News 2/21

[FLCeltsFan]

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C’s left Baron in Oakland
Davis shot lifts GS at buzzer

By Steve Bulpett | Thursday, February 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
OAKLAND, Calif. - Just because they’re playing against the conference of the same name, the Celtics [team stats] seem to think they’re starring in a Western.

Last night they got into another shoot ’em up, and while they are clearly at home on the firing range, they wound up full of holes again. Baron Davis’ 20-foot step-back jumper with three-tenths of a second left mortally wounded the Celtics in a 119-117 loss to the Warriors.

The Celts have now given up 243 points in the two games on this trip. They no longer have the NBA’s stingiest scoring defense, having surrendered that mantle to Detroit. And this is just the second time this season the C’s have lost two straight.

Kevin Garnett had 17 points and 15 rebounds, taking a giant step back toward normalcy from his abdominal injury. Ray Allen had 32 points and Tony Allen came off the bench for 20.

After Paul Pierce [stats] tied the game with two free throws, Tony Allen applied some tight defense on Davis, but the veteran hit a tough shot.

“He just made a tough shot,” said Celts coach Doc Rivers. “I’ll take that shot with Tony guarding him all day. Tony’s our best defender. Baron had to take a tough fadeaway jumper. He made it.”

And about his team’s defense. “The defense has got to be better, there’s no question about that,” Rivers said. “We didn’t lose on the last shot of the game, we lost when the (center) is rolling down the middle of the paint and nobody’s picking him up six times during the game. That’s where you lose the game. We’ve got to get back to doing our job, doing our job full time. We can score. We’ve proven that, but getting into a shootout on the road usually means you lose the game.”

Golden State scored nine of the first 11 points in the last period to go ahead by five, but Glen Davis came into the game for the first time and the Celts came back behind a quintet of Garnett, Ray Allen, Tony Allen, Eddie House and Davis to lead by six.

Pierce replaced Davis (four points and two boards in 5:18) after the Warriors got the lead back. They stretched it out to 111-107 when Mickael Pietrus was fouled hard on a breakaway by Tony Allen and hit two free throws. The spread went to five and should have been more, but Monta Ellis missed on a fast break.

Tony Allen then hit one of two free throws and Pierce canned a trey to make it a one-point game. Al Harrington cooled the rally with a jumper, then Rajon Rondo [stats] and Ellis traded buckets. It was 117-113, Golden State, with 34 seconds left after Rondo missed a trey and Davis hit 1-of-2 from the line.

Pierce hit two free throws, and Matt Barnes missed in a drive, giving the Celts the ball with 12.3 seconds left and two points to make up. Pierce drove and picked up a blocking foul on Harrington with 6.5 on the clock. He calmly tied the game from the line.

Then Baron (29 points) Davis drained the calm from the building.

The Celtics were trying to right two ships as they took on the Warriors.

For the second straight night, the Celts drew the largest crowd in the host franchise’s history. Last night’s 20,711 standing-room gathering at Oracle Arena was the largest to ever watch basketball in California.

[FLCeltsFan]

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No deal is near, needed

By Steve Bulpett | Thursday, February 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Tara Carvalho
OAKLAND, Calif. - The Celtics [team stats] weren’t close to anything on the deal front as today’s NBA trade deadline approached, according to Danny Ainge.

And that’s just fine, according to Paul Pierce [stats].

Word remains strong that the Celts are looking to pick up an insurance policy or two. But as opposed to deadlines past when the Celtics captain was expecting and hoping for a major trade, and there were times he wasn’t averse to being included, Pierce isn’t looking for any serious changes by the 3 p.m. deadline.

“I don’t think it’s like it was before,” he said. “We’re not desperate to make a trade or anything. I think we’ve shown what kind of team we have, and you probably saw it even more when KG (Kevin Garnett) was out.

“You’ve got guys who are playing their roles to a T. You’ve got guys who are stepping up. That makes you want to think before you do something. Is anything we can bring in really better than what we’ve already got here?”

