News 3/6

[FLCeltsFan]

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C’s kiss ’em goodbye
No more Pistons until potential playoff affair

By Mark Murphy | Thursday, March 6, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by John Wilcox
One can only imagine what late May - and the Eastern Conference finals - will be like if these two teams are still playing each other.

Celtics [team stats] guard Ray Allen, after shooting the East to victory last month in the All-Star Game, had the conditions laid out by the Detroit Pistons’ Rasheed Wallace.

“When we left (New Orleans), Rasheed said, ‘Thanks for winning me the money I got, but now you can kiss me where the sun don’t shine,’ ” said Allen, who, thankfully, didn’t have to work on his playoff pucker last night at the Garden.

From an offensively channeled Kevin Garnett, who scored a season-high 31 points, to Kendrick Perkins [stats] and his career-high 20-rebound performance, to a full-scale push from Rajon Rondo [stats], all involved helped the Celtics get past their chief competition in the conference last night in a 90-78 victory over Detroit.

The Celtics, a 24-win team last season, thus became the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff spot last night. The Atlantic Division leaders, winners of six straight, will be making their first postseason appearance in three years.

An overpowering finish followed an 18-point third quarter by old friend Chauncey Billups that brought the Pistons to within two points entering the fourth. Detroit tied the game to open the final period on a Tayshaun Prince basket, before the C’s regained the lead for good in a game in which they never trailed.

“Last year it would have been a parade,” coach Doc Rivers said.

This year? The Celtics are now fishing for tuna instead of mackerel.

“It was a huge game for us and we knew it from Day One,” Garnett said. “This is not an easy matchup. This is probably the deepest (team), not just because of the depth on the bench and stuff, but just because they are experienced.”

The interesting part now, according to Rivers, is that his own team doesn’t need to look to a result like last night’s for an extraordinary amount of confidence.

“We already have a pretty confident bunch here,” Rivers said.

Witness Rondo, after being on the receiving end of most of Billups’ third-quarter drives and jukes, which the Detroit guard converted into 11-for-11 free throw shooting as the main part of his bid to win the game, flying in for a tomahawk dunk and hitting the floor following a rough, nothing-comes-easy foul from Pistons forward Jason Maxiell.

The Celts concluded the matter with a 13-0 run over the game’s final 5:12.

“You don’t want to take anything away from the Pistons,” Paul Pierce [stats] said. “You don’t want to get too overconfident against them. I remember in 2002 we were 3-1 or 4-0 against the New Jersey Nets and lost to them in the Eastern Conference finals. It’s great to beat them in the regular-season matchup and win the series, but this is a team we’re probably going to have to see in the playoffs. They’ll be a better team by then.”

If Pierce is as well-rested as last night, when he came in to hit two big shots in the game-ending run, the Celtics will be just as improved.

The Celtics captain, working on a 15-point night that included the team’s only three 3-pointers, came up with the game’s big steal when he picked off a Wallace pass, kicked the ball out to Rondo and took it back for the fast-break hoop and an 85-77 lead with 2:53 left, forcing a Detroit timeout. The basket came in the middle of a withering 13-0 run, which included a push by Rondo (16 points) for a three-point play and a Pierce trey.

“I pretty much just closed my eyes and the ball slipped out of my fingers and went in,” Pierce said. “The shot clock was winding down and Kevin got me the ball and set a nice screen, and I saw nothing but daylight so I took the shot.”

By the time Garnett hit Perkins (10 points) with a bullet pass and the center turned the feed into a 90-77 lead with 1:29 left, the run was over and so were the Pistons.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1078163&format=text

C’s follow KG’s lead
No doubting who’s in charge

By Tony Massarotti | Thursday, March 6, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by John Wilcox
This was Kevin Garnett’s team from the day he arrived, and it will be Kevin Garnett’s team until the day he departs. And so last night, unsurprisingly, the Celtics [team stats] lined up behind Kevin Garnett.

“From what you heard of the past, he was more of a leader by example and didn’t demand a lot from his teammates. That was one of the things you heard from early in his career - that he was too nice,” coach Doc Rivers said of Garnett following his team’s 90-78 win over the Detroit Pistons. “Clearly, that has changed with us.”

Oh, the Celtics have a nice team this year, now the possessors of a league-best 46-12 record with roughly six weeks to go. Nice will get them nowhere come springtime. What will be required then is for the Celtics to be ruthless, tenacious and even downright nasty, because we all know where nice guys finish when the games are for real.

So there was Garnett last night, scoring a season-high 31 points against a Pistons team that the Celtics almost certainly will encounter in the playoffs this year. (Let us pray.) There was Garnett, matching a season-high with 22 shots. (He made 13, slightly more than 59 percent.) And there was Garnett, erupting at teammates Kendrick Perkins [stats] and James Posey when the two battled for a loose ball with just under eight minutes to play in what was the closest thing this season to a home playoff game.

From the beginning of this game to the end, Kevin Garnett was in charge.

And everybody in a Celtics uniform knew it.

“I was just telling them to communicate,” Garnett said when asked about the message to Perkins and Posey.

He added with a grin: “I don’t think they heard me a couple of times, so I just repeated it - louder.”

Before we go on, let’s all acknowledge something: Last night’s game between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference would have brought greater meaning had the Celtics lost. After all, this was their building. The Pistons played Tuesday (100-97 home win over Seattle). The Celtics should have won and they did, which gives them a comfortable cushion over the Pistons in the competition for homecourt advantage. Beyond that, there is little to take from it.

With regard to Garnett, the Celtics clearly made a point of getting him involved early, riding him to a sizzling 17-3 start in the first five minutes. Garnett opened the game by scoring the Celtics’ first two field goals in the first minute of play, and the tone was set.

The best news is that Garnett kept shooting - and kept making.

“He stayed aggressive,” Rivers said. “Kevin is such a team player (that) if he scores three or four (field goals) in a row, on the fifth time he likes to pass.”

Last night, he kept firing away.

The NBA being what it is, there is simply no substitute for star power, particularly in the playoffs. That is a lesson LeBron James learned last year. Nationally questioned for giving up the ball in the final seconds of Cleveland’s loss to the Pistons in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, James got far more selfish beginning in Game 3. In the final four games of the series - all Cavaliers wins - James averaged 31.3 points, scoring 48 in a pivotal Game 5 win at Detroit.

All of this brings us back to Garnett, who has been nothing if not team-oriented since the day he became a Celtic. For a player and personality of his magnitude, he possesses astonishingly little ego. But during a game in which Ray Allen finished with a mere three points, the Celtics last night needed Garnett to burden an uncharacteristic amount of their offense, only adding to Garnett’s reputation throughout the NBA.

“He’s a leader,” Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird succinctly stated of Garnett earlier this week.

Takes one to know one.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1078166&format=text

Other Two’ measure up
Rondo, Perkins don’t kid around

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat | Thursday, March 6, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by John Wilcox
Kevin Garnett was sitting in front of the microphone, gazing at the stat sheet and speaking to no one in particular in a room full of people poised to record his every word for posterity.

“Man,” he said, “Perk had 20 rebounds. Wow.”

Garnett was able to capture the essence of Kendrick Perkins [stats]’ performance in a single syllable. He went on to praise Rajon Rondo [stats], as well. Indeed, KG was monstrous with 31 points, but he was well aware the Celtics [team stats] don’t take a 90-78 victory against Detroit last night without Perkins’ double-double (he had 10 points) and Rondo’s 16 points and poise at the point.

In a season dominated by talk of the Big Three, it’s becoming quite clear that in the Celtics starting five, the Other Two have more than a little to offer.

Against perhaps the most rock-solid group of veterans in the league, much of the heavy lifting was done by a 23-year-old center and a barely 22-year-old point guard.

“We can’t depend on the Big Three all the time,” said Perkins, who dealt as best he could with Rasheed Wallace (23 points) while outboarding him by 16. “Somebody else has got to step up. You know, some games it might not be me. It might be a bench player or whoever.

“That’s how good our team is. When it’s your time, you’ve just got to take advantage.”

Perkins and Rondo have been taking advantage quite a bit lately. This was the former’s second straight double-double, and Rondo is just two games removed from a 16-assist outing against Charlotte. The elevation of their games must come as a huge surprise to those who less than five months ago were offering loud doubt as to how Danny Ainge could dare surround his top trio with such driftwood.

