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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 7:12:21 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1073473&format=textCelts knock off Knicks But limp into break with more injuries By Steve Bulpett | Thursday, February 14, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics  Photo by Matthew Healey With the casualties mounting, the Celtics [team stats] reached the All-Star break not a moment too soon. Following a 111-103 knock of the New York Knicks last night at the Garden, the Celts departed for the NBA holiday with nine lost games and now four lost bodies. Glen Davis and Brian Scalabrine went out with a strained left quad and a strained right groin, respectively, while Rajon Rondo [stats] finished the game with a closed right eye, courtesy of a poke from Fred Jones. “We were going to have to start dipping down into the D-League, man,” cracked Paul Pierce [stats]. “The break couldn’t be better timing with the way guys are going down. It’s a good time to get us some rest so hopefully we can get some guys back for the West Coast trip.” The Celts finished the first portion of the season with five straight wins and just four players on the bench, and one of those reserves, Scot Pollard, was to be used only in emergency because of a sore left ankle. But there was no need for coach Doc Rivers to call 911 - or in Pollard’s case 66 - against a number of Knicks who appear to be looking to escape from New York. Pierce scored 24 points and Ray Allen, who learned at halftime he would replace the Washington Wizards’ Caron Butler with the Eastern Conference All-Stars, added 21 as the locals overcame their own ennui to finish things off. Leon Powe and Rondo added 18 points apiece in support. “We were Leon away from being in a lot of trouble,” Rivers said. “We told him don’t foul, don’t move, we need you to stay on the floor. We literally didn’t have another big. I was trying to get through that game without using Scot because one of the things we told him was that we’re going to wait until after All-Star break and then start throwing him in. “We’re hoping when we get back from break we get healthy bodies.” Davis certainly didn’t look good as he moved through the dressing room on crutches and stopped to say he’d be getting an MRI today. “It hurts really bad,” Davis said. “That’s all I know.” Rivers sounded a little more encouraging, saying, “(Davis has) a twisted knee. They don’t think it’s anything more than that, so there’s a chance he’ll be playing by the time we get back from the break. Hopefully Kevin (Garnett, out with an abdominal strain, is) playing. He’s been running and he’s going to work out in New Orleans (the site of the All-Star Game) with our staff.” Scalabrine left the game in the first quarter. Davis went out at the five-minute mark of the second when he was blocked on a drive by Malik Rose and came down awkwardly on his left leg after spinning around. Still the game appeared to be a runaway when the Celts came out of halftime with a 13-point lead and proceeded to score the first 12 points of the third quarter. The Knicks certainly did their part, turning the ball over on their first three possessions and on five of their first six. They finally scored on a Zach Randolph drive at 8:37. A short while later, Powe scored twice inside (once as part of a conventional three-point play) and Pierce added a jumper to get the lead up to a high of 27 points at 75-48. The margin was still at a healthy 23 points with three minutes left in the quarter when the Celts began giving the ball away. The Knicks got as close as seven with 6:58 to go. “For us, with all the injuries we’ve had, we’ll take the win,” Rivers said. “But I was not happy. I thought we let our guard down clearly in the second half when we could have put the game away.” Said Pierce: “It was a little sloppy. After we got up 20, we kind of got a little complacent, but we won the game and that’s all that matters.” At this point, 41-9 is what matters. That and five days off to heal themselves.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 7:14:56 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1073484&format=textDoc talk has Allen seeing Stars By Jeff Horrigan | Thursday, February 14, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics  Photo by Matthew Healey Ray Allen was not exactly in a celebratory mood at halftime last night when Celtics [team stats] coach Doc Rivers broke the news to him that he had just been named to his eighth All-Star Game. The guard, who was named to replace injured Washington Wizards star Caron Butler on the East team, was still dwelling on a sloppy finish to the first half when Rivers told him to get ready to join him in New Orleans this weekend. “I knew what he was saying (but) I didn’t quite expect it at halftime,” said Allen, who finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the Celtics’ 111-103 win over the New York Knicks. “I wasn’t happy because I had a couple of turnovers that I didn’t like, so I wasn’t really jumping for joy. But I’m glad to be going.” Allen will join Paul Pierce [stats] and the C’s coaching staff for Sunday’s game. Leading vote-getter Kevin Garnett is expected to be on hand to observe, but won’t play due to an abdominal strain. Point guard Rajon Rondo [stats] will play in Friday’s rookie-sophomore game. “I always thought (Allen) should be part of the original 12, but he’s there and he’s going to represent the Celtics with me,” Pierce said. “I was getting lonely for a minute when Kevin wasn’t going to play, and now I have Ray with me. We’ll have a good time.” Allen was admittedly distracted during the second half by all of the necessary work he’ll have to do today to cancel a planned vacation in the Bahamas. “I’ve got to get home and start doing some work to cancel some golf outings, hotel rooms and beach time,” he said. “I have a little bit of OCD when it comes to planning and I started thinking about the first thing I need to do, the second thing I need to do and the third thing, and who I need to call. . . . I went out to the bench and some of those thoughts crept in.” Allen made it clear, however, that he is delighted to be an All-Star. “I have so many years of my life to vacation,” he said. “My mantra has always been to put the work in and do the things necessary to put yourself in great position later on in life. These are those moments that when I’m retired, I’ll be glad I took full advantage of them. “I think about Boston last year and their representation was Gerald Green in the dunk contest, so to have so many representing now with the first half we’ve had, we can walk around and enjoy the success we’ve had and let people talk about us and make a fuss over us. “Then we’ll go right back to work in the second half.