What the Celts have is obviously pretty good, judging by the calls the club is getting for some of its support players.

According to league sources, Ainge has fielded queries for most of his players, with Leon Powe and Glen Davis of particular interest. That may be because Powe is under a team option for next year, while Davis is on a one-year contract, but there’s no question the two have played well, extremely so at times.

Ainge refused to comment on those inquiries, but he reiterated that he’s comfortable with the team he has.

Prior to last night’s game against the Warriors, Rivers had a little fun with the deadline.

“Oh, I think we’re going to pull off a big one,” he cracked. “We’re going to get three more players. We’re going to have the Big Six. (They’ll) all want to play though. That would be a problem. That would be a pain in the (butt) actually.

“No, I don’t know(of any deals). I don’t think so. You never know. A couple of years ago I said that and we pulled off something, so you just never know. We don’t have a lot to do. We don’t have a lot to give. The people they want is who we want. So we’re not going to give them away.”

Pierce is of a similar mind.

“If the coaches and Danny feel there’s a need they want to fill,” Pierce said, “it’s up to them. But I like our team.”

Asked if there were any areas he’d like to see the club address, Pierce replied, “It’s hard to say. We’ve been playing well with what we’ve got. We played well even without Kevin, so that says a lot for us.

“But I know Danny’s always looking to see if there’s any ways he can improve our team.”

After today, the next key date on the NBA calendar is March 1. Any player involved in a post-deadline waiver deal must be waived by then in order to be eligible for the signing team’s playoff roster. (So keep an eye on that, all you Sam Cassell fans.)

But all the Celtics’ major moves were made last summer. Other clubs are now trying to catch up, with Pau Gasol, Shaquille O’Neal and Jason Kidd all moved out West recently.

“It’s not what you usually see at all,” guard Ray Allen said, “but most teams haven’t had the guts in the past to make moves like these. I think teams are just getting tired of the status quo.

“We came in strong. I think a lot of teams are trying to bolster up their lineups to try to get over the top.”

As for the chances the Celts could make a deal, Allen added, “If we add a guy or two here or there out of guys being waived, you know, everybody kind of tinkers with their playoff roster. But we feel really good about what we have here.”

[FLCeltsFan]

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It’s the Powe show

By Steve Bulpett | Thursday, February 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
OAKLAND, Calif. - Bay Area product Leon Powe was making his second NBA trip home last night, but he acknowledged that this was far different from last season when he was a bit player (a 2:49 stint against the Warriors). Now, Powe is often the first big man off the bench.

“Everybody’s been calling me and my family and saying how happy they are, because they know how hard I’ve worked,” Powe said. “They know I don’t take no days off. I try to take every game the same, but it is kind of nice to come back this way.

“My friends and everyone are juiced about it. They’re very excited. That’s all they’ve been talking about. They’ve had their tickets for a while. A lot of people got tickets early, but I still had some work to do.”

Most of those friends had just said goodbye to Powe, who had returned home over the All-Star break. True to his nature, he spent a part of each day on the treadmill and running sprints.

“He’s been terrific,” coach Doc Rivers said of Powe. “I’m more impressed that he just hung in there and never complained about not getting minutes.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/21/warriors_davis_leaves_lasting_impression_on_celtics?mode=PF

Warriors' Davis leaves lasting impression on Celtics
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | February 21, 2008

OAKLAND, Calif. - Baron Davis nailed a 20-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds left over Tony Allen to seal Golden State's 119-117 victory over the Celtics last night in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,711 at Oracle Arena, handing Boston rare back-to-back defeats.

"He hit a big shot," said Allen. "I couldn't get the stop, unfortunately."

Boston's only other back-to-back losses this season came against Washington Jan. 12 and 14.

Celtics guard Ray Allen had a game-high 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting, and Paul Pierce added 23 points. Kevin Garnett had a double-double of 17 points and 15 rebounds in 32 minutes.

