out with 45 seconds left.

"We're unhappy for the loss, but if Mike gets his 3, it's a tie game," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "Missed shots have nothing to do with it other than you'd like them to go in, but you can't control that."

Parker, incidentally, is expected to return either the first or second game after the All-Star break. His heel injury is said to be less of an "injury" per se than a condition he has had since childhood that occasionally flares up.

These two sides will meet again in San Antonio on St. Patrick's Day (it just seems wrong that the game isn't in Beantown), when we hope Garnett and Parker will both be back. Boston will be on a five-game road swing then that will provide an even sterner test for the club's youth brigade.

In the meantime, the Celtics proved again that they can more than hold their own against the league's elite. The win moved them to 16-0 against the West -- so much for the idea that they have beaten up only on Eastern patsies. In doing so, they proved once again that this team is far more than just Garnett, Pierce and Allen.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080211/NEWS/802110413/1009/SPORTS
C’s strike down Spurs

Boston now 16-0 vs. West

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




Boston’s Ray Allen shoots against San Antonio’s Tim Duncan in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 98-90 win. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Enlarge photo


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BOSTON— The West may be deeper, but the Celtics proved once again that the NBA’s best team resides in the East.

With starters Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins sidelined by injuries, the Celtics still knocked off the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, 98-90, yesterday before a sold-out Garden and a national television audience.

The Celtics improved to a league-best 39-9, including 16-0 against the Western Conference, with their first home victory over the Spurs since Jan. 8, 1997. The Celtics had lost their last nine here against San Antonio. Last St. Patrick’s Day, they won in San Antonio to end an 18-game overall losing streak against the Spurs.


The Celtics had plenty of heroes. Paul Pierce sank five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 35 points. He scored 13 of his team’s first 15 to help the Celtics get off to a good start and poured in nine in the fourth quarter to ensure a happy finish. Ray Allen contributed 19 points. Rajon Rondo scored just five points, but dished out a career-high 12 assists and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.

“Every time he leads us in rebounding, we seem to win,” Pierce said.

Rondo’s most important board came with 26.9 seconds left after Pierce missed a jumper. The Celtics then got the ball to Allen, who was fouled and made two free throws with 22.8 seconds to go to push Boston’s lead to 92-87.

And Celtics fans can’t forget the contribution of rookie Glen Davis. Big Baby grew up by continually pounding the taller and more experienced Tim Duncan with his body. Duncan ended up with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists, but he scored only two baskets in the fourth quarter and lost to Boston for the first time. Davis actually outscored Duncan, 7-6, in the final quarter and came up with three steals. Davis finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers gave Davis these words of advice in guarding Duncan, “He’s taller than you are, you’re heavier than him.”

So the Celtics urged Davis to use his lower center of gravity to get into Duncan’s legs and push him off the block. That’s what he did.

“This is the moment where you try to be all you can be,” Davis said. “You try to make your place in the NBA playing against one of the best, an All-Star.”

At the same time, Davis refused to call guarding Duncan the biggest challenge of his basketball career.

“Nah, my biggest challenge is myself,” Davis said. “My biggest challenge is being consistent and seeing how great you can be. That’s a challenge. Sometimes you can be scared of and not accept that you can be a great player, but I fear no one.”

“He did great,” Duncan said. “He used his size and his body. He didn’t give me a lot of angles. I thought he did a pretty good job.”

Leon Powe started at center in Perkins’ place but went to the bench with two fouls just two minutes into the game. Davis ended up playing a season-high 33 minutes and 18 seconds.

The “Quick Change” magicians who performed at halftime failed to make Garnett appear in the second half. So the Celtics just learned to win without him and Perkins as well. Even with both out, the Celtics outrebounded the Spurs, 46-37. Rivers said he didn’t make a big deal out of Garnett not playing.

“We don’t sit and hold a vigil or anything,” Rivers said.

“We played with a lot of energy,” Pierce said, “and that’s what it’s going to take to beat these elite teams in the NBA. Regardless, we’ve got to make up for our lack of players with our hard work and our hustle, and that’s what we were able to do today.”

Since Garnett has been out with an abdominal strain, the Celtics have gone 5-2, including wins over the Spurs and the Mavericks, two of the Western Conference’s best teams.

The Celtics won their third in a row and snapped San Antonio’s winning streak at four games. The Spurs had been 6-0 on the road against Eastern Conference foes.

Manu Ginobili scored 21 points and Michael Finley contributed 19 for the Spurs, who played without starting point guard Tony Parker.

Tony Allen’s two foul shots put the Celtics up by 10 early in the fourth, but the Spurs closed within two for the third time, 89-87, on Ginobili’s 3-pointer with 1:24 to play. The Celtics held on by making 9 of 10 foul shots the rest of the way. They sank just 10 of 19 free throws in the first three quarters but made them when they counted the most.