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 7:21:52 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1073485&format=textAinge not in rush to deal By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Thursday, February 14, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by AP Dallas’ Devean George has blocked the trade of Jason Kidd to the Mavericks for the time being, but league sources said late last night that there is still hope the move can be worked out. If so, it would be the latest play in the Western Conference game of high stakes poker. Phoenix saw the Lakers’ pickup of Pau Gasol and raised them a Shaquille O’Neal, and now the Mavericks are trying to get into it. “I think you’re seeing a pattern of teams that have some hard decisions to make,” Danny Ainge, the Celtics [team stats] director of basketball operations, said before his team’s 111-103 win over the Knicks last night. “There are teams that are reshuffling the deck and teams that are trying to win now.” Having done the former, Ainge believes the Celtics are well equipped to do the latter. But with the NBA trade deadline a week from today, he isn’t throwing his cell phone into the Charles. “I’m happy with my roster, but I’m still looking for something that might help us,” Ainge said. “I don’t really have any specific things I’m hunting for. “I like our team, so in order for me to do anything it has to be something good. I never say never, but I like our team.” With the best record in the league, however, the Celts can afford to be picky - and lighthearted. As Ainge was speaking before the game, Brian Scalabrine, who would later suffer a groin strain, walked by and the GM was asked about the “Scalabrine for Kidd” trade. “The salaries don’t match,” said Scal, not missing a beat. Looking at stars Doc Rivers has devised a plan for coaching the Eastern Conference All-Stars. “Stay out of the way,” the Celtics coach said. “Honest to God. I think the All-Star Game is about the players, and that’s the way it should be. I’m going to have to get a gauge, I guess, on whether they want to win or they want to put on a show. I’d prefer to win, but we’ll see how that works out. It’s a player’s game, and I’m going to be sure it remains that way.” But there is more at stake. Rivers will take care of the Celtics interests. “Really my goal is that I don’t want to (upset anybody),” he said, using a bit more colorful language. “I don’t want to get anybody (upset), so they want to come back and take it out on us. That seems to happen every year.” . . . Last night was odd in a few ways. Isiah Thomas was near midcourt and about to talk with friend Rivers in the fourth quarter when he said something to referee Mark Lindsay and was hit with his second technical. Before leaving, Thomas hugged Rivers. It’s also worthy of note that Jamal Crawford was fouled three times in the second half while in the act of attempting a trey. He made seven of the nine free throws. KG, Perk out Kevin Garnett (abdominal strain) and Kendrick Perkins [stats] (left shoulder strain) were again out of the lineup. Perkins plans to rehab here this weekend and try to practice Monday night in Denver. “Each day it’s feeling a whole lot better,” he said, adding that he’s lifting weights and doing conditioning drills. “I’m just taking it one day at a time. I’m not going to rush it though, because I want to get it all the way right.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 7:23:36 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/14/nicked_up_celtics_hold_off_knicks?mode=PFNicked-up Celtics hold off Knicks Scalabrine, Davis latest to be injured By Peter May, Globe Staff | February 14, 2008 All you could say after this one was, thank God for the All-Star break. Both teams played like they were already there. In a full moon's worth of activity, the Celtics' 27-point, third-quarter lead was whittled to 7, and two players went down with injuries, but they managed to revive themselves in time to go into the break with a 111-103 victory over the Knicks. It was their fifth straight win, and they are an NBA-best 41-9, and utterly thrilled to have to wait until Tuesday for win No. 42. "We need a break," coach Doc Rivers said. "I think a lot of teams need a break. But we need a break desperately." Don't look for win No. 41 to be featured on the Greatest Hits DVD of 2007-08. Brian Scalabrine and Glen Davis were hurt, the former with a strained right groin and the latter with what the team said was a strained left quadriceps. But Davis left the building on crutches and was in pain. The officials whistled 50 fouls, good for 66 free throws, with Jamal Crawford getting fouled three times while attempting 3-pointers. There was a jump ball called off a missed free throw lane violation, an ejection for Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, who gave Rivers a hug before leaving, and the surrendering of 103 points by the Celtics, only the eighth time all season they've allowed triple figures. (It won't be a restful night for Tom Thibodeau.) Oh, and did we mention that Ray Allen found out at halftime that he was going to the All-Star Game? "It was a difficult game at times," said Allen, who had 21 points. "There were guys playing out of position, different lineups, different situations, and then you had the All-Star break hanging over everything. At some point, human nature is going to kick in and you're going to play like you're already on break. You have to fight that." The Celtics pretty much had their way with the Knicks over the middle two quarters, especially the second, where they outscored them by 16, shooting 73.3 percent and taking a 13-point lead at intermission. The lead swelled to the aforementioned 27 midway through the third quarter and it looked to one and all that this could be a lot like the Nov. 29 massacre, which the Celtics won by a mere 45 points. In all three meetings against the Knicks this season, the Celtics have had leads of at least 20 points and have made New York look like a defensive disaster, darting for uncontested layups and knocking down wide-open jumpers. That was the case for 2 1/2 quarters last night as well. But the Knicks showed some heretofore absent resiliency and got the deficit back to 13 at quarter's end, led by Crawford (26 points) and David Lee (18). Then, in the fourth, Thomas picked up two technicals within 78 seconds, the second coming while he and Rivers were both at halfcourt with 10:17 to play. Rivers didn't know what to do. "I was stuck," he said. "It was a first for me. I didn't want to embarrass Isiah. I didn't want to embarrass Mark [Lindsay, the referee]. But Isiah didn't say enough to get ejected, I can tell you that." The two hugged and Thomas left to a predictable chorus of boos. It was his second ejection of the season. The Knicks had trimmed the deficit to 11 when Thomas was tossed and soon moved it into single figures. A Lee free throw with 6:58 to play brought the Knicks within 97-90. Then, on the second free throw, a miss, referee !!!GREENIAC!!! Bavetta called a lane violation, resulting in a jump ball. Leon Powe (18 points, eight rebounds) got the tip, and the Celtics pretty much settled things by scoring 8 straight points, the first 4 from Paul Pierce (24 points, 7 assists, 6 turnovers, 5 rebounds) and the last 4 from Rajon Rondo (18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocked shots). That run gave the Celtics a 15-point lead with 3:56 to play and then Rivers hoped that no one else would get hurt or foul out. Three Celtics ended up playing 40 or more minutes - Pierce, Allen, and James Posey. Powe played a season-high 38 minutes. As Rivers put it, "We were a Leon away from a lot of trouble. Really, I mean, we told him, 'Don't foul, don't move. We need you to stay on the floor.' " Powe complied; he played all of the second half. "We'll take the win," Rivers said. "I was not happy - I thought we kind of let our guard down, clearly, in the second half, where we could've put the game away in that one little stretch and we didn't. "So, we won the game. I'm extremely happy about that. Again, with all the injuries and guys playing different spots, I don't know if you can ask much more."