The Celtics, however, missed 14 of 46 free throw attempts, allowed 56 points in the paint, 20 second-chance points, and 27 fast-break points. Four Warriors scored more than 20 points - Davis (29), Monta Ellis (26), reserve Al Harrington (22), and Andris Biedrins.

"We missed a lot of free throws," said Ray Allen. "Little plays here and there took us out of it."

The Western Conference is more like the wild, wild West these days. Entering yesterday, five games separated first-place New Orleans and ninth-place Golden State. The Warriors came into the game with 32 wins, and coach Don Nelson said he wouldn't be surprised if 45 weren't enough to make the playoffs.

"Sometimes you wish we were in the other conference," Nelson said.

The Celtics were 16-0 against the West before losing at Denver Tuesday night. It didn't get easier last night as the Celtics were playing the running Warriors in one of the NBA's loudest arenas.

The Warriors finished the first quarter with a 32-29 lead after shooting 63.6 percent. Ellis and Biedrins led the Warriors with 10 points each in the quarter. A day after returning from a nine-game layoff caused by an abdominal strain, Garnett had 6 points on 3-of-8 shooting and six rebounds in eight first-quarter minutes, and Pierce added 9 points. The Warriors had 22 points in the paint in the first, and after being down, 24-15, they finished the quarter with a 17-5 run.

Local product Leon Powe signed numerous autographs before the game and received a strong reception when he entered with 1:12 remaining in the first. The 6-foot-8-inch, 240-pounder received even stronger applause when he dunked on the 6-11 Biedrins with 11:10 left in the second quarter to give Boston a 33-32 lead.

"This is my city, man," said Powe before the game. "This is my town."

The Celtics took a 49-46 lead on an Eddie House 3-pointer with 3:41 left in the half. Two free throws by Ray Allen with 1:06 left gave Boston a 57-49 lead. The Celtics finished the half with a 57-50 lead after outscoring the Warriors, 28-18, in the second quarter. The Warriors shot 27.8 percent in the second and missed all four 3-point attempts.

Ray Allen had 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting, three 3-pointers, and five assists in the first half. Pierce had 11 points and three assists at the half, and Garnett had 9 points on 4-of-11 shooting, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals in 14 minutes. Ellis had 14 points at halftime.

The Celtics opened the third quarter with a 7-2 run. A Ray Allen lay-in gave Boston a 71-61 lead with 7:34 left in the third. The Warriors used a 17-7 run to tie the score at 78 with 53.3 seconds left in the quarter. Back-to-back dunks by Mickael Pietrus gave the Warriors the lead at 82-81 with 34.6 seconds left. But Pierce's 3-point play with 5.1 seconds left in the quarter put the Celtics up, 84-82.

Later, a Rajon Rondo bank shot with 1:13 left brought Boston within 1. But Ellis's jumper put Golden State back up, 116-113. Rondo missed a tying 3-pointer with 37.8 seconds remaining. After being fouled, Davis made 1 of 2 free throws to give the Warriors a 117-113 lead.

Two Pierce free throws sliced Boston's deficit to 117-115 with 28.7 seconds left. With 12.3 seconds left, James Posey passed in to Pierce. Harrington fouled Pierce on a drive, and Pierce nailed both free throws to tie the score at 117.

Davis then dribbled to his right and shot over the outstretched arm of Tony Allen for the win.

"These games are good for us, they really are," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "There are a lot of things that are going to make us better."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/21/in_terms_of_history_these_men_get_picture?mode=PF

In terms of history, these men get picture
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | February 21, 2008

OAKLAND, Calif. - About a month ago, Ray Allen's fiancée pointed out an old picture of two people who played a strong role in opening the door for racial equality in the NBA.