The wailing was not lost on the Other Two.

“We always go to dinner and talk about it,” Perkins said. “He knows he’s got pressure on himself and I’ve got pressure on me. We just try to hold up and do our part.”

Rondo did his with three quarters of brilliant defense on Chauncey Billups. The All-Star did go for 18 points in the third quarter (11 from the line), but the rest of the game he was 1-for-9 from the floor on the way to five points.

“I just wanted to be solid and stay in front of him,” Rondo said. “I kind of got away from it in the third quarter, but I think one, two and four I did a good job. (Offensively) I wanted to be aggressive. I didn’t want to give him a night off by passing it. I knew coming into the game tonight that he would probably sag off and help out on other guys, so I wanted to stay aggressive.”

Rondo was all of that in the third quarter when he dunked on beefy Jason Maxiell and took a hard foul in the process - a play that Garnett said “brought the roof off the place.”

“There was a play in the first quarter where I went to the hole and missed the layup,” Rondo said. “Then KG came over and told me to turn it over, James Posey told me to turn it over and coach (Armond) Hill told me to turn it over. I was like, yeah, they’re not expecting me to dunk the ball, so I closed my eyes and went up and dunked.”

Perkins’ eyes were wide open and fiery as he attacked the glass. He admitted afterward that, as a young and impressionable guy, the night meant a lot to him.

“It’s big,” he said. “It was a playoff-type game - very intense, a lot of energy, very physical. I think it was a very good game for myself, but more important I just went out there and did my role. As far as rebounding and blocking shots, I think it’s the best I’ve played all season.”

If he and Rondo continue this way, “wow” may not cut it.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1078168&format=text

Victory could lead to extra Garden party

By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Thursday, March 6, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by John Wilcox
Should these teams end the season tied and then meet in the playoffs, the Celtics [team stats] will have last night’s win to thank for their homecourt advantage over the Pistons.

The head-to-head record in the regular season is the tiebreaker, and the C’s went 2-1 against Detroit.

“It’s going to be a grind, man, every time,” Pistons guard Chauncey Billups said after the Celtics’ 90-78 victory. “It’s going to be a grind. Great basketball. You know it’s going to be physical. They’re not going to surprise us, and we’re not going to surprise them. It will be nice.”

But according to Rasheed Wallace, there’s still lots of room for the conditions between the teams to heat up.

“Nah, not for us,” the Detroit center said of whether last night’s game had a playoff atmosphere. “I don’t mean to speak for everyone - but it wasn’t for me. I have been in more intense playoff games. This was a good regular-season matchup, though.”

Ray pitches in

Richard Hamilton, the Energizer bunny who was guarded by fellow UConn product Ray Allen for most of the night, finished with a pedestrian (for him) 15 points on 7-for-14 shooting.

Allen was only 1-for-9, but his influence was felt in a more important place.

“Ray had to chase Rip around every screen, fight him, and he finished with eight rebounds and five assists,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “His effort was huge for us.”

It’s not old hat

P.J. Brown has come out of semi-retirement - a late-career experience that should make most thirty-something athletes feel old.

But the 38-year-old power forward, who was activated for his first game as a Celtic last night, was receiving the opposite message from his stomach before the game - a sensation that made him feel unduly young.

“I’m a little bit antsy, even though I’m a 15-year vet,” said Brown, who ultimately didn’t leave the bench. “I’m feeling some butterflies, like a rookie. It’s a new situation for me, so it will take a little time.”

Rivers, still professing to not be in a hurry in regards to the acclimations of Brown and Sam Cassell, stuck with his normal rotation against the Pistons.

As a result, youngsters Leon Powe and Glen Davis still received their customary time.

“He’s doing pretty well,” Rivers said of Brown’s progress. “It’s different from the situation Sam is coming in from. P.J. has been in New Orleans, eating gumbo and spending a lot of time with his family.”

Known quantity

Cassell, in Baltimore attending a funeral yesterday, is expected to officially join the team for tomorrow’s game against Chicago.

But Rivers has already heard all sort of stories about how the point guard will fit in, including a truly bizarre theory on why it was beneficial that Cassell didn’t play last night against a team virtually everyone has facing the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

“I’ve heard that it’s good he’s not playing because that way Detroit won’t see him,” said Rivers. “I mean, c’mon. The guy has been in the league for 1,000 years.”

Allen, who played with Cassell in Milwaukee, can predict one development.

“It’s the first time he’s been in this situation in his career, but I know he’s a smart individual with a high basketball IQ,” said Allen. “He’s one of the best I’ve played with. The good thing is that he’ll give (Rajon) Rondo so much on-court tutelage. He’ll be another eye for what (Rondo) should be doing out there.”

We’re so great

Billups confidently noted before the game that he and Hamilton compose the best backcourt in the NBA.

Allen was unmoved.

“I don’t even compare,” the Celtics guard said of his Pistons counterpart. “I want to have the best 12 guys. Whatever they want to say, I’m happy for them.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1078170&format=text


Surgery puts out Pollard

By Steve Bulpett | Thursday, March 6, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by John Wilcox
Scot Pollard’s season is over. The Celtics [team stats] backup center learned yesterday that his left ankle injury has worsened to the point where he now needs surgery.

“When I hurt the ankle in September, it never fully recovered,” he said before the Celtics took the floor against the Pistons last night. “I played with that all year. It was painful at times, but no big deal.

“Well, it’s ruptured now. That (tendon) was pretty much the last thing that was holding my ankle together.”

Pollard said the injury is similar to the one suffered by Curt Schilling [stats] late in the 2004 Red Sox [team stats] season, but whereas more movement is required of a basketball center than is a baseball pitcher, he will not be able to go the bloody sock route.

“The only decision is whether to get it (the surgery) in Indiana or get it here,” Pollard said. “I’m going to go out to Indiana and talk to my doctor and get his advice and see where I feel more comfortable.”

There isn’t much comfort in any of this for the affable pivotman, except for the fact that he should finally be free of this issue after his rehab.

“It’ll be better because they can fix a lot of other stuff that’s wrong with my ankle,” he said. “There’s bone spurs and I have arthritis and my ligaments are all gone. They can reattach those. So they’re going to do a whole reconstruction of my ankle and it’s going to be better than it is now.”cw0

Pollard’s season thus ends with just 22 appearances. He played in just two of the Celtics’ last 26 games (three minutes vs. Phoenix and seven vs. Portland).

After his latest action, Feb. 24 against the Blazers, Pollard said he felt a step behind. He had been able to get back on the active roster by wearing large ankle braces generally reserved for football’s offensive lineman. The braces restricted his movement, but he was happy to be able to play.

Considering Pollard signed just a one-year free agent contract last summer ($1,219,590), the 33-year-old’s Celtics career could possibly be over.

Pollard acknowledged that last night, but he added, “I haven’t even gotten that far yet. I’m still shocked. I feel like I got punched and I’m a little dizzy. I feel like I’m punch drunk.”

The Celtics now have a full 15-man roster, with just 12 eligible to dress for each game. Rookie Gabe Pruitt has been sent to the NBA Development League, while the latest addition, Sam Cassell, was still in Baltimore for a family funeral last night.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/06/standing_alone?mode=PF

CELTICS 90, PISTONS 78
Standing alone
Celtics take control of East with victory
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 6, 2008

A Celtics legend and a budding Celtics legend crossed paths in a hallway near the locker room late last night at TD Banknorth Garden. And while they were exchanging pleasantries, first-year Celtics forward Kevin Garnett received a compliment he surely will remember.

"I've always said you're my favorite player to watch," Bill Russell told him.

Russell's words came after Garnett scored a season-high 31 points during the Celtics' 90-78 victory over the Pistons in their Eastern Conference showdown before a sellout crowd. The Celtics - who clinched a playoff berth with the decision - now hold a four-game lead over the Pistons for the best record in the East. By winning the season series, 2-1, Boston (47-12) owns the tiebreaker over Detroit (44-17), if needed, for home-court advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

"This is a big game for us, man," Garnett said. "The winner of this wins the tiebreaker. It was just a big game. It had everything written around it. It was a huge game, a huge game for us.

"We know that the Eastern Conference is going to be won by [one of] three teams, and this is one of them. Statement? You can say that. But it was an important game for us. I can't even put anything really on it. But it was a huge game for us and we knew that from Day One. This is not an easy matchup."

