News 3/8

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1078695&format=text

Celts run it up on Bulls
Good time had by all in victory

By Mark Murphy | Saturday, March 8, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill
The most audible voice coming from the Celtics [team stats] bench is usually Tom Thibodeau’s salty, throaty shout.

But as the Celtics assistant coach called out his defensive signals last night, a new, deep voice cut through the Garden air. Sam Cassell, elegantly dressed for his Celts debut in a dark brown corduroy jacket, black shirt and jeans, wasted no time bellowing into the fray.

Those shouts generally came accompanied with a smile. The 38-year-old point guard apparently liked what his new team was showing.

Later, when Kevin Garnett horrified Paul Pierce [stats] with an off-key rendition of the Peaches & Herb song “Reunited” to express his feelings for Cassell, his former teammate with Minnesota, the good vibe probably extended a little too far.

But these days, even bad karaoke doesn’t seem to matter.

The Celtics easily pumped out their seventh straight win last night with a 116-93 roll over the young, frustrated Bulls - a team that beat Cleveland by 11 points just 24 hours earlier and was clearly all the worse for wear in the nationally televised follow-up.

“We caught a team clearly that was tired and we played with great energy,” coach Doc Rivers said. “The offensive ball movement in the first half and then in the third quarter was as good as you’re going to see.

“And defensively we were just solid. So I was just happy.”

It’s hard not to feel that way when the opposition shoots 32 percent from the field for the game.

With the Celtics attacking and receiving their reward at the free throw line with 43 attempts - including 16 during the last three minutes of the third quarter - Chicago fell out of the picture instantly.

“It was real frustrating,” Bulls guard Larry Hughes said. “Against a team like that, you have to play physical and honestly have to have less fouls and be aggressive on both ends. We definitely gave them buckets without the clock moving.”

The Celtics hit their first 20-point lead (63-43) at halftime and peaked with a 30-point edge (90-60) with just under three minutes left in the third quarter.

The margin was secure enough that P.J. Brown, the team’s other new addition, made his debut to hearty applause with 1:24 remaining in the third and hit his first basket with 9:23 left in the game.

He was fouled on the play and hit the ensuing free throw to give the C’s a 102-80 garbage-time lead - made possible by a free throw-heavy performance.

The teams combined for 81 attempts overall, with the Celts making a season-high 38.

Pierce scored eight of his team-high 22 points from the line on perfect 8-for-8 shooting. Other efficient free throw nights came from Kendrick Perkins [stats] (14 points, 6-for-6), Garnett (16, 2-2), Ray Allen (11, 6-7), Rajon Rondo [stats] (16, 6-8) and James Posey (nine, 4-4).

Not surprisingly, the Celtics finished with their lowest assist total (23) in two weeks - a number they’ll gladly accept on this night.

The C’s biggest push was a 19-7 run during the last 4:44 of the second quarter, with the last 12 coming from the line as frustrated Bulls defenders flapped their arms at the officials. Drew Gooden finally decided it was time to check out for good when, with 55 seconds left, the power forward argued his way into a technical foul (leading to an Allen free throw) and then talked his way into an ejection during the same clock stoppage.

The Bulls forward obviously knew the end when he saw it.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1078697&format=text

A calming influence
Cassell will lend Rondo helping hand

By Mark Murphy | Saturday, March 8, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill
Sam Cassell attended his first shootaround as a Celtic yesterday, and didn’t waste any time seeking out Rajon Rondo [stats].

The last time these two met, on the night of Feb. 6, Cassell fouled his future teammate hard enough to earn a “Technical 2” foul and accompanying ejection.

“Cost me a nice piece of money,” Cassell said before last night’s rout of the Bulls. “But emotions take place. Now (Rondo) is my teammate. You forgive, but you never forget. I don’t have too many years left in this league, so hopefully this will be my last stop as a player.”

As such, he plans to be as pliable as soft tissue - at least with his teammates, and Rondo in particular.

“I understand what (Rondo) brings,” said Cassell. “I’m not here to challenge for his job. I’m here to be his backup. I want to make that clear, first and foremost. He is the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics [team stats].

“I may be the calmest backup he ever had in his career, because I don’t want his job,” he said. “I’m here to make his job easier, and that’s what I told him: Enjoy this opportunity. I’m going to push you. I’m going to prepare you for the postseason.”

Rondo thought about that comment - the calmest backup he has ever had. Calm isn’t the first quality that comes to mind when thinking about the free-spirited Cassell. But Rondo, as he has insisted ever since Cassell’s arrival became apparent, doesn’t mind.

