News 2/25

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1075720&format=text

Trip can’t keep C’s down
Break three-game skid by surging past Portland

By Steve Bulpett | Monday, February 25, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
PORTLAND, Ore. - While the film of the same name was in the running for best picture at the Oscars some 825 miles down the coast in Los Angeles, the Celtics [team stats] starred in their own version of “Atonement” last night.

Not only had they lost the first three games of their western journey, but they looked primed to be Grand Slammed. Then, after falling behind 32-16 at the end of the first quarter, the Bostonians finally began acting like the team with the best record in the NBA. Thirty-six minutes later, they had a 112-102 victory over the Trail Blazers and a ray of light after a week on the road.

“Our rule really is to stop it at two and try not to make this an ongoing thing,” said Kevin Garnett of the losing streak the C’s brought into the Rose Garden. “Tonight you could feel it on the bus. Our focus was there. Now we’ve just got to finish the road trip off (tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers).”

Added Paul Pierce [stats]: “We definitely wanted to get a win. We were struggling putting the offense and the defense together. Tonight we played well on both ends of the court, and we haven’t done that on this West Coast trip until today. Hopefully, we’ve got it back.”

Pierce led the Celts with 30 points, Ray Allen had 19, and James Posey (15) and Eddie House (11) combined for 26 off the bench.

The Celts hit an incredible 14-of-21 treys (66.7 percent). The Blazers weren’t too shabby either with their 12-for-21 effort from long distance, but the C’s hit nine in the second half to apply the hammer.

The Celtics shot 57.9 percent for the game, a Blazer opponent season-high.

The start was startling. The C’s had four rebounds in the first quarter, and Portland pulled in six offensive boards alone on the way to a 13-4 overall rebound edge. And the home team wasn’t just getting the caroms for show. It turned them into eight second-chance points.

After that, the tide turned.

“It’s just great defense,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “The defense from that point on was phenomenal. It’s more energy. We eased into the game. They came out very excited. They attacked us. We didn’t handle it very well. It’s something we’ve talked about a lot, that, ‘Guys, teams are fired up to play you and you have to try to match that to start games.’ It’s a dangerous thing to get down on the road. Being down 17 and then at one point having and 18- or 19-point lead, that’s impressive.”

Although there were many factors in the win - the Celtics digging in on defense and moving the ball for better shots at the other end of the floor - the game was tied at 61 midway through the third quarter when Blazers star Brandon Roy left for the night after aggravating a right ankle sprain.cw0

After that, Portland simply didn’t have enough weaponry to answer the C’s scoring runs.

Pierce had 12 points in the period as the Celts moved ahead by eight. He hit 2-of-3 treys in the frame, and Allen made both his bombs. Posey and House hit treys in a 17-4 run early in the last quarter that pushed the lead to 19.

“We still had our confidence,” Allen said. “I don’t think we wavered. We know it’s going to be a tough grind, and when people come at us, we’ve just got to (stay with it). Sometimes you fall off it and you get right back on again.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1075773&format=text

Pierce, Allen line up their shots

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Monday, February 25, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
PORTLAND, Ore. - After they had combined to hit just 5-of-25 shots in Friday’s loss in Phoenix, it was a fair lock that Paul Pierce [stats] and Ray Allen would be better yesterday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

But 19-for-22? And 8-for-9 on 3-pointers?

“You can’t keep a good shooter down long,” said coach Doc Rivers after the Celtics [team stats]’ 112-102 win. “That’s what Paul said after the game. He said, ‘There’s no way I could continue to shoot that way.’ And I’m just glad that he was right.”

Pierce just shrugged.

“Well, shoot, we went 2-for-30 last game,” said Pierce, exaggerating a tad after going 12-for-14 (4-of-5 on 3-pointers) here, “so I had it on my conscience. It was probably one of the top five worst games in my career, so I wanted to come with a conscious effort to focus a little better than I did in the last game. The shots were there and I was able to knock them down.”

Allen went 3-for-12 against the Suns and started slowly yesterday before picking it up.

“In contrast to what we did last game, we didn’t want to go out and have a poor offensive performance,” he said. “We wanted to take good shots.”