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 7:28:12 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/14/allen_honored_by_pick?mode=PFAllen honored by pick Veteran is named Star replacement By Peter May, Globe Staff | February 14, 2008 At halftime of last night's 111-103 victory over the Knicks, Celtics coach Doc Rivers turned to Ray Allen and said, "You'll have to go to New Orleans with me." Allen isn't the emotional type, so he nodded. He was more upset about a bad pass that resulted in a turnover in the final minute of the first half. The message was clear, however. Allen was going to the All-Star Game. He was named for the second straight year as a commissioner's replacement, this time taking the place of injured Washington forward Caron Butler. It will be Allen's eighth All-Star appearance covering three teams (Boston, Milwaukee, and Seattle). "Obviously, I'm ecstatic for my career to be able to be an eight-time All-Star," Allen said. "To be able to represent this organization. It's a great time for this organization and the fans. I definitely feel like I'm privileged and in a great situation." The Celtics will have three players in the weekend festivities - Allen and Paul Pierce in the All-Star Game and Rajon Rondo in the Friday night game between rookies and second-year players. Additionally, Rivers will coach the Eastern Conference team and Kevin Garnett, selected as a starter by the fans, will be around, even if he can't play because of an abdominal strain. "I think about Boston last year and their representation was Gerald Green in the dunk contest," Allen said, temporarily forgetting that the Celtics also had a cheerleader at the event. "And to have so many players of the Boston Celtics with the first half of the season that we've had, you can walk around and enjoy the success and let people talk about us and make a fuss over us." Garnett may not play, but he is a visible presence already in New Orleans. The first billboard seen en route from the airport to the city's downtown is of Garnett. A huge picture of Garnett wearing a blue All-Star uniform (No. 5, of course) adorns an 18-story building overlooking the Superdome and New Orleans Arena, site of Sunday's All-Star Game. Team obtains order The Celtics obtained a temporary restraining order against a Boston woman in Suffolk Superior Court. The team succeeded in getting an order that would keep Denise Bey from attending Celtics games at TD Banknorth Garden and from getting within 300 feet of Pierce. A team attorney said Pierce has never met the woman, who has made threatening remarks toward Pierce in the past and is on medication. Pierce said he was unaware of yesterday's ruling . . . Glen Davis left the Garden on crutches after injuring his left quadriceps with five minutes left in the first half. He will have an MRI today. "It hurts bad," he said. "We'll see [today]." Rivers said he thought it was a twisted knee. Davis hurt the leg on a spinning move to the basket and was on the floor for several minutes before being helped to the locker room. Brian Scalabrine left in the first quarter with a right groin strain. Rivers said he hopes most, if not all, of the injured players are ready to go when the Celtics play Denver Tuesday . . . Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said he feels the most important player on the Celtics is Rondo. "He's the guy who really makes them go," Thomas said. "They don't have another guy who does what he does. He's tough. He's gritty. He rebounds. He's smart. He's a perfect complement to those guys. I can't say enough good things about him." Apprised of Thomas's comments, Rivers said, "Rajon is a tough to guy to replace. But let's be honest. You don't want to lose Kevin [Garnett]." . . . Kendrick Perkins missed his third straight game with a left shoulder strain. "Each day, I'm feeling a little better," he said. "I'm trying to work on my conditioning and taking it one day at a time." Asked if he thought he'd be ready to play after the All-Star break, Perkins said, "I hope so. But I'm not going to rush it. I want to make sure it's right so I don't worry about it when I'm on the court."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 7:31:46 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/14/thomas_is_shown_the_door?mode=PFThomas is shown the door Coach ejected after two technicals in 78 seconds By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | February 14, 2008 The New York Knicks appeared to be far out of contention midway through the third quarter against the Celtics last night. While the Knicks had trailed by as many as 27 points, coach Isiah Thomas was encouraged by his team's rally. Which makes it more difficult to understand how Thomas could have been ejected, just before a David Lee foul shot cut the Knicks' deficit to 90-79 with 10:17 remaining in New York's 111-103 loss. Official Mark Lindsay signaled the ejection as Thomas stood in front of the scorer's table. He then walked over to shake hands with Celtics coach Doc Rivers, and then hugged him. It was Thomas's second ejection of the season; he was also sent off Jan. 9 against Houston. Thomas said he was surprised by the call, following his second technical foul in a 78-second span. "I don't know," Thomas said. "I think Doc and I kind of looked at each other in disbelief. I don't know." Asked if he had made contact with Lindsay's shoulder, Thomas replied: "He gave me the thumb. I didn't tap him on the shoulder. "Doc was walking out of the coach's box and I walked out and I got ready to say that [Rivers is] complaining and he turned around and I was [ejected]." Thomas had disputed a non-call after Jamal Crawford had pulled the Knicks within 85-74 early in the final quarter. "The first one, I am not really a guy, as most officials will tell you, I'm not a guy who complains a lot," Thomas said. "I got up off the bench on the first technical and said to the official as he was running up the floor that they were holding Jamal, they've got both hands on him. And I gestured with both my hands and said they have both hands on him. And he didn't like the fact I was complaining. So, I guess it is well within his right to give me a technical for complaining." Then, as Lindsay went to the scorer's table to signal a foul against Eddie House, Thomas approached him, Lindsay signaling him to leave the court. Thomas, though, must have done or said something to attract Lindsay's attention. Was it Thomas's stroll out of the coaching box limits? "Doc and I were both out of the box," Thomas said. "Technically, we were both out of the box. I didn't get an explanation." The timing of the ejection was odd, since the Knicks had appeared to be reversing the momentum of the game, outscoring the Celtics, 34-15, over an 8:16 span covering the third and fourth quarters, cutting the deficit to 90-82 on a Malik Rose 3-point play off an inbounds pass with 9:45 remaining. "I thought we were fighting our way back into the game," Thomas said. "I thought we got hit with a haymaker coming out into the third quarter. It was turning into a pretty good game." In fact, the Knicks cut the deficit to 97-90 on a Lee foul shot with 6:58 to play. But the Celtics went on an 8-point run to clinch the result, Rajon Rondo's uncontested layup the deciding field goal, giving the Celtics a 105-90 lead with 3:56 to go. In the late going, the Knicks played without center Eddy Curry. "What's happening in this league is that a lot of teams are playing really small," Thomas said. "It is a slow phasing-out of the big man, it seems like. A lot of teams are playing really small and shooting the 3-ball and if you don't adjust, and adjust quickly, you can find yourself down 12-15 points." The Knicks did adjust, eventually. "We had our chances," Thomas said. "It was a [10]-point game with eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter and if we had done a couple things a little differently, it might have been a positive outcome."