“They’re an improved defensive team,” Duncan said. “I think that’s the biggest difference in them. They did a very good job of getting their hands on some balls. They’re a very good rebounding team. They’re just solid all around.”

James Posey’s 3-pointer in the closing seconds gave Boston a 68-61 lead after three quarters.

Pierce’s 22-foot jumper with 6.5 seconds left enabled Boston to take a 43-41 lead into halftime. The Spurs never led in the second half.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080211/NEWS/802110426/1009/SPORTS

Stars will miss Garnett

Forward likely sidelined for next two games

CELTICS NOTES

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






BOSTON— Doc Rivers will have to get used to coaching without Kevin Garnett — even in the NBA All-Star Game.

Yesterday, Garnett missed his seventh consecutive game with an abdominal strain, and Rivers said he doubted that the veteran forward would play tomorrow night at Indiana or Wednesday at home against the Knicks. After yesterday’s game, the NBA announced that Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace will replace Garnett on the Eastern Conference squad for the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday.

Rivers, who will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars, had wondered if Garnett, who led the All-Star fan balloting, would need to be replaced by another big man in New Orleans, but he said he would have preferred Ray Allen be added to the team instead.


“I should use the Bill Parcells line to the league right now,” Rivers said, “if I’m going to do the cooking… ”

Allen said he would have taken the first flight out to New Orleans if he were chosen to play.

“I would never turn it down,” Allen said. “Who am I to turn down something like that?”

Paul Pierce will be the Celtics’ lone All-Star unless another player drops out and Allen replaces him. The addition of Wallace gives Detroit three All-Stars, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups being the other two.

Yesterday and the next two games should prepare Rivers for coaching in the All-Star Game without many big men. Center Kendrick Perkins also sat out yesterday after straining his left shoulder Friday at Minnesota, and Rivers doesn’t expect him to play until after the All-Star break, either. Backup center Scot Pollard, out with a sprained ankle since Jan. 9, dressed but did not play.

Garnett ran yesterday for the first time since he aggravated his abdominal injury Jan. 25. The 6-foot-11 forward had never missed more than six games in any of his other 12 NBA seasons and sat out only 25 games in all.

With the Celtics’ tallest three players injured, Leon Powe, generously listed as 6 feet, 8 inches tall, started at center, but picked up two fouls in the first two minutes and went to the bench. Rookie Glen Davis, generously listed as 6-9, replaced him and did a good job of keeping his body on Tim Duncan. Brian Scalabrine, a more legitimate 6-9, made his seventh consecutive start at forward in Garnett’s place. San Antonio has five players taller than Scalabrine and Davis.

Perkins reinjured his shoulder two years to the day after he dislocated it in a collision with Scalabrine in practice. Perkins returned to the lineup two years ago after missing 13 games, but the shoulder popped out again during an offseason workout, so he underwent surgery on May 30, 2006.

Perkins said his shoulder popped out of place Friday, and he popped it back in place himself.

“It’s not really the same injury, but it did pop out,” Perkins said. “It just shifted, and I shifted it back in place. It’s still a little sore.”

“The shoulder is always a concern,” Rivers said. “If you know histories of shoulders, when they come out, it usually means they’re going to come back out.”

Rivers didn’t think Perkins’ injury was as serious as two years ago, but the Celtics coach suffered the same injury many years ago, so he knows firsthand that it’s painful every time a shoulder pops out.

“I’m so mad,” Perkins said. “I want to play, but my health is more important. I’ve just got to make sure I take care of myself.”

Rivers indicated the Celtics wouldn’t rush to add another big man because they wouldn’t need one once they returned to full health.

Boston bench proving itself
Before the game, Scalabrine took issue with ABC-ESPN studio analysts Tim Legler and Greg Anthony claiming the Celtics bench was still unproven.

“I think having a 4-2 record so far without him (Garnett) is solid,” Scalabrine said.

The Celtics improved to 5-2 without him yesterday.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he thought the Celtics would do well even if they played in the tougher Western Conference.

“They’ve done a great job,” Popovich said. “Obviously, they’re doing well, not just because they’re talented and deep. On top of that, night after night they’re playing harder and more aggressively than everyone. There’s going to be an off night here and there, but in general I think they’re playing harder and more physically, more aggressively than any other team in the league on a consistent basis. That’s what makes them really special.

“Through osmosis, they’ve adopted Kevin Garnett’s emotion and focus for the game, and I think it shows all the way down the line,” Popovich added. “They don’t want to disappoint him, they don’t want to make him angry, they want to go win. That says a lot about the respect they have for him.”