Pursuing Barry


Director of basketball operations Danny Ainge isn’t the only Celtic trying to recruit the recently waived Brent Barry. The guard’s former Seattle teammate Allen has been trying to make a connection, too.

And what will the sales pitch be when Allen and Barry stop playing phone tag?

“I think it’s not about me pitching it to him, it’s about what he wants,” said Allen. “There’s nothing I can do to try to pitch this team, because I think this team pitches itself. He ultimately has to decide that he’d like to be a part of this situation, because we’re the Celtics, we’re the green and white. And every other team is unique, too. You just have to decide where you want to be.”

While many see Barry as simply a 6-foot-7 shooter, it’s interesting to note that the Celts want him for his ballhandling skills.

“That’s what he did (in Seattle),” said Allen. “He brought the ball up and he didn’t have to have the ball in his hands after that. He made plays. He initiated the offense and he always spaced the floor well..”

Best and worst


Denver followed its win over the Celts with losses to Chicago and Milwaukee. Golden State beat the C’s and fell at home to Atlanta. A day and a half after the Suns beat the Celts, Detroit crushed them by 30 on their home floor.

“We were laughing about that,” said Rivers. “Scot Pollard got on the bus and said, ‘(Expletive), every team we play gives us their best and then they (stink) the next night.’ You know how Pollard talks.”

“We’re getting teams’ best, though. That’s good for us. We’re getting great atmospheres, and the teams are getting up for us. That’s really healthy for us.” . . .

Brian Scalabrine (groin strain) was unable to play yesterday after there had been some hope for a return. “He’s out for the trip,” said Rivers.

Roy’s no surprise


Celtics fans may have had some pangs watching Brandon Roy win Rookie of the Year then make the All-Star Game in his second season.

Roy’s the guy the Trail Blazers took with the draft pick they got from the C’s (after a second deal with Minnesota). The Celts wound up with Sebastian Telfair [stats], Theo Ratliff [stats] and a second-round pick.

At the time, the Celts were concerned about Roy’s health and there was a commitment to Tony Allen.

“We liked Brandon Roy a lot in that draft,” Ainge said. “We had him rated very high. We weren’t sure if we were going to get him or not at that time, but we really liked him.

“Brandon Roy would have been nice for us to get but Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are nice for us to have. You probably don’t get those guys if you have Brandon but, hey, there’s no question Brandon Roy’s a good player.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/25/celtics_defense_puts_out_the_blazers_fire?mode=PF

Celtics' defense puts out the Blazers' fire
By Peter May, Globe Staff | February 25, 2008

PORTLAND, Ore. - Doc Rivers is not a fan of afternoon games, especially on the road, but he wasn't all that upset about having to play the Blazers at 3 p.m. yesterday.

"We've had some strange starting times this year, but, the middle of the afternoon? But, you know what? I kind of like that because we play back-to-back and I like it that the first game is the early one," Rivers said. "That'll give us a chance to get to LA [last night] and more than 24 hours to recuperate."

Then, contemplating his lads enjoying a night on the town in Britney/Lindsay Land, Rivers said, "come to think of that, strike that last remark."

Well, the Celtics earned whatever they wanted to do in Los Angeles last night after yesterday's 112-102 dispatching of the Trail Blazers. They just waited a while to earn that right.

They trailed by 16 after one (scoring just 16 points in the process). They trailed by 17 midway through the second, en route to what looked like it might be a fourth straight loss on this trip. Already they had lost as many games in four days as they had in the first two months, they were winless since Kevin Garnett returned to duty, and they were getting out-everythinged by the young, frisky Blazers.

"They were excited. They attacked us. We didn't handle it very well," Rivers said.

That would be an understatement. They were getting overwhelmed. And, as Rivers noted, "It's dangerous to get down on the road."

But then the Celtics' big guys finally showed up, as did the one common denominator of Boston's excellence all season - the heretofore missing defense. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, who were a combined 5 of 25 in Phoenix Friday night, awoke offensively and Garnett anchored a defense that held the Blazers to 70 points over the final three periods on 41-percent shooting. "After that first quarter, I thought our defense was phenomenal," Rivers said. Had the Blazers not enjoyed a Tommy Heinsohn-infuriating 26-15 advantage at the free-throw line, this one would have not have been as close.