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 7:34:28 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1339166175Celtics 111, Knicks 103: Short-handed C's stay hot -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Lenny Megliola/Daily News Staff The MetroWest Daily News Wed Feb 13, 2008, 11:50 PM EST -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story Tools: Email This | Print This Boston, Mass. - No Kevin Garnett you already knew. Kendrick Perkins? Still out with a bum shoulder. Scot Pollard hasn't played in a month (sore ankle). In the first quarter of last night's game against the Knicks, Brian Scalabrine was lost for the night, suffering a groin strain. In the second quarter, Big Baby Davis sprained his left quad and he was done for the rest of the game. We were about to find out how stinky the New York Knicks really are. Turns out, coach Doc Rivers could've started Lucky the mascot and any four Celtics dancers and still copped a W. The Celtics pause to catch their breath at the All-Star Game break with a 41-9 record, after building a 27-point lead in the third quarter and handling the Knicks 111-103 before another Garden full house. There was a little bonus at the end too, with another Celtic (to go with Paul Pierce) being picked for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, Ray Allen replacing the injured Wizard Caron Butler in Sunday's All-Star Game in New Orleans. Allen and Butler starred for Jim Calhoun at Connecticut. If Garnett were healthy, there would be three Celtics in the All-Star Game. It'll be Allen's eighth All-Star Game. "I'm ecstatic," he said, and pointed out how far the team has come. "Last year the only Celtic at the All-Star Game was Gerald Green in the dunk contest." Neither Allen or Pierce can expect to play much in the All-Star Game. Rivers will coach the team, and he's already worried about the banged-up bodies of the big guys. "We've got to get the bigs in the weight room, they keep falling down," said Allen, smiling. "We've got to get them in shape." But Rivers wasn't kidding when he said "we need this break desperately." He's happy with the way his team has kept winning. "With all the injuries and the guys playing different spots, I don't know if we wish for much more." Pierce (24 points) and Allen (21) paced the Boston scoring. Rajon Rondo and Leon Powe had 18 each. The Knicks (15-37) were led by Jamal Crawford's 26. Zack Randolph (20) and David Lee (18) followed. It didn't take a hoops brainiac to figure out the Celtics were vastly improved after Danny Ainge did an extreme makeover of the team. But winning 41 of 50 wasn't on anybody's radar screen. "I didn't give it any thought," said Rivers. "I didn't think it was something we were going to chase." Give the Knicks credit for coming back from 75-48 behind to close the third quarter only down by 13. In the fourth quarter, the Knicks got it down to 97-89 on a couple of Crawford free throws with 7:22 remaining. But Rondo scored twice on drives to right the ship at 105-90. Rondo, who got poked in the eye late in the game, had the night's highlight play in the third quarter when he drove the lane, faked going behind the back and, in one motion, pulled the ball back and made the layup. He froze the whole building with his wizardry. Boston led 53-40 at the half, outscoring the Knicks 32-16 in the second quarter. Pierce and Allen led the Celtics with 11 points each. Crawford had 11 for the visitors. The teams combined for 19 first-half turnovers. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Eddie House pushed Boston into a 39-30 lead. Still, over the first 24 minutes neither team showed any clear desire to be on the floor. The Knicks you could understand. The Celtics played a sloppy first quarter. In fact, it looked like they had their minds less on the Knicks and more on the mini-vacation the All-Star Game break will present. The teams combined for 12 turnovers in 12 minutes. Each team wound up with 15 turnovers and committed 25 fouls. Pretty it wasn't. But the first 50 games are in the books. "It's a great time for this organization and the fans," said Allen. "We finished off the last five games like we wanted to going into the break," said Pierce. "It's unfortunate that we had a couple of injuries on the last game. It couldn't be better timing for the break." Meanwhile, his coach was already contemplating the five-game Western swing after the All-Star break.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 7:41:04 GMT -5
aol.nba.com/celtics/news/blog/post-ups.htmlPostgame Reaction from the M.A.S.H Unit The Celtics are now 7-2 since Garnett's injury and head into the All-Star Break with 41 wins -- and seemingly just as many injuries. Brian Scalabrine and Glen Davis both left the game with lower body injuries, and Rajon Rondo got poked in the eye at the end of the game and looked more like a boxer than a point guard while doing postgame interviews in the locker room. "It was dangerous for us, with all of the injuries we've had," Rivers said, noting that they had to tell Leon Powe not to foul anyone after Davis went down because they did not want to resort to playing Scot Pollard, who they intended to rest until after the All-Star Break. "The problem now is the minutes you have to play guys. We're hoping when we get back from break we have healthy bodies. Scal is a groin pull, [Baby] is a twisted knee. There's a chance he'll be playing when we get back from the break. "Hopefully Kevin's playing. He's been running and he's going to work out in New Orleans with our staff," Rivers said. "Hopefully Rajon's eye is open by Tuesday." All-Star Provides Rest for the Weary Paul Pierce on the Break: "I'm going to enjoy these few days off. It's going to be fun being around my fellow All-Stars, around my peers that belong in the game, so it's gonna be fun to chomp it up with them. We'll have a few laughs and then get back to work next week." Doc Rivers on Allen Making the Team (and joking, we think...): "Deserving. I'm not going to play him for two minutes, but it was absolutely deserving..." Audio Archive Check the Audio Archive for sound from Doc, Paul, Ray, Rajon and Isiah... Live Game Blog Pop Up: Live Scoreboard 111-103 Celtics, FINAL: Man, that took forever to wrap up. Paul Pierce is your Post Ups Player of the Game (24 points, five rebounds and seven assists) and with that honor comes...immortality? Of Allen going to the All-Star Game with him, he told Coach Willie Maye on his way off the floor, "We're going to have some fun this weekend." 109-96 Celtics, 1:57/4th: Rajon Rondo just took a shot to the right eye from Fred Jones (who fouled out in the process) and he missed both free throws badly... 105-94 Celtics, 2:49/4th: There's been more whistles in this second half game than I can remember in a game all season. It sure seems that way. Forty-seven fouls have called so far in the game, which isn't out of the ordinary, but the half has slowed down considerably with all of the breaks in play. The Celtics have four guys in double-figures led by Pierce with 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists. 90-77 Celtics, 10:17/4th: Isiah just picked up his second tech and was tossed, leading Doc Rivers to laugh and give him a hug before he walked off the floor. As much as we were killing the Knicks for turnovers here in the third -- they've committed eight of them -- the Celtics have four of their own here in the third. The Knicks trailed by 13 at the half, and they've knocked the lead back down to 13 when the C's started falling asleep on defense. The Celtics were up by as many as 26 in the third. 79-55 Celtics, 3:52/3rd: Ray Allen was just standing at the free throw line, and I know something he doesn't. He was just named to replace Caron Butler on the Eastern Conference All-Star Team. 72-48 Celtics, 6:58/3rd: If there's a more careless team with the basketball than the Knicks on February 13, 2008, I'm not sure I've seen it. They've got 15 turnovers to date and a few of them appear to have already checked out. This is one is getting ugly quick, evoking memories of the 104-59 thrashing the C's put on the Knicks here on November 29 in front of a national TNT audience. Here at the press table, Mike Fine of the Patriot Ledger noted, "I know one thing, we're going to see Gino tonight." What he didn't mention is that we could potentially see him in the third quarter... 