Garnett made 13 of 22 field goal attempts and 5 of 6 free throws in 41 minutes. He reached the 30-point mark for the first time this season and surpassed his previous high of 27, set against Atlanta Nov. 9. He sparked the Celtics to a 47-37 halftime lead by scoring 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting.

"I was in the flow early and I just never looked back," Garnett said.

Garnett played his ninth game since missing nine with an abdominal strain that seems to be a thing of the past. But with that injury in mind, coach Doc Rivers will be cautious with Garnett's minutes the rest of the way.

"He is back to normal and his conditioning is back, his timing is back," Rivers said. "The way we can tell usually is his jump shot, not his post game. When he's making little elbow jump shots, that means he has good rhythm. When he's not, that usually means he's going too fast. He doesn't have but one gear, and it's fast and faster. He was good."

The game was tied at 69 with 10:50 left in the fourth quarter after a lay-in by Detroit's Tayshaun Prince. The Celtics responded with a 16-8 run culminating in a Paul Pierce lay-in after a steal with 2:56 remaining for an 85-77 lead. Rajon Rondo, who had 16 points, sealed the decision on a 3-point play with 1:59 remaining that made it 88-77.

The Pistons never had the lead and were limited to 36.4 percent shooting from the field, 25 percent (4 of 16) from 3-point range.

"We needed this game to really see where we were, and I think we need to build off it, stay humble, and just keep working," said Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, who had a double-double of 10 points and a career-high 20 rebounds.

Detroit coach Flip Saunders said: "We didn't play how we needed to play offensively. You don't do that, you don't give yourself a good chance against a good team. Your margin of error against good teams is not much."

The Pistons have been a close second to Boston for most of the season. But with the season series and two straight wins in hand, the Celtics would seem to hold the momentum in a potential conference finals matchup.

Even so, the Celtics aren't getting overconfident. And while the Pistons were respectful, they have played in the last five East finals and don't seem overly concerned.

"This is just a great matchup," said Pierce, who had 15 points and three 3-pointers. "It does say that we can not only play them at home but on the road. Even when you look at the game when we lost the first one at home, we had our chances to win.

"But you don't want to take anything away from the Pistons. You don't want to get too overconfident against them. I remember in 2002 when we were, I think, like 3-1 or 4-0 against the New Jersey Nets and lost to them in the Eastern Conference finals. So it's great to beat them in the regular-season matchup and win the series, but this is a team we are probably going to have to see in the playoffs. They'll be a better team by then."

Detroit guard Chauncey Billups, who had 23 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, said: "They're a good team. Nobody can deny that, nobody can fight that. It was two good teams out there fighting, and they took care of business at home today."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/06/heres_hoping_they_do_it_again?mode=PF

Here's hoping they do it again
By Jackie MacMullan, Globe Columnist | March 6, 2008

If this was a test - like, for instance, the SAT - then the majority of the Celtics should be admitted to Harvard this morning.

So many of them aced the long-anticipated conference exam against the Detroit Pistons last night, you almost wondered if someone slipped them the answers ahead of time.

Kevin Garnett, a bundle of energy and emotion, was the catalyst, submitting a season-high 31 points on 13-of-22 shooting. He converted many of his elbow jumpers and post-up moves against a favorite foil, the combustible Rasheed Wallace. In one of the more heartwarming moments of the evening, KG baited 'Sheed into back-to-back fouls within eight seconds early in the fourth quarter, sending Wallace to the bench with five personals.

Suffice to say, No. 5 is completely healed from his abdominal strain. If KG had been any more pumped up, he would have scraped his head on the Jumbotron.

Garnett's accomplices included captain Paul Pierce, who sat for nearly 10 1/2 minutes toward the end of the third quarter to midway through the fourth before he checked back in and dropped arguably the biggest shot of the night - a back-breaking 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down that pushed a tenuous 1-point advantage (78-77) to a 4-point cushion and sparked a burst of scoring that proved to be the knockout.

"KG was playing so well, I was thinking, 'Who knows if I even need to be back in the game?' " Pierce confessed.

You expect such performances from the redoubtable cornerstones of this increasingly credible team, but there was more at work last night. Rajon Rondo grew up some more before our eyes, challenging veteran Chauncey Billups with tenacity and quickness and guile, rather than being beaten down by his strength and experience, as he was in the first two meetings.

Then there was Kendrick Perkins, the oft-forgotten big man, who hauled in every key rebound in the fourth quarter when the game was hanging in the balance. Perk checked out with 20 boards, 2 blocks, and 10 points, including two reverse layups in traffic that made the Pistons pay for doubling his more celebrated teammates.

Even Ray Allen, who suffered through a 1-for-9 shooting night, was given a passing grade by his coach for hounding Rip Hamilton from one screen to the next.

This was the biggest game of the season for both teams, if for no other reason than it established home-court advantage should they finish with the same record. With the season series knotted, 1-1, this was the tiebreaker.

Advantage, Celtics.

Not that home-court advantage has meant much. When you are pitting veterans against veterans and franchises that have been intertwined for decades against one another, there's a lot more at work than whether the game is on a friendly parquet floor with a leprechaun occupying the center circle.

The Pistons already had a legitimate alibi in case they stumbled at the outset. Their plane, delayed by weather, did not touch down in Boston until 4 in the morning, and, as one Pistons official snorted before the game, "We don't have a shot."

They truly didn't in the first quarter, when they missed 17 of their first 23 shots (26.1 percent) and were outscored, 17-3, out of the gate.

Ah, but this is the NBA, and no lead is safe - particularly in the first quarter, and particularly against a team with Detroit's mettle.

Did you really think 'Sheed and Chauncey and Rip were going to be content with getting blown out just because they didn't get enough sleep? Forget about it. Hamilton started doing what he does best - slashing to the hole - and Wallace started challenging KG with his usual array of threes, and some post-up moves. Billups, as usual, was the consummate facilitator.

We've dissected ad nauseam Boston's vulnerability against this team when Rondo isn't on the floor, but the Pistons looked mighty mortal themselves last night when Billups took a breather. Detroit's bench is pretty green when rookie Rodney Stuckey, second-year man Amir Johnson, and second-year man Jason Maxiell are on the floor.

Johnson was tortured by childhood idol Garnett in the post, and appeared mildly shellshocked in the wake of KG's schooling.

"I couldn't really stop him tonight," said Johnson, in what can only be charitably characterized as the understatement of the game.

He wasn't alone.

The Garnett-Wallace matchup in the first half was worth the price of admission. First it was Wallace burying a trey over Garnett's outstretched arm. Then it was Garnett countering with a demonstrative drive to the hole, 2 of 12 consecutive points scored for Boston.

"I was in the flow early, and I never looked back," offered KG.

"He gives them an inside presence," Wallace said. "Something they haven't had since [Kevin] McHale and [Robert] Parish. And that was something like 20 years ago."

Wallace, who had 23 points, has long been the X factor for Detroit. When he is engaged, the Pistons can beat anyone. But when the big man with the hair-trigger temper becomes disinterested or distracted, his team becomes vulnerable.

'Sheed was dialed into this outing. He nailed a 3-pointer over Glen Davis to kick off the third quarter, then was hacked on a fallaway by Perkins on the next possession.

Wallace lingered near the Celtics' bench just long enough to declare to coach Doc Rivers, "You got no one that can guard me, Doc."

Then he stepped to the line and missed both free throws.

Of course, the game came down to the wire. Boston put the clamps on defensively, Rondo laid down a thunderous dunk in transition, and the Celtics finished off this 90-78 win with a kick as strong as a shot of Jamieson whiskey.

While last night was a pleasant snapshot of possible future playoff endeavors, it certainly is only that - a glimpse of what might come. If the teams play again this season, the Celtics will presumably have Sam Cassell (and an active P.J. Brown) in tow. While Boston's grizzled guys continue to gush over the addition of Sudden Sam, the Detroit locker room was decidedly less impressed. There is a feeling among their brethren that Cassell is at the end of the line. While the Celtics will look to him to improve their pick-and-roll opportunities at the offensive end, the Pistons were salivating at the possibility of exposing him with the same weapon at the other end.

"Defending pick-and-rolls is not Sam's forte," noted Pistons coach Flip Saunders.