"We figured out what they were doing," said Garnett. "As the game went on, the defensive pressure got better."

Garnett, who had 10 points and 7 rebounds in 31 minutes, said he still doesn't have his legs after missing nine games with an abdominal strain.

"I'm in no rush," he said. "I don't see myself as one-dimensional. I can affect a game in many different ways and I know that."

And because he can, and does, that is not good news for the Celtics' opponent.

The Celtics' rally began after a Joel Przybilla dunk made it 46-29 Portland with 5:38 left in the half. Four minutes later, Rajon Rondo (15 points, 8 assists) converted on the break to finish off a 15-4 run, which featured 6 points by Pierce (on two 3-pointers) and 5 by Allen (his first two baskets of the game, an uncontested lefty layup and a 3-pointer.) The run, which featured 6-of-6 shooting, took the Blazers out of their comfort zone, the crowd out of its glee, and allowed Boston to pull to within 54-47 at the half.

The Celtics then kept it going in the third, opening with a 12-2 run that featured 3-pointers by Pierce (30 points) and Allen (19). The two were 19 of 22 on this day and the Celtics are not going to lose many games when they're shooting like that. They also were 8 of 10 from international waters, as the Celtics matched their season high of 14 threes. Eddie House and James Posey also had three apiece. Over the last three quarters, the Celtics were a scalding 63.8 percent from the field.

A 3-pointer by Pierce 3:52 into the third gave the Celtics a 59-56 lead, their first since a 6-5 advantage in the first. Although Portland tied the game twice more, the Blazers never regained the lead. It didn't help their cause that their best player, Brandon Roy, had to leave with 5:44 left in the third with an aggravated right ankle sprain. As Posey noted, "He's a very big part of what they do."

Said Roy, who was scheduled to have an MRI last night, "I hope it's just a sprain. I hope it's nothing more serious than that."

The Celtics led by 8 after three and by 11 with 8:29 left when Pierce inaugurated a quick 8-0 burst to blow the lead out to 19 on a Posey dunk with 6:40 remaining. The closest the Blazers could get the rest of the way was 10 following a 3-point barrage. But Posey (15 points, his highest output since Jan 27) coolly knocked down a pair of treys to keep the hosts at bay and time eventually ran out on the Blazers, who lost for the seventh time in eight games and are 7-14 over the last 21 games.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/25/names_bouncing_around?mode=PF

Names bouncing around
Ainge considers Barry, and others
By Peter May, Globe Staff | February 25, 2008

PORTLAND, Ore. - By this time next week, we should have a pretty good idea if there are going to be any more add-ons to the Celtics roster. A number of players on executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge's to-do list will become available, most notably Brent Barry tomorrow. Also possibilities: Sam Cassell (provided the Clippers buy him out and waive him by midnight Friday) and Chris Andersen (who would fit the need for an athletic big man, but who still is awaiting league and union approval on his reinstatement filings.)

"I really don't know where we stand," Ainge said yesterday before the Celtics' 112-102 victory over the Blazers. "I've had conversations with just about everyone. But I am not sitting around and holding my breath, waiting for something to happen."

Barry is an Ainge favorite from way back, but the former Spur/Sonic/Bull/Heat/Clipper is on a lot of teams' wish lists. He also can sit around San Antonio and chill (to borrow a phrase from Jerry Stackhouse) and re-sign with the Spurs in the third week of March. He is out anyway for now with a injury.

As for Cassell, he was quoted in yesterday's Los Angeles Times saying, "The question is, will they give me a buyout?" He was referring to the Clippers. He referred any other queries to his agent, David Falk.

The names of Flip Murray and Jamaal Magliore also have been bounced around. Asked about the unusually high number of available bodies after the trade deadline, Ainge said, "all it says is that there are a lot of different reasons why trades are made. It's not like in the olden days, when you traded a player for another player to help your team. There are a lot of other reasons, from teams trying to save money to teams looking ahead to next year to teams going for a championship."