60-40 Celtics, 10:18/3rd: The Truth just capped a 7-0 run with a threeball from the top of the key. 53-40 Celtics, Halftime: The update on Big Baby: Strained left quadriceps, and his return is unlikely. 39-30 Celtics, 5:00/2nd: Glen Davis was just helped off the floor by trainer Ed Lacerte and teammates Scot Pollard after landing awkawardly when trying to post up against Malik Rose. We'll have an update as soon as it's available. If Davis' injury is serious, we could see Scot Pollard, who's active tonight. Rivers says he doesn't want to use him unless he absolutely has to, but if Powe were to foul out, he may not have a choice. Leon has one foul already. 24-21 Knicks, End of 1st: That first quarter was about as even as you'll see, with both teams posting similar numbers in almost every category. The only exception would be that the Knicks are jacking threes; they're 2/7 from downtown. 16-13 Celtics, 4:24/1st: Isiah Thomas called Rajon Rondo "the guy who makes that team go" in today's New York Post, and he just engineered a quick 10-4 run for the Celtics. He's got six points, a pair of rebounds, an assist and a steal. I'm seated just behind the Knicks basket here in the first half, and we're watching the battle between New York's bigs and Leon Powe. Randolph has six points and five boards, but two personals. The update on Scals from Twister in P.R.: Strained right groin. 9-6 Knicks, 7:49/1st: The Knicks went inside early and Doc pulled Scalabrine from the game. Scals went back to the locker room limping and was replaced by James Posey. On the defensive end, the Celtics have already drawn two offensive fouls against the Knicks' bigs... KG Works Out Again Kevin Garnett did about an hour of court work around 4 p.m. today at the Garden, and the word seems to be that he's showing improvement. Garnett hasn't played since January 25 when he got hurt against the Timberwolves, but if he continues to progress, the next milestone would be to go through a practice with the team, the next of which is scheduled for Monday in Denver after the All-Star Break. Perk Still Out Kendrick Perkins says he's anxious to get back in the lineup, but said he wasn't going to rush it. "I'm just trying to get it right [so] I won't be worried about it when I'm on the court," Perkins said. J-Kidd Deal a Hot Topic The pregame water cooler talk was buzzing about the Jason Kidd to Dallas deal that was reportedly in the works Wednesday afternoon, with the New York media peppering Knicks Coach Isiah Thomas with Kidd questions. Thomas, however, didn't want to say much about the deal until he knew it was official. "Dallas is saying they want to win now, clearly. I think it's a good trade for both teams," Rivers said. Asked if it helps the Celtics that Kidd was dealt from the East, Rivers had a unique take on the situation. "Listen, I hope Dwight Howard gets traded to the West. Rasheed, Rip, Bosh; all the guys I'll be coaching on Saturday [sic], if I can figure out a way to get them on the West team too. The question I have for you, is does Jason Kidd play for us?" That's the question on everyone's mind, one which the NBA has yet to decide. "This is the bottom line, if he is playing with us, and it comes down to one possession, I'm taking him out. I think he'd throw it for the West," Rivers joked.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 9:42:50 GMT -5
www.silive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/Sports/1202994907209420.xml&coll=1Isiah ejected, as Celtics top Knicks Thursday, February 14, 2008 By DAVID WALDSTEIN ADVANCE STAFF WRITER BOSTON -- Isiah Thomas has never tried to hide his distaste for Boston, his least favorite NBA city. He has so many bitter memories from here, most of them from his playing days at the old Boston Garden, and at least one from the Nov. 29 game at the new Boston Garden, when the Celtics crushed the Knicks by 45 points. Last night's 111-103 loss wasn't that ugly, but Thomas came away with another sour Beantown memory to add to his collection. The Knicks coach was ejected early in the fourth quarter after he was assessed his second technical foul of the period. It was the second time this season Thomas has been ejected, the first coming Jan. 9 against Houston, another loss. With 10:17 left and with the Knicks fighting to overcome a 97-79 Celtics lead and get back in the game, Thomas ventured out to midcourt where he was T'd up by referee Mark Lindsay, who had also issued Thomas' first technical late in the third. Thomas stood in front of the official scorer's table, stunned and staring up into the stands and obviously trying to contain himself from another outburst. He stood for several moments, then went up and hugged Celtics coach Doc Rivers before giving some instructions to assistant coach Herb Williams before leaving the court. When he finally left, he was serenaded with boos and jeers, a typical Boston greeting for the former Piston. With Thomas banished, the Knicks continued to go after the Celtics, cutting the deficit to seven points, 97-90, after David Lee hit a foul shot. But the Celtics, behind 18 points and five assists from Rajon Rondo, held on for the victory, their 41st of the year. Paul Pierce scored 24 for the Celtics, while Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 26, and Eddy Curry played only 10 minutes. The loss left the Knicks with a 15-37 record (27 games behind the Celtics) heading into the All-Star break, which isn't good, but at least they lost in relatively respectable fashion this time. It was in November that the Knicks were crushed 104-59 in one of the worst defeats in franchise history. They matched their point total from that game by the third quarter. But the Celtics scored the first 12 points of the third quarter and held on for the victory, even without Kevin Garnett, who is out with a strained abdominal muscle. Fred Jones hit a scoop with 1:00 remaining in the third quarter to cut the Celtics lead to 83-68, and then with 1.5 seconds remaining in the period Crawford hit a rainbow from 22-feet over Ray Allen that made it a more manageable 13-point deficit, 85-72, with a quarter still to play. But Thomas was whistled for his first technical foul early in the fourth, which Ray Allen converted, and the then Tony Allen threw back an Eddie House miss to give the Celtics a 90-74 lead. ------NOTES: Zach Randolph said he was maced during a disturbance outside a Portland nightclub on Jan. 31, the night before the Knicks played the Trail Blazers, Randolph's former team. But Randolph denied that he was involved in the disturbance, other than as an innocent bystander, and said he was never even questioned by police that night. The Portland Tribune reported that no arrests were made and no one even claimed to be the victim of a crime.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 9:51:42 GMT -5