“I’m looking forward for the first time to playing with a veteran point guard,” said the second-year player. “I never had one. Last year we had Sebastian (Telfair) and Delonte (West), and I didn’t have someone like that at Kentucky.”

So let the tutoring begin, though Cassell already likes what he sees in Rondo’s emerging game.

“So far, so good,” he said. “He’s ready. He made tremendous strides before I became a member of the Boston Celtics, when talks were still going on.

“I watched the Celtics games a lot, and I’ve seen the great upside that that young man has,” said Cassell. “He’s energetic, and he’s going to get even tougher because he’s playing with Kevin Garnett. His awareness of the game of basketball is going to get better. So with Doc Rivers pushing him, myself behind him and with guys like Ray (Allen), Paul (Pierce) and Kevin - you don’t have to worry about those guys.”

Cassell now gets to blend into a locker room he first started thinking about when his old Minnesota teammate, Garnett, was traded to the Celtics last July.

“It was going on for a while - the talks between the Clippers and myself - and it took a little longer than I wanted it to go,” he said. “But I think that’s what you want to go through when you want to get yourself something great.

“I think this is a great situation for me, and it’s great for the city of Boston,” said Cassell. “This team has a great chance. Why not be a part of it?”

Cassell also gets to bring another rare type of experience that is scarce on the Celtics. With the exception of James Posey, who earned a championship ring with the 2006 Heat, Cassell is the only current Celtic with championship hardware, dating back to his two NBA titles as a young member of the Rockets.

“I won championships so early in my career - my first two years,” he said. “I thought that was how it was going to be. Let me tell you something - when you miss it and miss it and miss it, year after year after year, you never forget. I saw Shaq win his first championship, and I thought, ‘Why is he crying the way he is crying?’ Now I know why.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1078699&format=text
Fans, mates make Brown feel right at home

By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Saturday, March 8, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill
Considering that he has just returned from semiretirement, the result of P.J. Brown’s first touch was predictable.

He lost the ball in a crowd of three Bulls and fell over attempting to get it back.

But the C’s new forward, sent in late in the third quarter of last night’s 116-93 win over Chicago, lasted long enough to convert a three-point play and grab six rebounds in just over six minutes.

It wasn’t a bad first impression, especially with the long ovation Brown received upon checking into the game.

He received another from the Celtics [team stats] bench upon going to the line to complete his three-point play.

“It just shows the character of our team,” said Brown of the support from his teammates. “The other day someone asked me how it felt to be here. I said I had only been here a week, but I already felt like part of the family. I feel like I have been here all year. They have really embraced me, and it’s really special for those guys to stand behind me. I really appreciate it.cw-0

“I was a little nervous - I felt like a rookie again,” he said of hearing the crowd’s ovation. “For everyone to embrace me like that, it meant a lot. The butterflies were huge. They were everywhere inside my body, but I feel like that was the final step, the final chapter in this whole process to get back out on the floor and get some quality NBA game minutes. I feel a little bit better, but I still have a ways to go.”

Doc Rivers liked what he saw from the 15-year veteran.

“I thought he was great,” he said. “Bobbling the ball was part of saying that now you’re going at NBA speed. And it’s a whole different speed than those YMCA pickup games. So you could see that, but you could also see some of the things he can do already, which was nice.”

Sam’s a fine fit

Sam Cassell’s transition may be smoother than Brown’s, but the process is still an uncertain one.

“I just don’t know, except that I think he’ll be a great fit,” Rivers said. “He’s a point guard, and I always felt it was easier to work in a point guard because he knows the plays, where someone else might be looking over his shoulder wondering what it was that was just called.

“But we’ll know what Sam knows by what he calls.”

Close shave for Scal

In an effort to raise cancer awareness and funds for a Connecticut organization called St. Baldrick’s, Brian Scalabrine shaved his head this week.

“Someone told me about it two weeks ago in LA, so I decided to do it,” said the Celtics forward, who now looks like he’s ready for summer camp.

The look was fine with his wife, but proved to be an acquired taste for his 1-year-old daughter.

“My daughter was a little scared,” he said. “The first time she crawled right away from me.”

His coach nearly followed suit.

“It scared the hell out of me,” Rivers said. “He was sitting there and at first I thought he was our security guy, Phil Lynch. I was thinking, ‘Gee, Phil’s in pretty good shape.’

“But it’s nice. Anybody willing to pay the price and look that way is pretty cool.”