LA story

The Celtics will close out their trip tonight against the Clippers. Los Angeles center Chris Kaman is doubtful with a sore lower back while Cassell (sore wrist) is questionable. Boston will be going for its first LA sweep against the Lakers and Clippers since the 2001-02 season. In an interesting bit of scheduling, the Celtics will be finished with the Lakers and Clippers before the Trail Blazers play either team. Portland meets the Lakers for the first time this season tomorrow night and then plays the Clippers for the first time Wednesday. Seven of the Trail Blazers' final 26 games are against either LA team . . . Brandon Roy played only 26 minutes - and none of the last 17:44 - after aggravating a right ankle injury. "You could see he was limping out there," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "He wasn't himself, and that clearly hurt Portland because he's their leader and their point guard."

Court out of session?

Ainge was lamenting the likely demise of McArthur Court, the venerable home floor of the University of Oregon's Ducks. The state legislature has approved funding a new arena for around $200 million, helped in part by a $100 million donation to the school's athletic program from Nike boss Phil Knight. Ainge, who grew up in Eugene, went to many a game in the building, now in its 79th year, and said, "That place is legendary. I watched games there my whole childhood. I played a lot in the summer there and had a few high school games there, too." Ainge said Celtics uberscout Leo Papile visited McArthur for the first time recently and came away raving about the place . . . Portland was missing James Jones, who is out with a left knee injury, for the 10th straight game. He may be back this week. The Blazers miss his outside shooting (49.3 percent from international waters), which is one reason they acquired Von Wafer from Denver. Overall, James has missed 21 games this season. Portland is 22-12 in the games in which he has played . . . Brian Scalabrine again was hors de combat with a strained right groin. He has yet to play on this trip and Rivers said Scalabrine "is out for the trip."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080225/SPORTS/802250355

FREE THROWS: Losses reason for concern, not worry
February 25, 2008 6:00 AM
Before the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics were the best team in the NBA. Since they came back from the break, they've been one of the worst.

Of course, three straight losses does not a disaster make. But it's not an encouraging sign when you consider they're supposed to be better with Kevin Garnett back in the lineup, after going 7-2 without him.

After going 16-0 against the Western Conference to start the season, the Celtics have dropped three straight to West teams in four days. Sunday's game in Portland stopped that trend, but what's disturbing isn't that the Celts lost three straight games, but the deficiencies they showed in them.

The first two games, a 124-118 loss to Denver and a close 119-117 fall at Golden State, were certainly winnable games. But the Celtics, who have been one of the top defensive teams in the league so far this season, couldn't get the job done on that end of the court. They scored their highest two point-totals of the season, but it still wasn't enough.

On Friday, they held the high-scoring Phoenix Suns to just 85 points. The only problem was that the Celtics themselves couldn't score, posting up a season-low 77 points. Their offensive woes made the Suns, who aren't exactly famous for their defense, look like the Pistons, as they scored a season-low for a Suns opponent.

So obviously the Celtics need to make a move to rejuvenate their sinking franchise, right? OK, sarcasm aside, the fact that Boston is now entering the stretch run means it is time to consider adding veteran backups. Some of the names being bandied about may sound pretty good, but keep in mind most of them would appear on the roster under the pseudonym "Justin Case."

Various outlets are reporting that the Celtics are making a play for the recently waived Brent Barry, who was traded from San Antonio in a deal to acquire Kurt Thomas. Seattle waived Barry immediately following the deal, and he should be free to sign with teams Tuesday. But the Celts aren't the only ones interested — key Western contenders like Dallas and Phoenix, as well as Houston, are interested in his services. He could also wait out the 30 days (the so-called "Gary Payton Rule") and re-sign with the Spurs.

Other names surrounding the Celtics right now are Flip Murray and Jamaal Magloire, who were each waived last week, and the possibly soon-to-be-reinstated Chris Andersen, even though he's expected to re-sign with New Orleans. And of course, Boston will always be considered in the hunt for point guard Sam Cassell, should he be bought out by the Clippers.