The picture Shannon Williams identified hangs in Allen's office and shows Red Auerbach with his arm around former Celtic Chuck Cooper. Cooper was the first African-American drafted in the NBA, the Celtics selecting him in the second round in 1950. He was one of the first three blacks to play in the NBA 58 years ago, and Auerbach was the Celtics' coach.

In the midst of Black History Month, Allen and some of his Celtics teammates recently reflected on the importance of Cooper.

"Red is hugging him as he is about to put him in a game," Allen said of the picture. "I've had it for about seven years now. I was sitting in my office [in January], and my fiancée was pointing out to me how we had the picture in there. It matches the office and it's coincidental that we have it now that I'm playing for the Celtics."

During the 1950-51 season, Cooper, Knicks forward Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, and Washington Capitols forward Earl Lloyd were the first blacks to play in the NBA. Lloyd was the first to play in a regular-season game, Cooper played one day later, and Clifton four days after that.

"They were the pioneers," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "We needed someone to go first so others would. You needed Jackie Robinson to take the first step [in major league baseball] . . . To me, they were good examples with Jackie. If they had got in the league and that [didn't work out] or they were bad people, it would have made it a lot longer for us to get in.

"They, back then, had to be more than just basketball players. They had to be people who heard racial slurs and turned the other cheek. They'd go to restaurants where they couldn't go in but their teammates could go in, and they had to take it. They had to be better than just basketball players. The example that they set should be the example our players still follow. Today, they have to understand that they have to be more than just basketball players."

After being reminded in 1950 that Cooper was black, Celtics owner Walter Brown reportedly said: "I don't care if he's striped, plaid, or polka dot!" The former Duquesne star played four seasons for the Celtics, and later suited up for the Milwaukee and St. Louis Hawks and Fort Wayne Pistons. The Pittsburgh native averaged 6.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 409 NBA games. While Lloyd is in the Basketball Hall of Fame, Cooper and Clifton have not been enshrined. Cooper died Feb. 5, 1984, at age 57.

Rookie Glen Davis was proud to hear that he wears the same uniform number (11) with the Celtics that Cooper did.

"He's the first black guy drafted in the NBA and I'm wearing his number," Davis said. "I shouldn't be wearing it. It should be retired. You really don't know what you are representing when you pick a number. You never know the history of the number or who wore it. I'll wear it even more proudly."

In addition to drafting Cooper, the Celtics have been involved in a long list of proud moments in African-American history in the league.

Auerbach put the first all-black starting five in NBA history on the floor in 1964. After Auerbach stepped down as coach, he convinced Bill Russell to take over as player-coach, the league's first black head coach, in 1966. Hall of Famer K.C. Jones coached the Celtics to two NBA titles. And Rivers last weekend coached in the All-Star Game.

"A lot of people thought for a long time that the Celtics were a segregated franchise," Allen said. "We've had some of the best black players that have played in the NBA play on the team. I don't know why the stereotype or label has been there on this organization and the city.

"I've seen that largely in Bill Russell's time; he dealt with [racism] while in this uniform, playing for the Celtics. But the franchise itself has always been equal opportunity. They've always treated me with respect and dignity here. Definitely in the city, it's the same."

Executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge recalled hearing accusations of racism against the franchise and Auerbach, then the team president, while playing for the Celtics in the 1980s.

Even with such standout black players as Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson, the Celtics were often viewed as a pro-white franchise because the roster included white stars Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, and Ainge. Boston having a reputation for being a racist city back then only added to it. Now 11 of the Celtics' 13 players are African-American.

"When I was playing for the Celtics, some people tried to make us out to be a racist team because we had mostly white players," Ainge said. "I remember those things coming out. But Red Auerbach wasn't a racist. I don't think you could blame Red Auerbach for getting Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, and Bill Walton."

"Black History Month, it means me being able to sit in this seat and have a job," Allen said. "It means me being able to walk down the street and being able to be successful and thrive in America. It wasn't that long ago that black people didn't have equality in this country, and that is a shame. It's a great shame.