www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/celtics/2008-02-13-bonus-garnett_N.htmGarnett not shy about adding his two cents By Chris Colston, USA TODAY Even when he can't play, Kevin Garnett feels compelled to do something to help his Boston Celtics win. So he talks. "There's a voice in the back of the bus, and the plane, every day," said Celtics center Scot Pollard, "and it's always the same guy. Whatever is on K.G.'s mind, the whole bus knows. The whole plane knows." San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan, who has spent time with Garnett at NBA All-Star Games, can vouch for that. "Oh, he does it everywhere," Duncan said. "Spend some time with him away from the court; it doesn't matter where you are. He's non-stop, 100% going. It's a stream of consciousness. … Whatever pops in his mind comes out." Garnett, who hasn't played since Jan. 25 — when he strained an abdominal muscle against his former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves — will not play in the All-Star Game. Commissioner David Stern selected Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace to replace Garnett on the Eastern Conference roster; Celtics coach Doc Rivers will determine who will start in Garnett's place. "This has probably been the most frustrating injury since I've been in the league," Garnett said. "This one is dealing with the (body's) core group of muscles, and you just don't realize how many movements include your core until you've actually experienced it: coughing, sneezing, laughing, even tossing and turning in bed." Garnett's team has the best record in the NBA, the story line of the season after he was acquired last offseason in a blockbuster trade involving seven players in effect being sent to the Timberwolves. But Garnett says it should never have been about him. "I've been in this league 13 years now, and individuality has never been my thing," he said. "It's not the year of Kevin Garnett; it's the year of the Boston Celtics. "Now, I understand, when you play well as a team, somebody has to be the face of that. But you could easily pick Ray (Allen) or you could easily pick Paul (Pierce) or you could easily pick myself for any of the accolades." During his on-court absence, Garnett has continued to travel with the Celtics. He won't sit on the bench — he jokes it's because he doesn't wear sports coats. He says he doesn't want to be a distraction. Everywhere else, though, he subjects his teammates to a steady stream of insights. "Because he's got the most years on the team, he talks about everything," center Kendrick Perkins said. "He's like, 'You listenin'? You understand me?' " Garnett says he just wants to build camaraderie. "I haven't been around these guys for a long period of time," he said. "I like to initiate dialogue, even if it's just small things like traveling, the favorite things in their lives or personal feelings about certain issues. I'm trying to get all of us to interact and talk about different issues dealing with basketball and dealing with life in general, just so we can all understand each other. We debate. We debate strongly. We're a group with mixed opinions, and we're very energetic when it comes to those opinions. But it's cool. "We know that when we hit that court we all have to be as one, and we've embraced it." They might embrace it, but Pollard says he can't always recall what the conversations entail. "And even if I could, I couldn't tell you about them anyway, because we have a small circle." He breaks into a sly grin. "And we don't break that circle — for anybody." While even topics such as politics might crop up, Garnett says they don't go into deep discussions about it — even though rookie Glen Davis sports a Barack Obama pin. "We have a mixture of young guys and veterans, and each side is very opinionated," Garnett said. "What I try to do is make sure everybody is comfortable with the next person. There will be certain situations in a game where you must know what your teammate likes to do. I've been big on that. I've always wanted to be the glue to bring everybody together." Despite the abdominal injury, Garnett says he's having the best time of his life. "Sometimes when you have a team doing well, you still have two or three guys not really feeling it; you can tell they're outsiders," he said. "That hasn't been the case with this team. Everybody has sort of embraced everybody and made the effort to understand each other." While this season has brought many fond memories on the court, Garnett says he feels happiest surrounded by teammates at the dinner table. "There are eight, nine, 10 of us telling stories," he said. "And one of the guys will end the night with a toast. "It's in these moments you actually get to know who is beside you, who you're going to battle with every night. That associate becomes your friend, and that friend becomes your brother. "That right there is a life-changing experience."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 9:56:02 GMT -5
Crippled C’s thump Knicks
By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
wdoyle@telegram.com
BOSTON— When you win as often as the Celtics, usually you want to keep playing, but the All-Star break couldn’t have come at a better time for them.
The Celtics ended last night’s 111-103 victory at the Garden over the hapless Knicks with only eight healthy players. One of them, rookie guard Gabe Pruitt, never left the bench. Another, Rajon Rondo, couldn’t see out of his right eye after getting poked with 1:57 remaining.
“We need a break desperately,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.
The Celtics started the game without Kevin Garnett (abdominal strain) and Kendrick Perkins (strained left shoulder). Scot Pollard (sprained ankle) left the bench only to help trainer Ed Lacerte carry rookie Glen Davis off the court with five minutes left in the half. Davis landed awkwardly after a drive and strained his left quad.
Brian Scalabrine, starting in place of Garnett, left with a strained right groin just 2:37 into the game.
The injuries left the Celtics with a very small lineup, but the Knicks are so terrible, as long as the Celtics had five healthy players of any size they stood a pretty fair chance of winning. Despite their lack of height, the Celtics still out-rebounded the Knicks, 39-37.
“We were a Leon (Powe) away from being in a lot of trouble,” Rivers said. “We told him don’t foul, don’t move, we need you to stay on the floor. Literally, we didn’t have another big.”
Knicks coach Isiah Thomas was ejected after referee Mark Lindsay whistled him for his second technical foul of the fourth quarter with 10:17 left. Rivers was about to ask Lindsay a question at midcourt when Thomas walked up and said something to the ref and he was immediately tossed. Thomas said he didn’t know why he got thumbed.
“I think Doc and I both kind of looked at each other in disbelief,” Thomas said.
“I’m standing right there,” Rivers said. “I didn’t know what to do. I wish I could disappear.”
The Celtics improved to a league-best 41-9, tying the franchise’s second-best record after 50 games. Only the 1964-65 Celtics, who were 42-8, were better. This is the fifth time the Celtics have been 41-9 and the first time since the 1985-86 season.
The Celtics have won five in a row and improved to 7-2 since Garnett went down. The Knicks have lost nine of their last 10 and fell to 5-20 on the road and 15-37 overall. At least the Knicks kept this game closer than the last time they visited the Garden. The Celtics embarrassed them by 45 here on Nov. 29.
The Celtics led by as many as 27 early in the third quarter and appeared on their way to another blowout victory. The Knicks, however, closed to within 85-72 entering the fourth. New York got as close as 97-90 on David Lee’s foul shot with 6:58 remaining.
Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will play in the All-Star Game Sunday and Rondo will take part in the Rookie Challenge tomorrow, but the rest of the Celtics will have the next five days off. The Celtics hope to get back some of their injured for their next game Tuesday at Denver.
Pierce scored 24 points, dished out 7 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds. Allen had 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. It was announced to the crowd between the third and fourth quarters that Allen had been added to the Eastern Conference All-Star roster. Allen replaced Washington’s Caron Butler, who has a strained left hip flexor.
Rondo had 18 points and 5 assists. He wowed the crowd with another of his behind-the-back fakes, then laid the ball in over David Lee to make it 77-53. Powe had 18 points and 8 rebounds. Tony Allen scored 14 off the bench. The Celtics shot 50.7 percent.
Jamal Crawford paced New York with 26 points and 7 assists. Zach Randolph scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds before fouling out with 2:49 to go.
Davis will undergo an MRI today.
