News 2/14

[FLCeltsFan]

www.enterprisenews.com/sports/x1116167075

NBA throws wrench into Allen’s vacation plans
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By Jim Fenton
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted Feb 14, 2008 @ 02:45 AM

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BOSTON — He was planning to spend the NBA’s midseason break by taking a mini-vacation in the Bahamas this weekend.

Ray Allen learned Wednesday night, however, that he will have to call off that trip.

The Boston Celtics guard will be participating in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night in New Orleans, replacing fellow University of Connecticut product Caron Butler on the Eastern Conference squad.

Butler, of the Washington Wizards, is unable to play due to a left hip flexor strain, and Allen will be taking part in his eighth All-Star Game, joining teammate Paul Pierce.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Allen, who received the news at halftime of a 111-103 victory over the New York Knicks. “The great thing about this team so far is we really didn’t care who did what on this team. Everybody was contributing in some form or fashion. It hasn’t mattered what we’ve done individually, and that’s why we’ve had so much team success.

“When I wasn’t nominated, I was happy for Paul and (Kevin Garnett), and I was going to go get some rest. Obviously, I’m ecstatic. For my career, to be an eight-time All-Star, to be able to represent this organization, it’s a great time for this organization and the fans. I definitely feel I’m privileged and in a great situation.”

Garnett had to pull out of the All-Star Game due to a strained abdominal muscle. Pierce was one of seven reserves chosen, and Celtics coach Doc Rivers and his staff will be in charge of the East team.

Allen said he will gladly pass on the trip to the Bahamas to be with the elite players in New Orleans.

“I have so many years in my life for vacation,” said Allen, who had 21 points and eight rebounds against the Knicks. “These are those moments when I’m retired I’ll be glad I took full advantage of, had a chance to do some things I never thought I’d be able to do in my life.

“I’m glad to be in the company of great players in New Orleans. I think about Boston last year, their representation was Gerald Green in the dunk contest. To be able to have so many players, so far the first half of the season, you can walk around and enjoy the success we’ve had and let people talk about us and make a fuss and go back to the second half.”

Rivers was disappointed when Allen was not among the seven original reserves selected by the Eastern Conference coaches.

“I’m not going to play him but two minutes, but it was absolutely deserving,” said Rivers. “I’m very happy for him. The reason I was happy because his numbers have suffered because he sacrificed, and when you sacrifice on a winning basketball team, you should be rewarded for that and not punished for it.

“Clearly, if Ray was on another team, he could throw up numbers that were All-Star worthy and not have wins. But he would rather have the wins and I’m glad that the league recognized it.”

Tests for Davis:
Rookie Glen Davis, who left the game with 5:10 remaining in the first half, departed the TD Banknorth Garden on crutches late Wednesday night.

Davis was hurt when he went up for a shot and lost control of the ball, and he fell to the floor clutching his left knee.

The injury is termed a strained left quad, but an MRI will be performed today to determine the extent of the ailment.

“I don’t know,” he said when asked about the injury. “We’ll see tomorrow. I have no idea what’s wrong with it. It hurts really bad, that’s all I know.”

Garnett, Perkins sit again:
Garnett (strained abdominal muscle) missed his eighth game in a row and Kendrick Perkins (strained left shoulder) sat out a third straight game.

The Celtics are hoping to get both back at the start of a five-game road game next Tuesday in Denver.

Perkins, who was hurt last Friday in Minnesota, reported that his shoulder is improving.

“Each and every day, it’s getting better. I’m just taking it slow,” said Perkins, who had the shoulder operated on in May 2006. “It wasn’t as severe as last time. I hope (to return next week), but I’m not going to rush it. I want to get it out of the way right.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.patriotledger.com/sports/sports_columnists/x1235417731


Celtics limp into break with a win
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The Patriot Ledger
Posted Feb 14, 2008 @ 12:38 AM

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BOSTON — BOSTON

Not once, not for a second or for a minute or even one hour this season had Boston Celtics rookie Glen Davis been as somber as he appeared late Wednesday night, despite his team’s 111-103 win over the New York Knicks. That’s because the normally effervescent big man was hurt early in the second quarter.