Spurs point guard Tony Parker missed his sixth consecutive game with a sore left ankle. Damon Stoudamire had started at the point the past three games after being signed as a free agent, but Jacque Vaughn started at the point yesterday.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080211/SPORTS/802110346

AT THE GARDEN: Celtics now making meal of league's best
February 11, 2008 6:00 AM
BOSTON — Next?

After dispatching the Dallas Mavericks a week and a half ago and then the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Sunday — both without All-Star forward Kevin Garnett — is there any doubt the Boston Celtics are championship material?

They were good early on when facing the NBA's side dishes, but what would happen when they took on the league's meat-and-potatoes? They've devoured just about everything put on their collective plate, but topping the Spurs in front of a national audience was the Sunday dinner that proved the Celtics are in contention for the ultimate dessert.

"I think in the end they just played better basketball than we did," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

Boston is a league's best 39-9, and an even more impressive 16-0 against the Western Conference. Even though they still have yet to face the now-Shaqified Phoenix Suns, they own at least one win over nearly every other conceiveable postseason opponent. (Let's hope there's no Celtics-Wizards first-round match-up.)

"I don't get surprised with anything this team can do," captain Paul Pierce said. "I've seen how we approach each and every day in practice, our mentality in the game, our approach to every game. There's nothing about this team that surprises me anymore."

With Kevin Garnett missing his seventh straight game with a strained abdominal muscle, Pierce (35 points) and Ray Allen (19 points) handled the scoring load, while rookie Glen "Big Baby" Davis (seven points, eight rebounds) matched-up defensively against Tim Duncan, helping to give The No. 1 Pick That Got Away his first loss in Boston of his 10-year career.

"Anytime you beat a quality team like the Spurs, it's a quality win," head coach Doc Rivers said. "Guys get up for different games. They play hard every night, but they really wanted this game."

It was evident that Pierce wanted it. He scored 14 of the Celtics' first 16 points of the first quarter.

"I trust the system," Pierce said of his offensive output, and not having to force anything in the absence of KG. "I trust that the ball, if I swing it or set a pick and move without the ball, that the ball will come back and I will take the shots that are available to me."]

And there were plenty of them, with Garnett and starting center Kendrick Perkins (strained left shoulder) sidelined.

"We don't talk about it. We just don't. We don't sit and hold a vigil or anything. I just don't believe in that, and I think our guys fall into that," Rivers said of his missing players. "We try not to make a big deal out of it, because if we do, they will."

The champs, meanwhile, were without starting point guard Tony Parker (left ankle injury), meaning ABC/ESPN was also without any sideline shots of Eva Longoria Parker. In the French Phenom's absence, the Celtics' Rajon Rondo had an outstanding night with 11 rebounds and 12 assists, leading the team in both.

"Every time he leads us in rebounds we win," Pierce said. "So keep crashing the boards, Rondo."

Maybe the result won't be the same when these two teams meet again on St. Patrick's Day and possibly beyond, with Parker back on the court. But by then, the Celtics should also have their full compliment, and we can really see how these two teams match up.

Maybe then, we can start looking at a Celtics-Spurs game as a potential NBA Finals preview, but for now, to the Celtics themselves, it's just another game out of the 82 they need to get through.

"It doesn't really matter, except when the Finals come — if we are fortunate enough to still be out there playing," Allen said. "We have a lot of basketball ahead of us ... (including) a West Coast swing that we are going to be tested."

They've passed just about every other test thus far, but the trick is now that they've taken a bite out of the league's best teams, they need to stay hungry.

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


undefined

[FLCeltsFan]

www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080211/SPORTS/802110350


CELTICS NOTEBOOK
CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Rasheed in, KG out in New Orleans
February 11, 2008 6:00 AM
The news bounced around on its way to being confirmed, but Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace will replace Kevin Garnett in next Sunday's All-Star Game.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said both before and after Sunday's win over the San Antonio Spurs that Garnett — who, due to a strained abdominal muscle, has now missed seven straight games for the first time in his 12-year career — will miss Tuesday's game in Indiana and Wednesday's pre-break finale against New York.

"He's out until after the All-Star break," Rivers confirmed. "I think including the All-Star Game. That I haven't talked to him about, but I assume so."

The Detroit Free Press, citing Pistons team president Joe Dumars, reported Sunday afternoon that Wallace had already been selected to replace Garnett, ending hope for Ray Allen to take his teammate's place. The league soon followed, citing the choice of Wallace as being by commissioner David Stern.

As coach of the Eastern squad, Rivers will choose who will get the start in KG's absence.



BIG DAY FOR 'BIG BABY'
With Garnett out and starting center Kendrick Perkins sidelined with a strained left shoulder, it fell upon the Celtics' little big men to contend against Tim Duncan. And after starter Leon Powe got into early foul trouble, that pressure fell squarely on the shoulders of rookie forward Glen Davis. "Big Baby" played just more than 33 minutes, with nine points, eight rebounds and three steals, and he made Duncan work for every one of his 22 points and 14 rebounds.