“It hurts really bad,” Davis said. “That’s all I know.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 9:56:55 GMT -5
www.telegram.com/article/20080214/NEWS/802140758/1009/SPORTSAllen replaces Butler CELTICS NOTES By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF wdoyle@telegram.com BOSTON— Ray Allen has a spot in the All-Star Game after all. Allen found out at halftime last night that the league named him to replace Washington’s Caron Butler on the Eastern Conference team. Butler has a strained left hip flexor. “Obviously, I’m ecstatic,” Allen said. Allen doesn’t mind having to cancel a planned family vacation to the Bahamas. “I have so many years of my life to vacation,” Allen said. Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who will coach the Eastern Conference squad, said he was happy for Allen because he sacrificed his game for the good of the team. “When you sacrifice on a winning basketball team,” Rivers said, “you should be rewarded for that and not punished for it. Clearly, if Ray was on another team he could put up numbers that would look All-Star worthy and not have wins, but he would rather have the wins and I’m glad the league recognized that.” Prior to the game there was talk that Allen may be added to the All-Star team if the rumored trade of Jason Kidd to Dallas went through last night. ESPN reported yesterday that Dallas was close to acquiring Kidd and Malik Allen from New Jersey for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Devean George, Maurice Auger, $3 million and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010. The trade was held up when George invoked his no-trade clause. No All-Star has been traded to the other conference prior to the All-Star Game. If the trade goes through before Sunday, Kidd could start for the Eastern Conference or be added to the Western Conference team and replaced on the Eastern Conference team. The league doesn’t have to decide what to do until the trade becomes official. “I think now that will be the Jason Kidd rule,” Allen said. Rivers said he didn’t know if Kidd would play for him or the west if the trade went through. “This is the bottom line,” Rivers said with a smile, “if he is playing with us and it comes down to one possession, I’m taking him out. I think he’d throw it for the west.” When Kevin Garnett had to pull out of the All-Star Game because of his abdominal strain, the league passed over Allen and chose Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace instead because he plays Garnett’s power forward position. Thomas big on Rondo As far as Knicks coach Isiah Thomas is concerned, Rajon Rondo is the one who makes the Celtics tick. “I just think he’s their most important player,” Thomas said. “We came into the season and everyone kind of had a question mark about him, but I think he’s the guy that really makes them go. I think if Paul went down for a minute, I think Ray and KG can step in. I just don’t think they have another guy that does what Rondo can do. He’s tough, he’s gritty, he rebounds, he’s smart, he plays with a great intelligence out there. He’s like the perfect complement for all those guys.” “Rajon is a tough guy because we really don’t have a true point behind him,” Rivers admitted, “but let’s be honest, you don’t want to lose Kevin, and we have and there’s nothing we can do about it. Maybe in the end of the day in a crazy way it might be a good thing for the other guys because they’re getting minutes and confidence and Kevin is getting rest. So maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t look at it that way going through it, but in the long run maybe it will be.” Perkins out again Kendrick Perkins missed his third consecutive game with a strained left shoulder, but he hopes to practice with the team Monday. “It’s getting better by the day,” Perkins said. Perkins has been working out in the weight room and has taken part in some non-contact basketball drills to stay in shape. “I’m not going to rush it because I want to get it all the way right so I won’t be worrying about it on the court,” he said.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 10:00:09 GMT -5
www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080214/ENT10/802140381/1010/SPORTSEx-Celtics show their pride Havlicek, Sam Jones happy for former team By David Dorsey ddorsey@news-press.com Originally posted on February 14, John Havlicek and Sam Jones, NBA Hall-of-Famers and former members of the Boston Celtics, have a renewed sense of Celtic pride in watching the resurgence of their former team. "I've been a Celtic for 51 years," said Jones, 74, who was drafted by the late Red Auerbach out of North Carolina Central in 1957. "From 1987 until this year, I have been suffering. Now, I'm very, very happy." Jones and Havlicek were teammates while winning NBA titles in 1963-66 and 1968-69. Havlicek finished his career with eight NBA titles. Jones and former teammate Bill Russell finished with an NBA-record 10 championships, including eight in a row from 1959-66. Jones, who lives in St. Augustine, and Havlicek are in North Naples this week for The ACE Group Classic golf tournament at Quail West Golf Club. "They certainly had a drought," Havlicek, 67, said of the Celtics, who have not won an NBA title since 1986, when Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale won their last of three titles. The current Celtics have three more big-time players in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, a trio that has helped take the team to a 40-9 record entering Wednesday, best in the NBA. "It's nice to have them back on top," said Havlicek, who likes this team's chance to win what has been an elusive title. "If everything falls into place, they could possibly do it. However, Detroit certainly is a big obstacle. And then in the West, you've got Pau Gasol with the Lakers now and Shaquille O'Neal with the Suns. "It will all play itself out." The 6-foot-4 Jones and 6-5 Havlicek comprised one of the NBA's biggest backcourts of their era. Havlicek ranks as the all-time leading scorer in Celtics' history with 26,395 points over 1,270 games (20.8 points per game). "I guess my first team was my favorite team," Havlicek said of 1962-63 Celtics. "That had the most Hall-of-Famers on it." Jones, the point guard, had trouble with the assist when asked about his favorite team. "All of them," Jones said. "We didn't lose. We went to 11 NBA Finals in 12 years. Even the time we didn't go, that team was just as good as the others." Having Havlicek, Jones said, certainly helped. "He was a tremendous ballplayer," Jones said. "We were big guards. They couldn't match up." THE KICKS WERE GOOD Jan Stenerud, the only pure place-kicker who is in the NFL Hall of Fame, also played in the golf tournament. The Colorado Springs resident spent 13 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. That tenure included an upset victory against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV at the end of the 1969 season. Stenerud, who later played for the Vikings and Packers, made three first-half field goals during Kansas City's 23-7 victory. "Oddsmakers had them favored by 13 or 14 points," said Stenerud, 65, a native of Norway. "It's always been that way - that the defense wins championships." CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH? Naples High School football coach Bill Kramer is playing in the tournament's pro-am, as is NFL Hall-of-Fame offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz. Kramer approached Muñoz to autograph a golf ball following lunch Wednesday. "This is only the second autograph I've ever asked for," Kramer told Muñoz. "Who was the first?" Muñoz asked. "Johnny Unitas," replied Kramer, referring to the Hall-of-Fame Baltimore Colts quarterback. Muñoz's eyes widened as he said: "Well what an honor then."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 10:05:52 GMT -5