Fighting words? Nah. There will be more intriguing subplots than that if we are fortunate enough to watch these guys duke it out in the second season (like, for instance, the bad blood between Garnett and Antonio McDyess that dates to when KG was with Minnesota and the two engaged in a shoving match that got both ejected).

Stick around. With any luck at all, the fun has just begun.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/06/one_regular_season_loss_wont_defeat_them?mode=PF

One regular-season loss won't defeat them
By Peter May, Globe Staff | March 6, 2008

Say goodbye to them for a while. You won't see the Detroit Pistons again for two-plus months at the earliest, and if that meeting does transpire, it promises to be a doozy of an Eastern Conference finals.

But until that possible (putative?) meeting in May, the Pistons will continue to go about their business, playing what, for now, is the second-best basketball in the conference and, according to records, the second-best basketball in the NBA. They have lost the season series to the Celtics after last night's 90-78 setback. They will turn their attention to the Knicks, whom they play tomorrow night, and take last night's loss for what it's worth - one game, which, they feel, has no bearing on what may or may not transpire when things are really on the line.

Asked if his team's confidence might in any way be shaken, especially after guys such as Kendrick Perkins (20 rebounds) and Rajon Rondo (16 points) played a big role in the outcome, team mouthpiece Chauncey Billups had to fight back a laugh. "No way, man," he said. "They're a good team. Nobody can deny that. There were two good teams fighting out there. They took care of business at home.

"But you know what we've been through. This isn't even the playoffs," Billups continued. "We've been down, 3-2, in a playoff series and won [against the Nets in 2004 and the Heat in 2005]. We've been down, 3-1, in a playoff series and won [against Doc Rivers's Orlando Magic in 2003]. So there's no way our confidence is shaken by one game in the regular season."

The inherent unfairness of the NBA schedule hit this budding rivalry hard this season. The Pistons were one of four Eastern Conference teams (out of a possible 10) the Celtics see only three times. They play Milwaukee four times. They play Charlotte four times. They play Detroit thrice. As Dustin Hoffman's "Hook" would say, "Bad form!"

And, unlike the first two times when both teams had equal rest, the Celtics had the decided edge last night in that (a) they had last played Sunday, were in the middle of a five-game homestand, and had not gone anywhere in nine days, and (b) the Pistons had played the night before, didn't arrive at their hotel until 4 a.m., and are in a stretch where they have one home game in two weeks. Said coach Flip Saunders, "It seems like we've been on the road for 11 days because we spent more time in LA [when they played the Clippers] than we did when we got back home [when they played Seattle]."

But no one from Detroit was using the schedule as an excuse (bad form as well), and all teams have to deal with those kinds of quirks during a season. Everyone is playing on the same field, or court, when the playoffs start. The Pistons would like nothing better than to be back here for a much-anticipated Eastern Conference finals matchup and they are not the least bit worried about having to start it in the building they left last night.

"This team loves to play on the road," Saunders said. "We wouldn't view having home-court advantage as any kind of life-and-death situation."

After last night's result, it's going to be hard for the Pistons to overtake the Celtics, even with Boston's upcoming three-game trip through Texas, a trek that ends with a game in New Orleans. (Take a look at the Celtics' April schedule and try to find more than one loss there.) And, let's face it, whoever gets Cleveland in the second round (assuming form holds true in the first round) is in for a battle. Right now, that team would be the Celtics.

And if it does come to what we hope it comes to - and the players would take it right now ("next week," Billups said) - be advised that, as that stock caveat goes, "Past success is no indication of future earnings." (Or something like that.) In other words, regular-season results mean little. Paul Pierce even referenced the 2001-02 season, when the Celtics took three of four from the Nets and then lost to them in six games in the conference finals.

"This is a team we are probably going to see in the playoffs and they'll be a better team by then," Pierce said.

Over the next few weeks, the Celtics will try to be a better team as they integrate Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown into the mix, while the Pistons will do the same with Theo Ratliff. But if and when these teams do meet, it's gonna come down, as it usually does, to the familiar faces we've seen in the last five conference finals: Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rasheed Wallace (he's only been to the last four). That's who they are. They're comfortable in their own skin. And one March loss in Boston isn't changing anything.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/06/pollard_done_for_the_season?mode=PF

Pollard done for the season
Ankle tendon tear the culprit
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 6, 2008

Celtics center Scot Pollard's season ended before it really had a chance to start.

Pollard said before last night's game against Detroit that his season was over because of a left ankle tendon tear suffered at Phoenix Feb. 22. The 10-year veteran, who suffered a partial tear on the ankle in September, said an MRI yesterday revealed the extent of the injury. Pollard will likely have surgery in Indiana, where he has been seeing a foot and ankle specialist.

"The season's over for me," Pollard said. "It's frustrating. Hindsight is 20-20. If I had surgery [in September], none of this would have happened. I would have been playing, probably coming back in February. For me to try to play through pain, try to be a tough guy, I've done that too many times in my career.

"That's probably why my body is broken down the way it is, because of playing through pain. It's frustrating. I wanted to be a part of this. I have been a small part of this and I knew I was going to be a bigger part. If I would have been healthy, I would have been a much better part."

Pollard said an MRI in October revealed a partial tendon tear. The 6-foot-11-inch, 278-pounder has played only 22 games this season. He was signed to a one-year, $770,610 deal and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

"I felt something pop," Pollard said of the tear in Phoenix. "Since then, it's just been weak. The pain has actually been better since it's not rubbing against anything anymore. I'm going to talk to the doctor and see what we're going to do."

Pollard expects the injury to take four months to heal if he has surgery. While he hopes to play next season, he also has aspirations of being a television sports analyst and playing small roles in movies.

"I would like to play, yeah. I'm only 33," said Pollard, who has made appearances on Fox Sports' "The Best Damn Sports Show Period." "While I do have a couple poles in the water as far as another career, I'm still not sure I can do those other things and be passionate about them.

"I'm passionate about basketball, and it's all I've done my whole life. There's that fear that, 'Hey, do I hang it up just because I get surgery?' Well, a lot of guys get surgery in their 30s."

With the loss of Pollard, who had been the only reserve big man on the roster, last week's signing of P.J. Brown becomes more significant. "[Pollard] came in early and got hurt," coach Doc Rivers said. "From there, it really hasn't worked out. It's tough. He gets injured and his ankle is still injured.

"If Scot was healthy, we wouldn't have brought anyone in. But he isn't healthy, so you can't take that chance. That's why P.J. is here."


Saunders surprised
Considering how hard Kevin Garnett works, Pistons coach Flip Saunders was surprised Garnett missed a career-high nine games with an abdominal strain. Garnett played under Saunders in Minnesota from 1995-2005.

"He was MVP until he got hurt," Saunders said. "He's never had to deal with the injury and being out for so long. But he's such a rhythm-type guy. He's a guy who works so hard to have his body right at the beginning of the season. His biggest thing will be his last 27 games getting his body to where he wants it to be."


It's OK with Pruitt
Sparingly used rookie guard Gabe Pruitt was far from disappointed to be assigned for the third time to the NBA Development League's Utah Flash. After arriving in Salt Lake City Tuesday, Pruitt went straight to the Flash's practice in Orem and participated. Rivers said Pruitt is expected to finish the season with the Flash, who have 15 games left. "[Yesterday] morning he was one of the first players to arrive at practice," Flash general manager David Fredman said. "We are two games from a playoff spot right now, and we're hoping he can push us over the edge." . . . New Celtics guard Sam Cassell will be interviewed by John Thompson on "Inside the NBA" after tonight's NBA telecasts on TNT. Rivers said Cassell, who is in Baltimore attending a family funeral, is expected to be at shootaround tomorrow morning.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/


'I think I am probably pretty good'
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 11:17 PM
There are constant questions from fans and the media. There's a veteran (Sam Cassell) on the way. But Rajon Rondo more than held his own against one of the best point guards in the league tonight.

“I don’t really focus on what people say about needing a veteran point guard," a confident Rondo said after the game. "As long as I have veteran guys around me, I think I am probably pretty good, and I will continue to listen to them. I am just happy with the way we played tonight, and its just one game and we need to go forward from here and play Chicago on Friday.”

Take that, Doc
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 11:11 PM
Celtics coach Doc Rivers dared the media not to write anything about Ray Allen after the game. I'm here to prove Doc wrong.