Following the trade deadline, Danny Ainge said the Celtics didn't make any deals because, quite simply, he likes his team as currently constructed. They just want to add a supplemental piece, not take away from what's already there. Barry and Andersen are players that would earn minutes away from some of the current Celtics, while Murray or Magloire could simply be insurance. Cassell would be the most interesting acquisition. He's not happy with playing time in Los Angeles, and how content would he be to sit on the bench in Boston now that Rajon Rondo has been playing his best basketball of the season?

The point is, for the first time in a long time, a three-game losing streak is something to be concerned about, but it's still not a big deal. If Ainge brings in any players, it will be complimentary, not reactionary. Because in a league where suddenly every Western Conference contender suddenly has a Big 3 of their own, Boston's Big 3 and the rest of the supporting cast are still the most proven of all.



BILL RUSSELL COMING TO THE SOUTHCOAST
Celtics legend Bill Russell, five-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star, will be the keynote speaker for the eighth annual Celebrity Scholarship Dinner for Umass Dartmouth's Center for Marketing Research.

The event will take place March 27 at the Venus de Milo restaurant in Swansea. Tickets are $75 per person and include a VIP reception and book signing. The money raised goes directly to scholarships for UMD students.

To purchase tickets, contact Ava Lescault at [phone], or via email at [e-mail].

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



HOT
SHOWTIME, TOO

The Lakers are on a seven-game winning streak for the second time this season, tying the longest streak since they won 11 straight late in 2003-04 (their last Finals appearance). Since they acquired Pau Gasol, they're 8-1 with him in the lineup, and have won 11 of their last 13 overall and as of this writing are the best team in the West.

JAZZED OVER KYLE

Sure, the Suns, Mavs, Lakers and Cavs have all gotten better with their recent deals, but perhaps the trade with the most impact thus far has been Utah shipping out unhappy Gordan Giricek to Philly for Kyle Korver. The Jazz are 19-4 since the trade.

POINT MAN

Of course, point guard Devin Harris was the main piece coming back for New Jersey in the Jason Kidd swap, but while he's out with an ankle sprain, Marcus Williams has stepped up in his absence, while New Jersey has gone 2-1 without J-Kidd.

NOT

BUCKING THE TREND?

So, 43 players changed teams in February, with 19 teams involved in some sort of deal, and Milwaukee couldn't do anything? The proposed deal of Bobby Simmons, Charlie Villanueva and Dan Gazuric for Zach Randolph would have been a great one for Milwaukee. Rule No. 1 for NBA GMs "” when dealing with Isiah Thomas, you always come out on the better end.

I CAN'T COME UP WITH A SNAPPY TITLE THAT DOESN'T PLAY ON THE WORD 'WANG'

Former NBA center Wang Zhizhi apparently struck a man in his homeland of China after getting into an argument while driving in a car with his father. Wang owned up to what he did, apologized and offered to pay the man's medical bills.

MONEY FOR NOTHING

Keith Van Horn, who hasn't played in the NBA since 2006, gets $4.3 million in a sign-and-trade to get Jason Kidd out of New Jersey, swearing he wants to make a comeback. Sure. Just like Aaron McKie was going to play for Memphis in the Gasol deal. The league needs to fix this problem, pronto.

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[FLCeltsFan]

www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=120391363066211300


New stars and pressure on Celtics, but Boston stresses teamwork
"Big Three' trying to stay healthy for Eastern Conference stretch run
By Jesse Severson

LocalNewsDaily.com, Feb 24, 2008, Updated 7.7 hours ago

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen — Boston’s 2008 version of the Big Three — are playing unfamiliar roles this season.

They're favorites.

Each has been the star on teams that couldn’t quite reach elite status. Garnett, in his 12 years in Minnesota, never got further than the Western Conference finals. The same can be said for Pierce in his nine years as a member of the Celtics. Boston was ousted in the Eastern Conference finals in 2002 by the New Jersey Nets. Allen, who’s split his 11 years in the NBA with Milwaukee and Seattle, got to the Eastern finals in 2001 — where his Bucks fell to Philadelphia in Game 7.

Now the three stars are aligned, united in a quest for a championship. No longer will each need to put whatever playoff hopes his team does have on his back.

However, they still don’t feel the pressure that comes with the expectations of being a top-level team.