"It was amazing to be out there with Tim Duncan, knowing that he is one of the greatest," Davis said. "At first it was awe, and then it was like, 'Got to play defense.'"

Rivers knew the rookie might be intimidated going up against a player like Duncan.

"We told Glen, 'He's taller than you, you're heavier than him. And you're lower than him. You're not going to grow today,'" Rivers said.

Still, when Davis did all he was asked and The Big Fundamental still had a big first half, the rookie was visibly frustrated.

"We had to remind him that Duncan is really good. That's going to happen. You can't get frustrated," Rivers said.

Davis said that what was important is that the other Celtics can look to Davis despite his youth and inexperience.

"It means a lot when my team trusts me. That's what it's all about out there on the court," he said. "In order to win you've got to have trust in your teammates, and that's what we had out there."



AN INSIDE (AND HIGH DEF) LOOK
Last week, Comcast Sports Net officially launched its own high definition channel (852, for Comcast customers), and with it will now be broadcasting all Celtics games — be them home or away — in HD.

But also of note is the addition of the new Celtics OnDemand feature for Comcast subscribers, allowing 24-7 access to some unique team-oriented features. Currently playing is a 30-minute documentary on the Celtics' turnaround from last season; video of deep-sea fishing trip with Pierce, Powe and assistant coach Clifford Ray; and highlights of Media Day, Opening Night and Celtics Dancers performances. The content will be regularly updated, including each game's pre-and-post-game shows, as well as press conferences.

"Celtics OnDemand will give our fans a unique, in-depth look at the Boston Celtics," team president Rich Gotham said. "The Celtics are thrilled to begin this service with Comcast because the chief benefactor of this partnership will be Celtics fans."

If Celtics OnDemand can reach the content levels of its Patriots counterpart, fans of the Green will get true insider access.

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


undefined

[FLCeltsFan]

www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080211/COLUMNISTS06/46568797/-1/sports

Celtics' win over San Antonio a healer
It won't make New England fans forget the Super Bowl. That might take years. But the Boston Celtics would like to be part of the healing process. They took another step in that direction Sunday, with a 98-90 victory over the NBA defending champion San Antonio Spurs.

A team with the best record in the league winning at home is no reason to plan a parade. It was more the circumstances of the nationally televised event that made it somewhat significant.

Kevin Garnett sat for his seventh-straight game with an abdominal strain, which will sideline him at least through next Sunday's All-Star Game, and starting center Kendrick Perkins was out with a shoulder injury.

So the Celtics' answer to defending Tim Duncan was Leon Powe and Glenn Davis. It didn't look good early when Powe picked up two fouls in the first two minutes. Duncan finished the afternoon affair with his usual 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

But when the Spurs attempted to exploit the miss-match in the fourth quarter, the 6-foot-9, 290-pound Davis did a pretty good job of getting in his way.

"I don't know if you frustrate Duncan,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "What we told Glenn was he's taller than you, but you're heavier than him, literally.

"We told him you're lower than him and you're not going to grow today. But because you're low and you have a low center of gravity, get into his legs and try to push him off the block.''

When Davis did his job and Duncan still scored a couple of times early, Rivers said he just told Davis, "he (Duncan) is really good, that's going to happen.''

Davis, who didn't get much help because Duncan is such a good passer, tried not to get caught up in the moment, at least not too much.

"Oh man, it was amazing to be out there with Tim Duncan, knowing that he is one of the greatest'' said Davis, who had nine points and eight rebounds in a season-high 33 minutes. "I just tried to aggravate him, agitate him and make him react to me rather than me reacting to him.''

It was the Celtics' first win at home against San Antonio since January of 1997, the year before Duncan joined the team. It was only their second win over the Spurs in Duncan's 10-year career.

It made the Celtics an incredible 16-0 against the Western Conference, a fact no one seems able to explain.

"It doesn't really matter except when the finals come and if we are fortunate to be out there playing,'' said Ray Allen, who had 19 points.

"We just want to continue to play well,'' said Celtics captain Paul Pierce, who led all scorers with 35. "We realize we have to go back out West in about a week or so.''

While Pierce and Allen scored more than half their points, Sunday was a day to celebrate the little people who have made the team's 39-9 start possible, like point guard Rajon Rondo – who had a career-high 12 assists and 11 rebounds.

It was Rondo's first career double-double that didn't include points.

San Antonio played without starting point guard Tony Parker, who missed another game with a temperamental left ankle.

So once again, attaching too much significance to an early-February match-up between two potential final opponents is pointless.

But for New England fans whose perfect world was shattered just seven days earlier, it might have dulled some of the pain.