"The other guy I thought was sensational – you won’t write anything about him – is Ray." Rivers dared me. "Ray was 1-for-9. [But] he chased Rip (Hamilton) around, every screen, fought him. Clearly it took some offense away from him. He didn’t front rim on his shot. Got eight rebounds, and I just thought his effort in that way was big for us. We needed somebody to chase Rip. Rip is exhausting to guard. And Ray was the guy, and I thought he did a phenomenal job of it. Just happy with that effort.”

One player there was no question about tonight was Kendrick Perkins (20 rebounds) ,and Rivers did not hesitate to heap praise on his center.

"Perk was phenomenal," Rivers said. "Not just his rebounds, but his defense. And we talk about it all the time. He did his job. He did what he does. He rebounds. He blocks shots. He’s starting to really make nice passes in the interior. That’s who he is and that’s what he did. He didn’t go outside of himself. He did once, when he shot the wild hook shot. Other than that he stayed within his game, and that was a dominant game for him."

Celtics clinch ...
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 11:10 PM
... a playoff spot! Count Doc Rivers among the unimpressed.

“Well, that’s not what we want," said Rivers. "So that’s nice. Last year it would’ve been a parade.”

Pierce, a cautionary tale
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 11:06 PM
Paul Pierce has been there before. He knows a 2-1 season-series win against the Pistons guarantees the Celtics a tiebreaker. And nothing else.

“You don’t want to take anything away from the Pistons," Pierce cautioned after the game. "You don’t want to get too overconfident against them. I remember in 2002 when we were I think like 3-1, or 4-0 against the New Jersey Nets and lost to them in the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s great to beat them in the regular season match up and win the series, but this is a team we are probably going to have to see in the playoffs. They’ll be a better team by then.”

KG being...calm?
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 11:02 PM
Kevin Garnett might be the most emotional player in the NBA. He might just be the most emotional person in sports.

So here was KG, after the biggest game of the season, talking to the media about keeping his cool. He said he passed that advice onto Kendrick Perkins, who had a career-high 20 rebounds tonight against the Pistons.

“Perk is real emotional, and I can relate to that," Garnett said after the game. "I was just trying to get him to keep his cool…Part of my responsibility is by example, and you know, as nuts as it sounds, I was trying to get him to calm down. And he listens to me, too. I was trying to get him to keep his cool and not do anything ,or get a stupid technical or dumb fouls. And he heard me a little bit. But he was in the zone, and he’s been in the zone for about two weeks now... he’s playing real good basketball.”

'Sheed miffed
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 10:57 PM
Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was instrumental in keeping his team close tonight, but foul trouble limited his playing time. He wasn't too pleased about that after the game.

“I knew they were going to do that bull---- anyway, every time," Wallace said. "Not taking anything away from them, they’re a good defensive team. But anytime we play them, me and [Antonio McDyess] got all these damn fouls. Today their post players had two or three fouls all game; that is ridiculous. But hey, I mean kudos for them. They played a good game, and they shot good in the fourth quarter, and that’s what they needed to do.”

Chauncey's take
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 10:51 PM
Chauncey Billups was asked what he takes away from the three regular season games against the Celtics:

"It’s going to be a grind man, every time," he said. "It’s going to be a grind. It’s great basketball. You know, it’s going to be physical. They’re not going to surprise us, and we’re not going to surprise them. It will be nice, it will be nice.”

Billups said he liked he physical style of play.

“It was very physical," he said. "That’s what we like to do anyway. We like to play that type of basketball. That’s great. I wish all games could be like that.”

The Celtics won the season-series 2-1, but the point guard isn't too depressed about that.

“Oh man, no way man," said Billups. "You know how we get down man. They’re a good team, they’re a good team. Nobody can deny that, nobody can fight that. It was two good teams out there fighting, and they took care of business at home today.”

Flip's take
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 10:46 PM
Detroit coach Flip Saunders had a diagnosis for his team's struggles tonight against the Celtics.

"Part of the problem I have is that when things start going south, our guys don't think they can do it better themselves," said Saunders. "We don’t have those type of players. Our players are geared towards somebody else making a play for somebody. That’s how this team has been built. It hasn’t been built on the superstar carrying us down the stretch. We have to continue to keep on pounding away and know what our strength is and keep on playing to our strength.”

Celtics, 90-78 (final)
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 09:57 PM
Big man. Big win.

Kendrick Perkins had 10 points and 20 rebounds as the Celtics secured a playoff tie-breaker with the Pistons and won the season-series 2-1 with a hard-fought, 90-78, victory tonight at the TD Banknorth Garden.

In a game that featured big bodies in the post, Perkins came up the biggest, helping to limit the Pistons and their vaunted frontcourt to 36 percent shooting. The Celtics out-rebounded Detroit, 50-38.

The Celtics were up by two entering the fourth quarter, but the Pistons tied it at 69 with 10:50 left.

Rasheed Wallace picked up his fifth foul at the 9:03 mark when Kevin Garnett up-faked him and drew contact. Not wanting to foul out, Wallace was forced to the bench.

With Wallace out, the Celtics scored the next five points and led 74-69 as Amir Johnson proved no match for Garnett on the block. That forced Wallace back into the game at the 6:37 mark. He was greeted by chants of “Wallace” from Celtics fans (think “Darryl”).

The Celtics maintained an 85-77 lead with 2:53 left, and Rajon Rondo extended the lead to 11 with a three-point play with 1:59 left. The deficit proved too much for Detroit to overcome.

Garnett had 31 points and 6 rebounds for the Celtics. Rajon Rondo had 16 points and 5 assists for Boston.

Detroit was led by Rasheed Wallace (23 points) and Chauncey Billups. Billups went 14-of-15 from the free-throw line, with his only miss of the game coming on his first attempt.

The Garden was boisterous for a Wednesday-night matchup between the NBA’s two best teams, easily earning the distinction as the loudest home crowd of the year.

We’ll have reaction from the locker rooms in a bit.


Champion
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 09:39 PM
Bill Russell is in the house, seated courtside next to the Pistons bench. He got a huge ovation from the crowd.

Celtics, 69-67 (3)
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 09:27 PM
As expected, the Celtics haven’t been able to get any breathing room here in the third quarter.

The Pistons raised their shooting from 35 percent to 41 percent as they closed the gap to two.

Rajon Rondo got a standing ovation for his dunk over Jason Maxiell at the 5:07 mark. Rondo threw it down with one hand before hitting the floor incredibly hard. Remember he’s a point guard.


Antonio McDyess caused quite a bit of spilled beer when he jumped into the crowd near the Pistons bench around the 6:00 mark.


Two police officers escorted out three rowdy fans in section 324 midway through the quarter. The incident was likely also beer-related.


Scott Pollard, who, as reported by Marc Spears, is out for the season, left the bench with 1:38 left in the quarter.


Celtics, 47-37 (half)
Link|Comments (1) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 08:38 PM
With Rajon Rondo out of the game, the Pistons cut a 10-point lead to 27-25 with 7:40 left in the first half. The Celtics are without Sam Cassell tonight, and it’s clear they could have used the veteran point guard during this stretch. Ray Allen replaced Tony Allen at the 7:40 mark.

With Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett back in the game, the Celtics went on a 7-0 run in just over a minute to take a 34-25 lead. They extended the lead to 38-25 on a hook shot by Garnett at the 4:35 mark. Antonio McDyess ended the run at the 4:09 mark.

Kevin Garnett already has 20 points.

Despite the lead, it feels like everybody in here is waiting for the fourth quarter. It seems almost inevitable that this game will come down to the wire.


The Celtics have been called for three defensive three-second violations.


Still no P.J. Brown. The recently-activated forward did not see action in the first half.


Celtics, 23-13 (1)
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 08:01 PM
The Celtics played a solid first quarter of basketball and have a 23-13 lead after one.

Shooting has been the difference thus far. The Celtics are shooting 59 percent, while Detroit is shooting a dismal 26 percent.

Doc Rivers stuck with his starters until the 1:13 mark. Tony Allen and Glen Davis were the first men off the bench for the Celtics. It’s likely they were both chosen for their physical play, which matches up well with the Pistons.

Ray Allen had 5 points and 4 assists in the quarter.


You know it’s a big game when the crowd is up in arms over every foul call, one way or the other. This crowd is nuts. Easily the loudest of the season.