www.enterprisenews.com/sports/x159860156Celtics thankful for break Boston loses two more players to injuries in its last game before the All-Star break. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Fenton ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER Posted Feb 14, 2008 @ 02:49 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — There was a sigh of relief by the Boston Celtics on Valentine’s Day last year when they ended a franchise-record 18-game losing streak. One year later, the Celtics are breathing yet another sigh of relief on Valentine’s Day for an entirely different reason. The team with the best record in the NBA is thankful that today marks the start of a much-needed five-day vacation. Injuries have left the Celtics incredibly shorthanded, and they were rapidly running out of bodies in Wednesday night’s getaway game against the woeful New York Knicks. Already playing without starters Kevin Garnett (strained abdominal muscle) and Kendrick Perkins (strained left shoulder), the Celtics lost two more players in the first half when Brian Scalabrine (strained right groin) and Glen Davis (strained left quad) went down. James Posey was holding an ice bag to his face while seated on the bench, and Rajon Rondo’s right eye was barely opened after he was poked. Despite all those ailments, the Celtics managed to hold on for a 111-103 victory over the Knicks, giving them a 41-9 record heading into All-Star Weekend. That mark ties for the franchise’s second-best start through 50 games, behind only the 1964-65 team that was 42-8. The wins have continued to come, even as the injuries have piled up in recent weeks. After Scalabrine and Davis left the game, Coach Doc Rivers used only seven players with Scot Pollard (sprained ankle) dressed but unavailable and rookie Gabe Pruitt out of the mix. Leon Powe (18 points, eight rebounds) was the lone big man the Celtics had for most of the night. “We need a break. We absolutely need a break, desperately,” said Rivers. “We were Leon away from being in a lot of trouble, really. We told him, ‘Don’t foul, don’t move. We need you to stay on the floor.’ We literally did not have another big. We got away with it.” The Celtics, who had a 27-point lead against the Knicks in the third quarter, held on thanks to the efforts of Paul Pierce (24 points, seven assists), Ray Allen (21 points, eight rebounds, five assists), Rondo (18 points, five assists), Powe and Tony Allen (14 points). When Boston regroups next Tuesday to start a five-game road trip, it will have a five-game winning streak. The Celtics are 7-2 since Garnett went out as players like Powe and Rondo have increased their productivity to fill the void. “I’m very happy, especially with all the injuries, us being a rebellious group, not letting the injuries bother us and coming together as a team,” said Pierce. “We saw a number of young guys step up, which is going to be great for us, especially going into the second half, giving them confidence. “It’s all going to work out. We had a great first half. The first half is over and we look at the second half as a fresh start and move from there.” The Celtics are hopeful that Garnett, who was running before the game, and Perkins can be back when the road trip gets going. That would be a boost a team short on bodies can use with a difficult stretch ahead to end February. The Celtics, who lead the Detroit Pistons by three games in the race for the best record, were able to survive against teams like the Indiana Pacers and Knicks this week. But the road gets tougher the rest of the month. “Five days off, we can get some of this injured bodies back,” said Pierce. “It’s going to be a monster trip. We’re going to need as many healthy bodies. “We finished off the last five games like we wanted to going into the break. It couldn’t be better timing for this break now. It’s definitely coming at a good time.” Rivers couldn’t complain too much when the wacky Knicks (15-37) chopped the 27-point deficit all the way to seven in the fourth quarter. Three players had to go more than 40 minutes, and there were as many coaches as players on the bench. “Dangerous,” said Rivers. “With all the injuries we’ve had, to win, we’ll take the win. With all the injuries and guys playing different spots, I don’t know if you could ask more.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Feb 14, 2008 10:11:29 GMT -5
forum.connpost.com/celticscentral/2008/02/rebellious_celtics_survive_kni.html#comments'Rebellious' Celtics Survive Knicks: 2 More Bigs Injured Paul Pierce called his team "a rebellious group. Not letting the injuries bother us and come together as a team." They came together and gutted out a win. It wasn't supposed to go this way. You would think that playing against Eddie Curry, Zach Randolph, and substitute David Lee, a tall, talented front line, while the Celtics 2 front line starting bigs (Perkins and Garnett) were already sidelined, would present a problem. It didn't. Then it did. Almost. The Celtics lost Brain Scalabrine to a groin pull in the first quarter, and Glen Davis to a quad strain in the 2nd quarter, bringing their total available bigs to 1.5, if you add them up, Leon Powe and James Posey. Along the way, Rajon Rondo got poked in the eye by Fred Jones. Rondo said that he couldn't see out of that eye immediately after. Surprisingly, the undermanned, undersized Celtics built up a 27 point lead midway through the 3rd quarter, on the strength of lonely Leon's 12 points in the paint, supported by Ray Allen and Paul Pierce's 7 points each. It was almost too easy, as the Celtics weren't even playing great basketball entering the second half. They led a rather listless New York team by 13 (53-40) at the half. Eddie Curry... From my point of view, it seems like the same things from last year. Nobody is really coming with anything new. But he is the coach and I have faith in him and what he is trying to implement here. Zach Randolph... How hard is it to be positive at 15 -37? "I mean it's hard. Win one, lose eight. You know it's just tough. It's hard for words, it's tough. It takes more than talent to win basketball games. Whatever we're doing, it ain't working." After more than doubling that number on the strength of Leon, the Celtics fell asleep at the wheel. The Knicks responded with 9 points each from Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford and 7 from David Lee. The Celtics helped awaken the Knicks with 4 turnovers on sloppy passing in the last 2:36 minutes. Pierce committed 3 of them. The lead was back down to 13 as the 3rd quarter ended By the time the Celtics stopped the Knicks from getting any closer in the 4th than 97-90, the Knicks had outscored the Celtics by 20 on a 42-22 run over about 12 minutes. During this run, Isaiah Thomas got 2 technicals and was ejected from the game with 2 minutes gone in the 4th period. Both teams scored a lot of points in the paint (40 plus each). Boston, because the Knicks frontline doesn't play much defense, and New York because Leon Powe and James Posey were the only two bigs left to play in the middle for Boston. Both undersized players responded with strong contributions. Powe played the entire 2nd half and 38:24 total minutes scoring 18 points and had 8 rebounds. James Posey had his season high in rebounds with 11 and added 5 assists. For the second game in a row, Paul Pierce played the entire second half and finished with another double double, 24 points and 10 rebounds. He added 7 assists, 2 steals, a block, and 6 turnovers. Rajon Rondo shouldered more of the offense in the second half with 12 points, 18 total, and finished with 5 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocked shots, and zero turnovers. He had a number of highlight reel plays, including his patented 'fake' behind the back pass, only to bring it back around and score. Ray Allen was once again solid with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Tony Allen played well with 14 points off the bench. As undermanned as the Celtics were, the Knicks, surprisingly, didn't take more advantage of the height mismatches. David Lee... At half time, Isaiah was upset we weren't going inside enough...for that reason. Especially with Glen Davis going out. They were really, really short on bigs. That was our advantage tonight, and we didn't utilize that as much as we should have. Both teams put up 40 plus points in the paint, but the Knicks could have added to that and/or possibly driven Leon Powe from the game with fouls, if they made a more conscious effort to pound it inside. Doc Rivers... I don't know if you can ask much more (from the players). The problem with the injuries is the minutes you have to play guys. We're hoping that when we get back from the break, we'll have some healthy bodies. As it was, many Celtics logged big minutes with Pierce, Posey and Ray Allen all over 40 to go with Leon's big night. The team re-energized in the 4th quarter to get the win with Tony Allen leading the scoring in the 4th with 7, followed by Pierce and Rondo with 6 each. The two injured big men made it a bittersweet win. If some good can be found, that it happened in the last game before the All Star break, will give the players maximum time to heal. Ray Allen - All Star after all Also, the Celtics received good news at half time. Jeff Twiss came in and told Doc Rivers that Ray Allen has been named, as a replacement, to the East All Star team. He will accompany his team mate Paul Pierce, while top vote getter, Kevin Garnett will not play. Fellow Celtic, Rajon Rondo will play in the Sophomore-Rookie game.
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