“I haven’t even thought about (the finals) yet,” Garnett says. “The consistency of talk around here is teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.”

It was less than a year ago that this season’s superpower in the east was pinning its hopes for the one of the top two picks in the NBA draft—– planning on building its future around either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. After the lottery balls didn’t bounce the Celtics' way, director of basketball operations Danny Ainge went to Plan B.

A draft-day trade brought Allen to Beantown, and Garnett followed suit a month later.

In a town like Boston, where 16 championship banners hang from the rafters, the pressure to win is among the heaviest in the league — especially with three all-stars on the roster.

Early this season, Boston lived up to the potential, jumping out to a 27-3 record — tying the best mark in NBA history through 30 games. The red-hot start has cooled off, but the Celtics still claim the best record in the NBA at 42-12 after their 112-102 win over Portland at the Rose Garden on Sunday.

Rivers says that his sights are set for down the road, though.

“As good as things are with our record, that’s not what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to get ready for later,” he says.

Each all-star’s numbers are down from years past. Pierce is averaging just over 20 points per game, and both Garnett and Allen’ are scoring less than 20. However, that hasn’t kept Garnett's name from thrown around as an MVP candidate.

“He’s a great player who gets it done on both ends of the floor, and I think that’s what an MVP does,” Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge says.

While the top teams around the league made blockbuster moves before the trade deadline, the Celtics have been idle, deciding to go with the team that Ainge has assembled.

“We aren’t broke right now,” Garnett says. “We got a good team right now.”

Two of the trio have been struck by the injury bug, however. The 32-year-old Allen has missed four games and the 31-year-old Garnett missed nine games with an abdominal strain.

But after missing 64 games the last two years, the 31-year old Pierce has yet to miss a game this season.

Garnett admits that he’s not back to where he’d like to be.

“I’m still trying to get my legs under me,” he says.

As the playoff race continues, the Celtics will have to get used to seeing the other team’s best game.

“Teams are getting up for us, and they want to beat us,” Rivers says. “I think that’s really healthy and good for us.”

If there is one thing Rivers is used to, it’s pressure. After years of being on the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Celtic fans grew weary of Rivers and wished he would pack his bags and head out of town.

Now the pressure has changed to where Boston is expected to win an NBA championship in the small window that the Celtics will have as Pierce, Garnett and Allen grow older by the minute.

“If pressure is that you have a chance to win a title, then that’s pretty good pressure,” Rivers says.

NOTES: The resurgence of the Celtics could be seen in the Rose Garden crowd. Green shirts and Boston jerseys were scattered throughout the arena. …Boston improved to 25-22 all-time in Portland. The Celtics are the only team with a winning record in the Rose City. …After going into the All-Star break 16-0 against Western Conference teams, the Celtics dropped their first three games on their western road trip. The Celtics lost to Denver 124-118, Golden State 119-117 and Phoenix 85-77. …Pierce, Garnett and Allen combined for 59 points in the win over the Blazers. … Six players scored in double figures for the Celtics.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022402167_pf.html

Celtics Still Ahead Of the Curve in East

By Michael Wilbon
Monday, February 25, 2008; E01



PHOENIX -- The Boston Celtics started this basketball makeover craze. Back at the end of July, before the Lakers had any thought of trading for Pau Gasol or the Phoenix Suns had any inkling Shaq might become The Big Cactus, Danny Ainge remade and as a result reenergized the Celtics. Even as they've struggled now through their first three-game losing streak of the season out west, the overall numbers make it fairly easy to argue that the biggest trade in the season of swap took place not in February to beat the deadline, but back in the summer when Ainge pulled off huge deals for Ray Allen and then Kevin Garnett that enabled the Celtics to run off to the best record in the NBA.