Gino ready to go

The Celtics game operations staff is honing in on a date to have Gino Vannelli - the man behind the T-shirt worn in the popular fourth quarter Garden video - sing the national anthem. Right now the season finale against New Jersey on April 16 is the target.

If not, expect to see and hear him during the playoffs. . . .

NBA Entertainment taped a Thursday conversation between Bill Russell and Kevin Garnett - perhaps the most exclusive mutual admiration society that exists in basketball.

The segment - which features both men talking about the fundamentals of the game - eventually will be aired on NBA TV, though the date is still unknown.

Marquette pride

Last night’s game had two former Marquette basketball players - Rivers and Bulls interim coach Jim Boylan - patrolling the sidelines.

Golden Eagles historians are at a loss to come up with another all-Marquette coaching matchup.

“This may be the first,” Rivers said. “I actually called (current Marquette coach) Tom Crean to ask, and he didn’t know.

“When I was a kid I went to basketball camps at Marquette, and (Boylan) may have actually been one of my counselors. (Current Saint Louis University coach Rick) Majerus was always there, and (Boylan) was always with Majerus.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/08/celtics_hammer_bulls?mode=PF

Celtics hammer Bulls
Pierce leads a balanced attack with 22 points
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 8, 2008

Kevin Garnett missed the newest Celtic, Sam Cassell, so much that he sang a lyric in appreciation last night that Peaches & Herb would have been proud of.

"It was good to see him over there. I hit him with, 'Reunited and it feels so good.' Other than that, it was good to see him," said Garnett, who played with Cassell in Minnesota from 2003-05.

Sitting next to Garnett was teammate Paul Pierce, who asked: "Are you all right, big guy?"

Garnett and the Celtics were definitely all right on this night, as they led by as many as 28 points while defeating the Chicago Bulls, 116-93.

The Celtics (48-12) have won seven straight games overall and 10 straight at home. All five Boston starters scored in double figures, led by Pierce's 22 points. The Celtics also made a season-high 38 free throws and never looked back after holding a 32-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.

"The No. 1 team in the East, and we got them [in the second of back-to-backs] at their place," said Bulls forward Drew Gooden, who was ejected by referee Scott Wall in the second quarter for arguing. "This is a tough game for anybody."

P.J. Brown, the other Celtics newcomer, made his debut against his former team. With Boston up, 90-68, and 1:24 left in the third quarter, Brown received a standing ovation when he checked into the game. His steal with 54.9 seconds left in the quarter led to a lay-in by Pierce that gave Boston a 94-71 lead. The Celtics finished the third up, 95-73.

Brown scored his first points as a Celtic on a 3-point play with 9:23 remaining to push the lead to 102-80. He had 3 points on 1-of-2 shooting, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers in 6 minutes.

"It made me nervous," said Brown of the standing ovation. "I was feeling like a rookie again, the way they received me and embraced me like that. I want to play hard and give it my best."

Said Pierce: "When he came to the bench, I asked him how he felt. He was a little tired. That first wind will always get you. I told him, 'It doesn't matter what you've been doing before that, when you step on the basketball court, unless you've been playing, the first couple times down the court you're going to be really tired.' "

Cassell, who signed Monday, took shots before the game, then joined his new teammates on the bench, wearing street clothes.

While Cassell said he is healthy and his conditioning is fine, he said coach Doc Rivers will determine when he makes his Celtics debut.

"When he tells me, I'm ready," said Cassell. "If he says, 'Sam, I need you tonight,' I'm ready tonight."

Said Rivers: "[Cassell's] loud, good [loud]. I don't think it's ever bad to add a guy with energy to your basketball team. He has energy, life energy."

With the 95-73 lead, Rivers felt comfortable sitting four of his starters - Pierce, Garnett (16 points, eight rebounds), Ray Allen (11 points), and Kendrick Perkins (14 points, 11 rebounds) - for the entire fourth quarter. That was good news for the Celtics since they traveled to Memphis last night for tonight's game against the Grizzlies. Rivers expected the Celtics' flight to land between 3 and 4 this morning.

"This is a tough one," Rivers said. "There is nothing worse than having a [late national] TV game and then back-to-back [games]."

With Boston up, 111-88, and 2:25 left, Celtics rookie Glen Davis sailed over the scorer's table in pursuit of a loose ball, making contact with a pair of officials.

"I was just trying to hustle," Davis said. "It was an opportunity for my team to get the ball."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/08/ainge_is_looking_ahead?mode=PF

Ainge is looking ahead
GM scouting draft prospects
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 8, 2008

Now that the Celtics' roster is likely complete for the season, general manager Danny Ainge is working on the future.