Davis went to the hoop with the ball, got tied up by the Knicks’ Malik Rose and landed awkwardly, falling in a painful heap. He was diagnosed with a sprained left quad, which was considerably better news than some of the possible alternatives. “It hurts bad, that’s all I know,” he said before hobbling off on crutches later.

Davis was due for an MRI this morning, and no doubt he’ll have plenty of company in the ER. Already living on borrowed time without Kevin Garnett (strained ab) and Kendrick Perkins (strained left shoulder), the Celts lost Brian Scalabrine with a strained right groin after only two minutes and 37 seconds, and by the time this one was over, Rajon Rondo had been smacked in the eye, causing him to miss two ensuing free throws as he squinted in pain.

At least it wasn’t a strain, because the Celtics strained to close out this win over the Knicks in a game that saw them rolling to a 27-point advantage, forcing them to hang on for dear life as they headed into the All-Star break with a league-best 41-9 record and desperately needing the upcoming five days off before starting what Paul Pierce calls a “monster West Coast road trip.”

“We finished off the last five games like we wanted to going into the break,” said Pierce, who led the Celts with 24 points. “It’s unfortunate that we had a couple of injuries on the last game, but there couldn’t be better timing for this break. Hopefully after the break we can get some of these guys back off the injured list and get prepared for our West Coast trip. That’s a big trip for us, biggest of the year, and we are going to need healthy bodies.”

The Celtics are going to require that their top players return. Garnett has now missed nine straight games, with the team going 7-2 after winning its last five. He’s begun running again and will work out in New Orleans with the Celtics coaching staff during the break. Perkins said Wednesday that he’s improving, and that the shoulder isn’t nearly as serious as the dislocation he suffered two years ago.

By the end of this game, Leon Powe was the only big man the Celtics had remaining. It appeared that Knicks coach Isiah Thomas simply thought the Celtics were going small, so he sat his massive center, Eddy Curry, for all but 9:18.

“We were a Leon (Powe) away from a lot of trouble,” Celts coach Doc Rivers said. “Really, I mean, 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 (Pollard) because one of the things we told him is we’re going to wait until after All-Star break and then start throwing in him. So we got away with it.”

Yeah, Pollard’s also been out for about a millennium with a bad left ankle. He’s been banished until after the All-Star break himself.

When they talk about limping into the break, they must have been talking about the Celtics.

“We need a break,” Rivers said. “We absolutely need a break. I think a lot of teams need a break. I used to think the All-Star game was 41 games or 42 (into the season), and now it’s up to 50 and I think those extra games – there’s a lot of injuries over that. I think we might need to consider moving that thing back. Because there are a lot of strains and injuries around the league and we have as many as anybody right now. So we need this break desperately.”

To date, the Celtics have managed quite nicely to overcome injuries. Ray Allen has missed four games and the Celtics are 3-1 in his absence. Rondo has missed three games, and the Celts have won all three.

“We all know what we need to do,” Allen said. “Everybody needs to know what position they’re in, but it’s a timing thing. We’ve just got to get to the bigs in the weight room. Those big guys, they keep falling down and we got to get them in shape. We’ve all had injuries and we’ve done a great job of stepping up. That was a case where I don’t think it could have come at a better time now because so many guys need rest and when we come back in Denver on Monday I’m sure those guys will be feeling pretty good.”

There are always blessings in disguise of course. Before this game Thomas praised Rondo as the one indispensable Celtic, but Rivers wasn’t so sure. “We’ve done it with all of them so far. Rajon has (been out) and we’ve won. Kevin has, Ray has. I don’t think it’s one guy. I just think it’s the team. I really do. Rajon is a tough guy because we really don’t have a point behind him, but let’s just be honest, you don’t want to lose Kevin, and we have, and there’s nothing we can do about it, Maybe in a crazy way it might be a good thing for the other guys because of minutes and confidence and Kevin’s getting rest. Maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t look at it that way now, going through it, but in the long run maybe it will be.

“We don’t make a big deal of it. Everybody pitches in. We pay everybody, we don’t just pay one or two guys. We’re covering up very well for each other. We talked about it when Kevin went down. If everybody pitches in and does their jobs, we can cover up for it, for the short term. We know for long term it wouldn’t be good.”