Fast start for C's
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 07:50 PM
The Celtics got off to a 10-1 start thanks to a couple of missed free-throws and 0-6 shooting by Detroit. Paul Pierce made it 15-3 with a three-pointer at the 7:39 mark. The Pistons, who look more than a little sluggish coming out of the gate, have called timeout.

Holy pregame
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 07:40 PM
A Celtics-Pistons themed intro w/KG scream. Pyrotechnics. 'In the air tonight.' This place is insanely loud right now.

Allen fires a shot
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff March 5, 2008 06:58 PM
The Garden is electric tonight. But don’t tell that to Ray Allen.

“Nothing,” Allen said when asked if he felt anything extra in the air tonight. “What is this game 59 for us? It’s business as usual.”

In reference to a comment by Chauncey Billups claiming the Pistons have the best backcourt in the league, Allen was then asked to compare Detroit’s backcourt with Boston’s.

“I don’t [compare them],” Allen said. “I don’t get caught up in those battles or those games. I want to have the best 12 guys. Whatever they want to say or whatever they think, I’m happy for them. Our goal is to win the game.”

Allen was then asked directly what he thought of Detroit’s backcourt.

“Nothing,” he said sternly. “When we left the All-Star game, Rasheed [Wallace] told me, ‘Way to play hard, thanks for giving me the money [the Eastern Conference players got for winning the game]. Now you guys can all kiss where the sun don’t shine.’

“They don’t like Boston and we won’t like Detroit. I think playoff positions are starting to take shape. We don’t like anybody. We like ourselves, and we’ve got to get better. So my focus is not on their locker room but it’s in ours.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x780858001

Megliola: Win over Pistons no assurance of May success
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Lenny Megliola/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Mar 05, 2008 @ 11:41 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston, Mass. — Until they meet again, oh, let's say in the merry month of May, the Celtics have beaten the Pistons two out of three. When blossoms start to bloom, the Celtics will be asked to beat Detroit four out of seven. Read into this whatever you want.

Just don't make too much of it, okay? Yes, the Celtics' 90-78 win over the Pistons last night has relevance for the playoffs, but only in the context of gaining home court advantage. Look, these two teams might be headed for a best-of-seven come May. Having home court advantage is always desired. But does it tell you who's going to win the series? I hope not. Where's the fun in that? We need the mystery.

Nothing wrong with home court advantage, but thank the hoop gods that it doesn't guarantee winning the series. Point of reference: Golden State over Dallas last year. The option of surprise comes with every playoff series.

The win gave Boston the tiebreaker, if it comes down to that.

"This is just a great matchup," said Paul Pierce. But the captain didn't want to make too big a deal of it, even though he did mention the Celtics could have won all three against the Pistons, save for Tony Allen's infamous foul on Chauncey Billups.

"We don't want to get overconfident," said Pierce. "They'll be a better team in the playoffs." Yeah, they're just a puny 43-17 now.

Kevin Garnett came up big with 31 points, and Paul Pierce hit a crusher trey, then explained "I pretty much closed my eyes and the ball slipped out of my hand." That's your best standup, captain?

Garnett and Pierce needed to come up big because Ray Allen laid a 1-for-9 egg. "We're going to need everyone contributing from here on out," said Garnett. Like Rajon Rondo, who had 16 points, five assists and half a dozen floor burns. Like Kendrick Perkins, with his career-high 20 rebounds. Like Big Baby Davis with almost 20 minutes of useful service.

"They played well," said Detroit coach Flip Saunders. "I thought Rondo is one of the most improved players in the league, and Perkins has a good presence out there." Davis had a 20-point game in a win at Detroit. "Tonight, he came in and had some big buckets." said Saunders.

There's no measuring who learned more from last night's game, the winners or losers. Both the Celtics and Pistons will break down this film and re-run it if destiny has them meeting in the playoffs. What it won't tell them is how the Sam Cassell-Chauncey Billups little springtime war will play out. There's no telling if a key player will be injured two months from now. Assume nothing in the playoffs. Advantage to the team that can make changes on the fly.

"If you don't have home court (in the playoffs), you have to believe you can win," said Boston coach Doc Rivers. That's what you call plain speak. You're in the playoffs. You don't have home-court advantage. What are you supposed to do, give up?

The Celtics' terrific season has made them a target on the road. Fans are all over them, just like in the good old days. It's a sign of respect. Getting booed and insulted away from the Garden, of course, is a compliment. "Last year," said Rivers, "they were welcoming us."

Being a road target is old stuff to the Pistons. Rivers was asked about the chemistry of the two teams. "Our chemistry has been great, we just haven't been tested much. Detroit has unbelieveable (chemistry)." That's because the Pistons have been together so long they know each other better than they know their wives.

Hey, last night was a good appetizer. It did have that playoff feel. To Celtics fans it must seem like eons since such a game lit up the night. But it wasn't that long ago. In the 2002 playoffs Boston knocked off the 76ers and, yes, the Pistons, on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals against New Jersey. The Celtics had missed the playoffs the previous six seasons, and had won just one playoff game in eight years.

The Pistons have been NBA high-class for years, so the Celtics weren't about to take any more satisfaction from this win than was necessary. Sure, Garnett called it "a big game," but to play it down would have been disingenuous. It meant a lot to the Pistons too. They had this one circled. They talked about winning for a second time on the parquet. "It don't matter about their opinion, just what we feel about ourselves." said Perkins.

When the Celtics met up with the Nets in 2002, it was the first time the new Garden rocked with the shrills and feet-stomping of real live bodies instead of electronically piped-in noise. The excitement went up when the Celtics took a 2-1 series lead. They were two wins from rising from oblivion to the NBA Finals!

Then the Nets won the next three, closing out the series in Boston. So much for home court advantage. If the Celtics had won, Game 7 would have been in New Jersey.

So take what you will from last night. The pragmatic Rivers might have said it best. "We don't know what lies ahead." But if it's the Celtics and Pistons in May, all bets are off.

[FLCeltsFan]

aol.nba.com/celtics/news/blog/post-ups.html

Wednesday, March 5 - Pistons at CelticsPostgame Wrap Up
Recap | Box Score

It was a knockdown, drag out fight, but the well-rested Celtics pulled away at the end. The Pistons looked to make this a physical match-up early, and they certainly went after Rajon Rondo. But the second-year point guard got up every time he was knocked down.

"He weighs a buck-twenty, so he's going to hit the deck a lot. But he got up," Rivers said.

Rivers noted that he was particularly proud of Rondo responding to Billups by using his advantage -- his speed -- to battle against Chauncey's edge in size and physicality.

"He's stronger, more physical," Rivers said he told Rondo of Billups. "[So] use your advantage: your speed. And that's what he did, so I was really proud."

The win officially clinched a playoff spot for the Celtics, a forgone conclusion this year, but given where the team was last season, it shouldn't go without recognition, leaving Rivers to joke that "we would have had a parade" if they'd managed to earn a postseason berth.

The one negative of tonight's win? While he was able to rest Pierce to be fresh for the fourth, Rivers said he played KG (41 minutes) too long. Then again, the team has the day off from practice tomorrow so he'll catch up on some rest.

Live Courtside Blog
Live Scoreboard


90-78 Celtics, FINAL: The Celtics came up big late in the fourth. Perk finished with 20 (!) rebounds.

But Rajon Rondo is our Celtics.com Player of the Game. He took a beating and kept coming back for more. And with all the questions about whether he could play against Chauncey Billups and the acquisition of Sam Cassell, he was definitely in the spotlight and he responded with some genuine toughness. His dunk was the turning point tonight.

85-77 Celtics, 2:53/4th: Wow. Perk has 18 rebounds, eight of which have come in the fourth quarter to date. He walked off the court waving his arms at the crowd...There are some crazy battles going on for loose balls in the paint, and no rebound seems safe, as guys are poking it out of each other's hands.

In other news, Billups is 14/15 from the line but hasn't scored here in the fourth.

78-75 Celtics, 5:59/4th: Emotions are starting to run high as the game winds down, but TA just got T'd up for reasons beyond anyone's comprehension, at least here at the press table.

70-69 Celtics, 8:30/4th: The pace of this game has slowed down, predictably, in the fourth. Rasheed Wallace, who went back to the Pistons' dressing room during the third quarter, just drew his fourth and fifth foul while trying to guard KG in the post.