The Celtics recently solidified their roster by adding veterans Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown. So Ainge is on the road scouting for the draft, planning to check out the Pacific-10 and West Coast Conference tournaments.

"Before draft time, you've got to get a feel for the top 60 guys in the draft," said Ainge.

If the Celtics maintain the best regular-season record in the NBA, they will have the 30th and last first-round pick. The draft could be quite deep if numerous talented underclassmen come out. That would be good news for Boston.

"This year's draft depends on how many freshmen come out," Ainge said. "It could be a deep draft. The underclassmen that will come out will determine the draft.

"It's going to be interesting. It could be loaded with underclassmen. It will be interesting to see who comes out and who stays."

The Celtics have found success late in the first round and in the second round in recent years.

In the first round in 2004, Boston acquired Delonte West (now starting for Cleveland) with the 24th pick and Tony Allen with the 25th. In 2005, forward Ryan Gomes (now starting for Minnesota) was selected with the 50th pick. The Celtics drafted current starting point guard Rajon Rondo with the 21st pick in 2006. Point guard Gabe Pruitt, who is playing for Utah in the Development League, was selected 32d last year. Boston also acquired the rights to forward Glen Davis, the 35th pick, from Seattle in the Ray Allen trade.

Despite that success, Ainge said he is open-minded about trading his draft picks if a deal can add a veteran who could help immediately.

"We can find someone that can help us," Ainge said. "The big question is, will we draft someone to the team? We have some good young guys and some good veterans. Do we add a veteran? Trade the pick for a veteran?"

While the homegrown talent is strong, Ainge added that there is "not a large amount" of international talent. French swingman Nicolas Batum and Italian forward Danilo Gallinari are widely considered potential lottery picks, but there aren't many strong international prospects after them.

When asked if he would make an international scouting trip, Ainge said: "Only if my two European scouts tell me I need to get out there. I saw [the top international prospects] a few times already. If they tell me there is more, I will. But we are scouting out there."


Bald for a cause
Brian Scalabrine shaved his head to help raise awareness for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which has raised more than $34 million for child cancer research with head shavings in 18 countries. Scalabrine was shaved Thursday and also shaved heads at The Greatest Bar across the street from TD Banknorth Garden.

"My wife is all good with it," he said. "She knows it's for a good cause. But my daughter was a little scared. She'll be turning 1 in a few weeks.

"She crawled right away from me, looking back scared. But by the time I came back from shootaround [yesterday], she was all good with it."


A grand slam
On his surprising dunk over Pistons forward Jason Maxiell Wednesday, Rondo said: "I've [dunked] on three people. That was the nastiest. That was the most contact. I'm going to get the picture." Rondo added that he hasn't seen the replay . . . Chicago interim coach Jim Boylan praised Brown, a former Bull. "P.J's a good guy," he said. "I'm sure he'll bring a lot of energy and experience to their team." . . . Davis's former Louisiana State teammate and close friend Tyrus Thomas served the second of his two-game suspension for an unexcused absence from a Bulls practice. "I talked to him," said Davis. "I know what kind of guy he is. I know where he is coming from. It is what it is." Thomas is reportedly unhappy over playing time . . . Ainge said Scot Pollard is still uncertain when and where he will have season-ending left ankle surgery. Pollard, who also was suffering from the flu yesterday, said he was leaning toward having surgery performed in Indiana by the specialist who has treated him for some time.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/08/cassell_no_substitute_for_a_championship?mode=PF
Cassell: No substitute for a championship
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | March 8, 2008

Sam Cassell is sending another strong message to Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. But this time it is a kinder, gentler one than on Feb. 6, when Cassell delivered a flagrant foul to Rondo while playing for the Los Angeles Clippers in a 111-100 loss to the Celtics.

Cassell returned to TD Banknorth Garden for the first time since that game, this time as the newest member of the Celtics, no longer desiring to bury Rondo but to praise him.

"He's made tremendous strides before I came to the Celtics," Cassell said before last night's 116-93 win over the Chicago Bulls. "I've seen the great upside that that young man has. He's energetic. He's going to get tougher because he's playing with Kevin Garnett. His awareness of the game is going to get even better."

Cassell is not only among Rondo's strongest supporters, he plans to provide advice and motivation.