The current trip that took the Celtics west plopped them in the desert for the third week of the ongoing love fest between Phoenix and Shaquille O'Neal, and it was impossible for Ainge, the Celtics director of basketball operations and general manager, not to feel a twinge of jealousy . . . momentarily. "The Suns, the Lakers . . . they both have this newness, a freshness," Ainge said during a conversation when the Celtics visited the Suns. "But we had that at the start of the season. It can wear off or it can stay. . . . Gasol does it for you. Shaq does it for you. I actually thought [before the trade deadline] about the jolt you can get from it . . . but we actually get that jolt now from guys like Leon Powe and Big Baby. They give that to us now because they've evolved to the point where they can give us so much, because they want to play for the older guys, play for Kevin . . . "

Powe, a second-year reserve forward, and rookie behemoth Glen "Big Baby" Davis are two of the players Ainge and Coach Doc Rivers are counting on to supplement Boston's "Big Three" of Garnett, Allen and rejuvenated holdover Paul Pierce as the Celtics try and get back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987. The Celtics' turnaround is as radical as is possible from one season to the next. Last year the Celtics were on their way to the draft lottery, the second-worst record in franchise history (24-58) and nightly humiliation.

Rivers, a contemporary whom Ainge battled on the court, took the job expecting a difficult climb but not this steep. "Danny and I have been around for a long time," Rivers said. "We knew it would be severe . . . but I didn't know it would be that severe. . . . I thought there might be pain to it, but not that kind of pain. [Last year] I knew I could lose my job. I knew Danny could lose his job. . . . If you win you're good. If you lose you're not. It's always been that way."

But then Ainge changed not just his personal situation but the immediate future of the Celtics and very possibly the landscape of the NBA. On draft night he traded Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and the pick that would become Jeff Green to Seattle for Allen, the smooth-shooting, exceptionally popular all star.

Eyes opened. But it would be nothing like the reaction that accompanied the July 31 trade Ainge made, sending five young players (with big Al Jefferson being the most promising) and two first-round draft picks to Minnesota for Garnett.

KG is a strangely great player by NBA standards. He's fabulous as an ensemble player but not the guy who can carry an okay team deep into the playoffs. Thirteen seasons and nearly 1,000 games played is a lot of mileage, even if KG has yet to turn 32. Ainge, starting his fifth season, decided to go for it now. If anything, teams around the league spent November, December and January watching the "jolt" the Celtics got from having KG and Allen.

"Teams are trying to win," Rivers said. "Teams are going for it and if you're the league, isn't that what you really want?"

The Celtics are far from a lock to win the Eastern Conference. Detroit, again, is menacing. LeBron James has gotten what he feels will be a positive bounce from the jolt of Cleveland's massive deadline-beating acquisition of new running mates Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Szczerbiak and West. But the Celtics don't have to work in any new parts. They're well on their way to locking up one of the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference. Most surprising is that their defense ranks 1, 2 or 3 in all six important categories, including field goal percentage and points allowed per game. That defense was the primary reason the Celtics were 7-2 in nine games that Garnett was injured.

But the team is under no delusions that it can keep that up without Garnett, who returned to the lineup after the all-star break. Ainge says he's most thrilled about seeing smiles on the faces of Rivers and Pierce, who endured last year's losing. But Ainge adds that one of the things that "sustains the team is Kevin's passion and energy. He generally cares about his teammates and they know that. They're really playing for him. He'll get on 'em . . . tell 'em things coaches tell 'em but it means more coming from him. Kevin holds them accountable. He sets the standard. There's no hypocrisy in him. He works hard, rehabs hard, plays hard . . . all of it. Everything he does he does the right way."

It's a good thing because Garnett has plenty to prove. Though he enjoys the status of an elite player, Garnett has only once led a team out of the first round of the playoffs. A bigger deal is his Timberwolves didn't even make the playoffs three consecutive seasons. In Boston, Garnett has more the ensemble cast, with Allen and Pierce being to this team what Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell were to the 2004 Minnesota team that advanced to the Western Conference finals.

For now, the Celtics will have to occupy themselves with holding off the Detroit Pistons, who have crept within two games of Boston for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Like the Celtics, the Pistons came into the season with a roster they liked, one with a deeper bench and much more playoff experience though fewer megastars than the Celtics.

It's difficult to go wire-to-wire with the best record in the NBA, and it doesn't always pay off in the playoffs. But the Celtics wouldn't give back their blast into this renaissance season, nor would they fret now about all the rivals that are trying to do now what the Celtics did coming into the season.