For the Celtics, Rondo's getting into the paint on nearly every play. But the bad news is that Rondo's taking a beating, seemingly hitting the deck on every play courtesy of second and third defenders, and he's only drawing a foul half the time or less...

69-67 Celtics, End of 3rd: The Pistons have closed the gap to just two points with some good defensive stands, but their third quarter shooting is the story. They're 9/16 (56%) from the field in the quarter.

65-58 Celtics, 3:27/3rd: Rondo just took a seat after picking up his fourth. At least two of his fouls against Billups, including this last one, were questionable at best.

61-54 Celtics, 5:04/3rd: Rajon Rondo just had the Garden highlight of the year, stuffing the ball in traffic and then taking a nasty, should-have-been-a-flagrant foul shot from Jason Maxiell that decked him. This place just came unhinged for that one and the Celtics bench is officially fired up.

55-46 Celtics, 7:22/3rd: Perk's having a solid night (eight points, 10 rebounds and a pair of blocks) but he just picked up his fourth foul. Big Baby replaced him, and so far, no P.J. Brown sightings.

The Celtics.com Courtside Heckle of the Night Award goes to a guy in Section 18 who just yelled at Billups, "Pitino hates you!"

55-43 Celtics, 7:59/3rd: KG continues to find himself left alone at the elbow, and he's knocking down his perimeter jumpers, going 4/6 from 15-18 feet and he's 10/14 overall for 24 points.

47-37 Celtics, Halftime: The Celtics continue to move the ball and it's paying off with easy baskets inside and open looks on the perimeter. They finished the half with 17 assists.

Stat of the half: Billups is 1/7 from the field, and despite the fact that Rondo's been gambling for steals and getting beat, his teammates are covering for him before Chauncey gets to the glass. As a team, Detroit's shooting just 35% from the field.

34-25 Celtics, 6:32/2nd: In just over a minute, the Celtics dropped seven points on the Pistons to force a T.O. Garnett has 14 points to lead all scorers and he's talking quite a bit out there.

27-25 Celtics, 7:40/2nd: Rasheed Wallace has scored nine points here in the second quarter to key a 12-4 Pistons run, and just like that it's a tight game. The Celtics bench is having problems finding scoring opportunities and are just 2/7 from the field.

23-13, End of 1st: 13 points might be the lowest first quarter total for the Pistons all year, but what can you expect when you shoot 26% (6/23) from the field. Rip Hamilton has 8 of Detroit's 13. For the C's, Ray Allen has five rebounds and four assists but is yet to score.

23-13 Celtics, 1:17/1st: This game is obviously getting physical pretty quickly, and were watching the Rondo-Billups matchup pretty closely. Chauncey's already used a few veteran tricks on Rondo, while Rondo's been gambling a bit already on defense.

17-7 Celtics, 5:19/1st: Steve Javie just tagged Ray Allen with a tech for elbowing Richard Hamilton in the throat after the whistle. It looked unintentional but he definitely got him. That said, apparently they teach acting at UConn, since Hamilton's post-elbow performance was not only better than Allen's in He Got Game, but Hamilton's flop and subsequent sell-job was Oscar worthy.

15-3 Celtics, 7:39/1st: The Celtics hit the parquet running, going 6/8 from the field and jumping out to the 15-3 lead. KG scored the first two hoops and Rondo had a sweet up-and-under scoop shot off the glass and then a floater in the lane. Paul Pierce forced the timeout when his man fell over and he stepped behind the arch to drain the three.

The Pistons went 0-for on their first six from the field before Rip Hamilton's break-away dunk.

Big ups to Peter Boccadoro for his pregame highlights montage set to KG's favorite jam, In the Air Tonight. Garnett was drumming away during the video and is just a little pumped up.

Pregame Media Access
Scot Pollard has been placed on the inactive list for tonight to make room for P.J. Brown, but Doc Rivers said he still wasn't sure if he'd actually play. Before Rivers announced it to the press, when asked if he was going to dress for the game, Brown reached into his locker and pulled out a freshly-minted "Brown - 93" jersey for the TV cameras to prove he'd be in uniform tonight.

"He's doing pretty well. Sam has played all year so he's obviously in better basketball shape, but P.J. hasn't. He's been in New Orleans eating gumbo and coming out of retirement," Rivers said. "It's gonna take him some time."

By now you know that Sam isn't playing tonight, but we asked Doc Rivers about the possibilities the Celtics' new acquisitions will provide for the second unit offense, specifically in pick-and-roll situations, which is the bread and butter of NBA Playoffs offense.

"Sam's a great pick and roll player; he's the one where you know when you get in a pick and roll it's going to be effective. That's the thing you can lean on with Sam," Rivers said. "P.J. is a pick-and-pop [guy], he's always been that, so he can help us with that too. Pick and rolls in the playoffs are big."

Will Rivers put in some new stuff to capitalize on his new personnel?

"We run pick and rolls now, but we roll. With P.J., he can pop," Rivers said. "It'll be nice to run a pick-and-roll where P.J. pops and KG can duck in. We really can't do that right now."

For more on tonight's matchup, check out the Audio Archive, and don't miss Ray Allen's comments about what he thinks about the Detroit Pistons, and who has the better backcourt.

Early Pregame Report
Locker Rooms open at 6 p.m., so we'll follow up with more information about whether or not P.J. Brown will make his debut tonight and when we expect Cassell to meet with the media for the first time.

[FLCeltsFan]

aol.nba.com/celtics/news/blog/grande030508-snapshot.html

This one really is from the booth.

I'm not saying all the other times this space has been a lie, but it's more of a concept, than a literal meaning.

Besides, any of you who've looked down at us from your seats at the Garden, or spotted me during a game telecast, windmilling from side to side, doing wax-on, wax-off, to avoid getting screened by Doc Rivers, know we don't really have a booth, anyway. It's more like a couple of chairs and a table.

So I guess in some ways that is a lie.

In any case, as I sit here, you know, "in the booth", watching Ray Allen go through his pre-game shooting ritual, and the local TV stations setting up for their evening news live shots. Two things that I can assure you were not a part of last Celtics season, I've been thinking not about the game that's about to unfold in front of me, the third and deciding fall in the regular season wrestling match between the Celtics and Pistons that will define this year's Eastern Conference, but rather the rhetoric that's come out of both locker rooms since they last met sixty days ago.

And I was wondering who the first one was to come up with it.

I mean, it couldn't be the sole property of sports, right?

Like if there was media at the time, hyping up the David and Goliath showdown, can you see Goliath, microphones in his face saying, "Yeah, he's small, but there's no one better with a slingshot. He's had a lot of success with it..." And somewhere, in another part of town, reporters gathered around David, tape recorders rolling, peppering him with questions about the showdown. "Well, you guys know, Goliath has been the man around here for years, he's got size, experience, I'm just going to have to stay within myself and give it my best shot."

And it occurred to me, there's a reason Don King stages those ridiculous news conferences.

But there's no playing this down. And the more you think about it...why would you want to?

Celtics Nation has waited two decades for games, for night, like this one. Where in the first week of March, the town, and the whole of the NBA stops because this is the game of the night, one of the games of the year in the NBA. This is what we've all been waiting for.

So why does Round III matter so much? Why are all the eyes on the Garden to watch it play out?

The answer is simple. I'll bet Don King knows it, too.

Episodic television.

The lost art.

Of not just drama and conflict, but its ongoing escalation. The way it used to be on like St. Elsewhere and NYPD Blue. Where something that happened in the fifth episode of season one, comes back to roost in episode twelve of season three.

That's the beauty of tonight. Because we know going in that more snapshots are about to be added to the album. Rajon Rondo's huge first half on national television in December, only to have Chauncey Billups turn the tables and the tide in the second half, getting Tony Allen in the air to draw a foul and the game winning free throws in the final second.

Close your eyes, you can see TA suspended in mid-air. A permanent snapshot.

Seventeen days later, the Celtics were nearly run out of the Palace with 22,000 fans chanting their mantra, "Dee-troit Bask-et-ball". But a remarkable second half turnaround with Paul Pierce's dominant floor game and instead of child to lead them, a Big Baby did. Playing off the future hall-of-famers, the rookie's putback and three-point play sealed the biggest Celtics January win in who knows how long.

Close your eyes, see the captain, pumping his fist, and popping his collar at the Palace, demonstrating in every way there is, that the Celtics were for real. A permanent snapshot.