"We have to remember our history. That's why Black History Month is so important. You've got to remember those black leaders throughout the history of this country who have fought for equality. You can never forget."


Little Powe baptized
Leon Powe, an Oakland native, was on hand when his son, Leon III, born last month, was baptized here last Sunday. "I invited all my family to the church and everybody came out," said Powe, a former star at Cal. "I baptized my little son. There was about 25-30 family members that went. I was just so happy." Powe said he expected about 50 family members and friends to be on hand for last night's game against the Warriors. He finished with 3 points and two rebounds in 14 minutes . . . Brian Scalabrine missed his second straight game with a right groin injury but hopes to be available tomorrow against the Suns . . . Warriors swingman Stephen Jackson missed the game with a sprained left ankle . . . The Celtics will enjoy a day off today in Phoenix . . . The trade deadline is today at 3 p.m., and Rivers said he would be surprised if the Celtics made a move. Ainge also said he doubted something would happen . . . Warriors coach Don Nelson said swingman Mickael Pietrus still wants to be traded. The Warriors would want a player in return who would bring salary-cap relief next season.

[FLCeltsFan]

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Davis Delivers at Buzzer


Baron Davis that is. Glen Davis plays big, but not that big.


The Warriors won on a cool as ice, 20 foot, 'not-an-all-star' Baron Davis step back jump shot over Tony Allen, 119-117, leaving just .03 tenths of a second left on the clock. The Cs tried a long desperation throw that missed as time expired. Foiled again.


The Celtics have had only moderate success in close games, going 5-6 in games within 5 points. Rajon Rondo made a costly mental mistake last night, as he fouled with the Warriors only up 3 and 35 seconds left. Doc Rivers could be seen asking him, 'Why?' as he walked by the bench.


James Posey also got an unnecessary technical foul at a critical time, and didn't play again.


As it was, the Celtics didn't give in or give up. Paul Pierce made 4 pressure packed free throws in the final seconds to almost get the game to overtime, as the last two tied it all up at 117 with 6.5 seconds left. That's when Baron came up with his clutch, game winning shot over Tony Allen.


Tony had actually played solid defense all night on Baron Davis, had 2 big steals, and contributed 18 points in 21 minutes.


Ray Allen led the Celtics in scoring with 32 and had a superb shooting night with 11-17, 6-8 from the three point line to go with 6 assist, 3 rebounds, and a steal.


Paul Pierce was second on the team with 23 points, attacking the paint, and making 12 of 13 from the line. He added 5 assists, 5 rebounds and a steal.


Baron had 29 to lead four Warrior players with 20 or more points. Monta Ellis had a break out game with 26, Al Harrington had 22 points in 27 minutes, and Andris Biedrins added 21 points on 9 baskets, all within three feet of the rim.


It was game of seconds (and doubles).


The Celtics lost their second straight close game on the record breaking Green Machine West Coast Tour. They have drawn record breaking attendance at 2 straight stops now. The 20,711 tonight at the Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena in Oakland was the largest audience to ever watch a basketball game in the state of California, according to the Warriors TV commentators. That follows a record breaking night at Pepsi Arena with the Denver Nuggets.


Everyone wants to see the suddenly dominant Boston Celtics, their three stars, and the best record in basketball. Beating them has been a bonus on both nights for the home teams.


If you saw tonight's game you will see why they are drawing the crowds they do. Some think you can't get exciting, hard played basketball in the NBA during the year. They obviously aren't watching these Celtics play.


On almost consecutive plays, you would have seen 6' 8" 280 lb. Glen Davis dive to the ground in an attempt to get and save a rebound, followed by 7' Kevin Garnett doing the same a short time later, as he knocks the ball away from a Golden State guard (Monta Ellis). Glen Davis also crashed to the floor again on that same play to get the loose ball and pass it up court. Even the Warriors' announcers were awed by the Celtics' players hustle.