"I'm not here to challenge for his job," Cassell said. "I'm his backup. I want to make that clear, first and foremost. He is the starting point guard for the Celtics. I may be the calmest backup he ever had in his career. Because I don't want his job. I am here to make his job easier. And that's what I told him: 'I'm going to push you, I'm going to prepare you for how it's going to be for the postseason.' But so far, so good. He's ready."

Cassell was impressed with his new teammates last night. "The guys moved the ball," he said. "No one thought about their own shot, they thought about helping each other out and that's winning basketball. That's the key to success."

Rondo, meanwhile, expects Cassell to challenge for the starting spot.

"You still never know," he said before the game. "[Cassell] said that, but coach [Doc] Rivers makes the decisions."

There is a possibility Cassell occasionally will be the point guard and Rondo will be next to him.

"I played 2-guard in college," said Rondo. "I'm looking forward to it."

Cassell's arrival was a long time coming. But he said he is prepared to perform.

"Doc is holding me back a little bit, but he's the boss," Cassell said. "If Doc says, 'I need you tonight,' I'm ready."

Asked for his reaction to arriving in Boston, Cassell said: "Great. It's been going on for a while. It took a little while longer than I wanted it to. I think that's what you want to go through when you want to get yourself something great. I think this is a great situation for me. It's great for the city of Boston. This team has a great chance. Why not be a part of it?"

Cassell, who played 38 games for the Clippers, began formulating this move before the season.

"The trade when Kevin Garnett came here," Cassell said, "I said, 'Wow, that's going to be great. They're going to be very tough.' I know what Kevin brings to a team. He made me an All-Star - well, he helped make me an All-Star [in Minnesota]. I played with Ray Allen [in Milwaukee]. Paul Pierce, I played with him a lot in the course of the summer, he's from LA. There is a lot of mutual respect going on between the four of us."

As for the delays in completing his buyout by the Clippers, Cassell said: "This thing was dragging on, dragging on. This thing is bigger than all of us. We are all trying to accomplish one thing, and that's win the championship. To win the championship is sacrificing, everybody sacrificing. You have three players [Allen, Garnett, and Pierce] who sacrifice; those guys are sacrificing their numbers. No one is thinking about scoring. Everyone has the same goal - to win a championship.

"I won championships so early in my career [1994 and '95 with Houston, his first two years in the NBA]. So I thought that's how it's going to be. Let me tell you something: You miss it, miss it, miss it, year after year. I'll never forget, I saw Shaq [O'Neal] win his first championship and I thought, 'Why is he crying the way he is crying?' Now I know why - because you fight so hard to get to that pot of gold.

"Winning a championship, a little luck must transpire, and this has got to be the luckiest city in the world. But the chances are great. We've just got to stay healthy. That's the key.

"If the Lord blesses our soul and we happen to win the championship, there will be a lot of teary eyes. I'll be boo-hooing so much, I'll make you all cry. You don't understand what you take your body through to June to win the championship."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/08/grizzlies_thumbnails/

Grizzlies thumbnails
Email|Print| Text size – + March 8, 2008
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When, where: Tonight, 8, at FedExForum, Memphis.
TV, radio: CSN, WEEI (850).
Records: Boston is 47-12; Memphis is 15-46.
Scoring: Rudy Gay 20.0, Mike Miller 16.8, Juan Carlos Navarro 10.9.
Rebounding: Miller 6.5, Darko Milicic 6.2, Gay 6.1.
Assists: Mike Conley 4.4, Kyle Lowry 3.6, Miller 3.6.
Head to head: This is the second of two meetings. Boston won the first, 100-96, Jan. 4.
Miscellany: Miller returned Wednesday after missing seven games with a back injury and scored 22 points in Memphis's 100-93 victory over the Nets . . . The Grizzlies have lost 15 of their last 17, including streaks of nine and six. They won only one game in February.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2008/03/cassell_on_tnt.html

Cassell on TNT
Email|Link|Comments (0) Posted by Greg Lee, Globe Staff March 7, 2008 03:47 PM
In the latest Timeout with Thompson segment, TNT’s Coach John Thompson interviewed Celtics guard Sam Cassell on joining Boston late in the season and what he brings to the team with the best record in the NBA.

Cassell on the adjustments he has to make joining a new team late in the season: “First of all, when you go from last (place) to first (place), it makes it better. The Clippers have some great basketball players, but they are missing (injured forward) Elton Brand and that makes everyone’s job more difficult. To go from that to (playing with) Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen…I just named a Ferrari, a Bentley and a Rolls Royce. Not to knock the players (on the Clippers), but these are three future Hall of Fame players.”