So put the talk aside for a second, the endless downplaying of significance that's a part of the big-game world we're now a part of. How home court doesn't matter, how it's just another game and my favorite coming out of the mouth of the head coach.

Doc Rivers (and many of his players) regurgitate the same refrain about the Pistons, about how their core, Billups, Hamilton, Wallace and Prince have played nearly three hundred games together. While the Celtics Y2K big three have played a grand total of 45.

And it's true.

But as you open your eyes, and prepare to take in the latest snapshot on the way to what everyone hopes will be a Celtics-Pistons fortnight this May, you might want to keep this in mind.

When the Pistons Four played their 45th game together?

It was the last game of the NBA Finals in 2004...and the snapshot they took that night, was of themselves, holding the trophy.

Anything's possible.

[FLCeltsFan]

sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-080306

In Battle Of East Powers, Superior Feeling Grows About C's
By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
(Archive)
BOSTON -- Let's just come right out and say it: The better team won.

Yes, it's time to go ahead and make that statement. The Boston Celtics are better than the Detroit Pistons. They proved it Wednesday night in ways big and small, looking fresher, hungrier, deeper and more efficient than the team they've been measuring themselves against throughout their season of rebirth.

"We know this [conference] is going to be won by one of three teams, and this is one of them," Celtics forward Kevin Garnett said after the 90-78 win over the Pistons.

The third team that Garnett was referencing was the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Cavs haven't been a measuring stick for the Celtics the way the Pistons have. When Boston and Detroit met for the first time back in December, the Pistons used their veteran savvy to rally in the fourth quarter and eke out a two-point win. When they met again in Auburn Hills in January, the growth of the Celtics was evident as they outworked the Pistons through the latter part of the second half and defeated Detroit in its own building.

Boston's evolving maturity level was even more honed Wednesday night as the C's took control early and then didn't hang their heads when the Pistons closed the third quarter with a 7-0 run to tie it entering the fourth. As the final 12 minutes played out, the Celtics reasserted themselves (with the help of some dubious calls that went against Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess) while the Pistons were looking lost on offense, failing to move the ball and failing to get stops that would have kept them in striking range when the game got to the final two minutes.

"Part of the problem is that when things start going south, our guys think they can do it by themselves, but we don't have those types of players. Our players are geared toward somebody making a play for somebody else. That's how this team has been built. It hasn't been built on a superstar carrying us down the stretch," Detroit coach Flip Saunders lamented.

Wallace's composure was near the breaking point as he practically dared the officials to give him a technical foul after the outcome had been decided, and Chauncey Billups' composure was lacking, too, when he picked up a fourth-quarter technical foul (coaches always tell players that if they're going to get a tech for complaining, don't do it in the fourth quarter) for arguing a chippy reach-in call.

The composure on the other side was an entirely different story, and it wasn't just coming from the three guys you expect it from -- Garnett (31 points, six rebounds, three assists), Paul Pierce (16 points, five assists) or Ray Allen (whose tireless defense on Rip Hamilton was one of the keys to the game that didn't show up in the stat sheet). Some of it came from point guard Rajon Rondo, whose emphatic driving one-handed dunk midway though the third quarter "brought the roof off the building," as Garnett said, and plenty of it came from Kendrick Perkins, who grabbed 20 rebounds, scored 10 points and blocked two shots in 33 rugged minutes.

You didn't hear anyone talking afterward about how Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown are really going to help this team, because is all honesty, the Celtics -- at least on this night -- didn't look like they needed either of them.

"It means a lot," Perkins said. "We needed this game to really see where we were, and I think we need to build off it, stay humble and just keep working."

This was the final meeting of the regular season between the teams, and the Celtics' victory gave them the tiebreaker should they finish with identical records. With 22 games remaining (24 for the Celtics), Boston has a five-game advantage in the loss column and does not have any more games left against Cleveland and Orlando, the two teams fighting it out for third place in the East. A tough five-game road trip still awaits them later this month, but Tuesday night's victory gave them an extra two-game cushion, as a loss would have meant that they'd have to finish ahead of Detroit to clinch home-court advantage through the Eastern playoffs.

Knowing the Pistons, we haven't heard the last of them. But as the months and years go by and we continue to see them lacking anything resembling a consistent intensity, it's time to start surmising that their window of opportunity is closing a little more with each passing day. Yes, the starting five is still as strong as anyone's, but the bench (which scored a combined five points) includes only one player (Jason Maxiell) who contributed anything of significance a year ago. The aura and swagger that embodied the Pistons for so long both seem to have lapsed.

The Pistons still take comfort in their belief that they'll be able to turn it up a notch when needed, but we've been hearing that from them for so long, it's hard to continue believing them -- especially when we see them fall as flat as they did on this night against a team that seems to have surpassed them.

Yes, surpassed them.

Because although it may have been a 50-50 proposition before tipoff who was truly the better team, it was evident afterward that the Celtics can now rightfully make that claim.

Right now, Boston is better than Detroit.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20080306&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=803060517&SectionCat=SPORTS&Template=printart

Proud Pistons are worthy foe for C’s

Experience, defense team strengths

By Rich Garven TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[e-mail]





BOSTON— There’s nothing quite like having a worthy adversary. The Patriots currently have the Colts and the Red Sox always have had the Yankees. The fortunes of the Celtics were, once upon a time, inexorably linked to the Lakers.

With Boston sporting the NBA’s best record and Los Angeles hovering near the top of the Western Conference standings, the “Beat L.A.!” chant is being dusted off in anticipation of a championship showdown come June. But before any of that happens, the Celtics likely are going to have to beat Detroit.

And that, as last night once again showed, is easier said than done.


The Celtics led from the start and, most importantly, at the finish as they held the Pistons to 11 points in the fourth quarter while pulling away for a 90-78 victory before a raucous, sold-out gathering at the TD Banknorth Garden.

This was the third gem of the season between the teams. The Pistons handed the Celtics their first home loss of the season when Chauncey Billups made two free throws with a tenth of a second remaining on Dec. 19. Two weeks later, rookie Glen Davis dropped two dimes as the Celtics won by seven in Detroit, snapping the Pistons’ 11-game winning streak.

Alas, these teams won’t cross paths again this season unless it’s in the playoffs.

There has been no lack of prose devoted to the merits and moves of the Spurs and the Suns, the Mavs and the Cavs. Fair enough, and the NBA certainly has benefited from the publicity.

Overlooked, though, is the fact the Pistons touched down here sporting the second-best record in all of basketball. It’s a veteran group that has advanced to five straight Eastern Conference finals, reaching the NBA Finals in 2004 and ’05. They routed the Lakers to win it all in ’04 and went down swinging in seven rounds to the Spurs the following year.

“These guys have been doing this stuff for a long time,” said Dave Cowens, the former Celtics great and current Pistons assistant.

Which isn’t the same as saying the Pistons would shrug their collective shoulders no matter the outcome last night. In theory, this one didn’t mean any more than the other 81 on the schedule. The reality is, though, that this was all about a show of strength — physically and mentally.

“They have a lot of pride,” Cowens said. “They don’t do what they do day after day, year after year, and not have a lot of pride.”

What the Pistons do best, other than win, is play defense. They came in allowing a league-low 90.3 points a game and were ranked third in the all-important field-goal defense at .436. (The Celtics were second in the former at 90.6 and first in the latter at .423.)

Continuity is also a biggie with this group. When Billups missed Saturday’s win over the Clippers to attend to personal business, it ended a streak of 278 straight games in which Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Billups had started together.

“They’ve just been together so long,” Celtics forward P.J. Brown said. “They have a system and a philosophy they stick with and believe in.”

The Pistons are viewed regularly as an outfit whose collective whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts. That’s true, but hardly the whole story. There is, as one might expect, some talent here.

Billups and Hamilton, who form one of the league’s better backcourts, and Wallace, a forward who has never gotten his complete due because of his frequent childish antics, were all participants last month in the NBA All-Star Game. Four different Pistons have scored at least 30 points in a game this season.

And, for the first time in quite some time, the Pistons have a bench. Forward Jason Maxiell is a load and the recent trade for guard Juan Dixon, while not as sexy as the pickups of Shaq, Gasol, Kidd or even Cassell, should not be casually dismissed.

“Dixon is just a gamer,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

As are the Pistons as a whole, which the Celtics are likely to discover this spring.