Kevin Garnett had a double double (17 points, 15 rebounds) as he showed why he was missed on his 2nd night back from an abdominal strain. His inspired play in the 4th quarter helped energize a Celtic team that needed inspiration.


The Celtics still aren't together defensively as tonight's and last night's scores will indicate. But there was improvement at times.


The Warriors came out guns blazing and opened a Don Nelson paced 32-29 first quarter lead on the eye opening play of 21 year old, 3rd year, high-school-to-pro, combo guard Monta Ellis. Not bad for a second round pick. Monta is following up a strong sophomore campaign with even more improvement this season as he is still defining himself as a combo guard in the NBA. The double teaming attention he received from the Celtics tonight was a first, so said the same Warriors talking heads. And he handled it quite well.


Monta is on a roll in February and averaging 26 points a game. You could see why as he drove, dished and hit outside for 10 points and 4 assists as Andris Biedrins was the recipient of most of those assists for dunks when Ellis forced Garnett or Perkins to pick him up. The Celtics defense was slow to 'help the helpers' inside, leaving the Golden State big man open for 10 first quarter points.


The Warriors shot a blistering .636 for the opening stanza. The Celtics almost kept up as Pierce had 9 and Ray Allen 8. Kevin Garnett looked sharper in his 2nd game back with 6 points and 6 boards in 8:29 minutes.


The 2nd quarter was much better as the Celtics defense started to shape up a little and held the high flying Warriors to just 18 points.


The game see-sawed until the Warriors took over later in the game, due partly to Celtic turnovers.


The Celtics next play the new look Phoenix Suns on Friday with Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal. Game is at 10:30 pm

[FLCeltsFan]

www.mercurynews.com/warriorsheadlines/ci_8322646?nclick_check=1

Celtics' Powe has reasons to be proud

A proud papa, Powe


is playing increased role

Playing time was so scarce for second-year Boston Celtics forward Leon Powe at the start of this season that you couldn't be blamed for thinking his primary role was that of Coach Doc Rivers' human victory cigar.

Over the past month, however, it's been Powe's turn to light a stogie and celebrate.

After seeing 58 minutes of action in the Celtics' first 37 games, the Oakland native and former Cal star became a father for the first time - son Leon Powe III was born Jan. 16. Two days later, he played a then-season-high 15 minutes, scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds against Philadelphia.

Powe was ready and able to fill in when Kevin Garnett went down with an abdominal injury against Minnesota on Jan. 25. Four days later in Miami, Powe had a career-high 25 points and added 11 rebounds for his second NBA double-double.

"In practice, I work hard, and every day I take seriously, especially games," Powe said. "I just tried to prepare myself and when (Garnett's injury) happened, I was ready to go out there and perform when called on. That's all me and my family talk about, just staying ready."

He's since had two more double-doubles and added a winning layup with 0.2 seconds remaining in the Celtics' 88-86 victory over the Timberwolves on Feb. 8.

"He's been terrific," Rivers said. "I'm more impressed that he's just hung in there. That's basically who he's been his whole life, and

he just hung in there and never complained about not getting minutes, kept fighting - literally, sometimes in practice - every day, and earned his minutes. And that's who Leon's always been."
• In addition to Stephen Jackson's first game missed because of injury this season, Baron Davis played despite a painful bone bruise in his left leg.

"It's kind of funny that after five days off, we come back and we're more injured now than we were all year, it seems like," Warriors Coach

Don Nelson said. "Who would have ever thought that? It doesn't work out the way you think sometimes."
A team spokesman said Jackson was considered day to day.

• For the second time this season, the Warriors set a franchise record for single-game attendance. The team announced a standing-room-only crowd of 20,711, breaking the previous record of 20,705 set Dec. 14 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

[FLCeltsFan]

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In Garnett's absence, Powe spreads wings
Gwen Knapp

Thursday, February 21, 2008

(02-20) 23:04 PST --

The last few weeks have humanized the Boston Celtics, revealing them to be more than a gaudy McMansion with all the trimmings, hastily constructed and heavily mortgaged in general manager Danny Ainge's get-rich-quick scheme.

It was a great scheme, we might add, and rather palatable. Who couldn't appreciate the fact that the eminently likable Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, long stuck in mediocre franchises, ended up forming a new NBA superpower in the land of Bird and Russell?

But the team had a little of the Yankees' sterility about it - a prefab perfection that would have been a lot more Steinbrenner-esque if the NBA salary cap didn't require considerable ingenuity as a down payment on purchasing a champion. The effect was further minimized recently when the Suns, Lakers and Mavericks, preparing for the stretch of the season, carbo-loaded with Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol and Jason Kidd.

The real transformation, though, came when Garnett got hurt, sitting out nine games, and Leon Powe got his wings. The bench as a whole answered the challenge in Garnett's absence, allowing the Celtics to go 7-2 and suggesting that Doc Rivers has coached the team into something more than a tribute to Ainge's skills as a curator. But more than anything, it was Powe's emergence that lent a fairy-tale quality to Boston's weeks of living dangerously.

He played 25 minutes or more in seven games between Jan. 27 and Feb. 13. In the entire month of November, Powe had played only 24 minutes altogether. He scored 25 points in a game in Miami, where both Garnett and Allen had to sit out, and he beat the Timberwolves with a last-second layup on Feb. 8.

On Wednesday night, Powe sat in his cubicle in the visiting locker room at Oracle Arena, carefully sorting a couple dozen tickets for friends from his hometown. He was on his way back to being purely a role player, spending 14 minutes on the court and scoring three points in a 119-117 loss to the Warriors.

But he already had established something important. Wherever he goes, whether scholastic stardom at Oakland Tech after years of homelessness and foster care, or Pac-10 glory after blowing out a knee at Cal, or a brief but powerful escape from obscurity on the most dominant team in the NBA, Powe defines resiliency.

"He just hung in there and never complained about not getting minutes, kept fighting, literally sometimes, in practice every day and earned his minutes, and that's who Leon's always been," Rivers said. "That was really neat. He's a really neat guy to coach. I've said that a million times, and I'm very proud of him."

There was one time this year when Powe didn't fight for minutes. The young man who helped rear five siblings left the team to witness the birth of his son on Jan. 16. Little Leon Powe III attended the game Wednesday night.

As he sorted out his tickets, Powe talked with reporters, smiling politely and dishing out cliches by the dozen - "taking it one day at a time," "just working hard," etc. He was most animated, though not very specific, when confirming Garnett's leadership skills, his willingness to teach Powe about the game and his ability to keep the team's energy and humor level high.

On the court Wednesday night, Garnett contributed to the humanizing theme. In his second game back, he played 31 minutes, scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, impressive numbers. But he was guarded by the ineffectual Chris Webber for certain stretches, making the stats less meaningful. Stephen Jackson, out with an injury of his own, would have done a lot more to restrain Garnett, who looked weary at times and less mobile than usual, as if the remnants of his abdominal strain hindered his balance.

The Celtics ended up losing their second game in two nights to a Western team, after starting 16-0 outside the safety and tedium of the Eastern Conference. They still have the best record in the NBA, but they're no longer the favorites to win the big prizes. The Western leaders will be far more tested come June, especially now that Kidd and O'Neal have defected from the Eastern bloc.

The Celtics' newfound vulnerability makes them more appealing and more interesting. In the end, it might make them tougher, much as hardship appears to have shaped Powe.

"It would have to have an effect on who he is, I don't see how it could not," Rivers said. "... I hear a lot of our guys talk about where they grew up and how tough it was, and then you look at Leon and you want to say, 'I mean, please.' "

The respect in his voice was unmistakable. If he understands hard times, he knows that's not really what the Celtics are going through. They're simply becoming a real team.