Cassell on his role with the Celtics: “(Celtics head coach) Doc (Rivers) told me the other day that he wants me to be Sam Cassell. Whatever that means, that’s what I want. I don’t have to take 15-20 shots to make the Boston Celtics a championship team. From what I’ve heard, there’s nothing like getting a championship in Boston. Getting a Celtics championship is like getting a (New York) Yankees championship.”

Cassell on comparing playing with Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston and Kevin Garnett in Boston: “(Hakeem) Olajuwon was so gifted as a basketball player. He was a great ‘X and O’ guy but who cares? When he wanted the ball, he scored…we’d come down the court, give him some space, get him the ball and half of the time, (I could) just sit back and watch and say, ‘Did you see that?’ That’s how great of a ball player he was. Kevin Garnett is more hands-on. He’s a guy that wants everything to be perfect. He wants everything to be right; he wants everyone in the right position. He rebounds, he’s unselfish, he does it all.”

Cassell on the Celtics starting point guard Rajon Rondo: “I like him…I like what he brings to the Boston Celtics. He’s young and athletic, he’s faster than me, he’s younger than me. I just want to get to him and show him how (the game) is supposed to be played.”

Cassell on becoming Rajon Rondo’s backup on the Celtics: “I’m 38-years-old, I’ve had my time as a starting point guard. I’ve scored a lot of points in this league. (Rajon Rondo) can have (the starting point guard spot), I don’t want his job. I’m just here to make the team better.”

Smith on Cassell’s role with the Celtics: “(Sam Cassell) is ending his career the same way he started it…as a backup. His job was if the starter wasn’t doing his job, that he would finish the game. He did that for me (in Houston) and he is now doing that for Rajon Rondo. Now if Rondo is having a great game, (Cassell) might not come in…Sam understands that you can’t be in competition with a teammate, you can only bolster and push him.”

[FLCeltsFan]

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

Friday, March 7 - Bulls at CelticsPostgame Wrap Up
When the Celtics win big at home, you can usually count on a press conference comedy show with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Tonight, it was more like a variety show, as Garnett broke into song when describing what it was like to have Sam Cassell barking from the end of the bench pretty much throughout the entire game.

"Reunited, and it feeeeeels soooo good!" crooned Garnett, making Pierce stare in disbelief.

"You're having a moment..." Pierce said to Garnett. Let's call it an American Idol moment, like the ones at the beginning of the season when Simon crassly dismisses the pretenders.

That pretty much sums it up. But KG and Sam Cassell isn't the only reunion. The Celtics defense is back, too. The C's held the Bulls to just 31% shooting from the field, and the game was essentially over at the half.

P.J. Brown's debut was about what you'd expect. He noted after the game that you can't simulate the speed of an NBA game, but he certainly hasn't forgotten how to rebound. Six rebounds in six minutes is pretty impressive.

Check the Audio Archive for sound from KG and Pierce (not too mention Garnett's, um, moment) as well as Doc and P.J. Brown.

Live Courtside Blog
116-93 Celtics, FINAL: Scal put the nail in the coffin with a late three. That's seven in a row.


Tonight's Celtics.com Player of the Game: Paul Pierce led all scorers with 22 points, but he also had five assists.

111-88 Celtics, 2:45/4th: KG just pulled P.J. aside to make sure he didn't miss Gino...

102-84 Celtics, 6:58/4th: P.J. just went to the bench after grabbing six rebounds in six minutes. Garbage time or not, that's pretty impressive for a guy who had all but retired a few weeks ago. He was greeted by plenty of trash talk on the Celtics bench from KG, Pierce, Allen and Cassell.

Remember the Larry Hughes watch? How about 4/15 from the field? Has that website crashed yet tonight or what?

95-73 Celtics, End of 3rd: Well, Brown wasted no time. He came up with a steal on his first defensive possession. Nice. On his first offensive touch, right under the basket, he fumbled the ball, fell off balance and hit the deck, rear-end first. Not so nice.

90-68 Celtics, 1:24/3rd: Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you P.J. Brown, to a rousing ovation.

88-63 Celtics, 2:22/3rd: Man, sometimes you just look up at the stats board and realize you've been missing things. Apparently Perkins has 11 rebounds? With his 14 points, that's three straight double-doubles. If this isn't the best basketball of his career, I'm not sure what is.

All five starters are in double figures; Pierce and KG each have 16.

83-56 Celtics, 4:21/3rd: Rajon Rondo just dunked over Ben Gordon, who opted against contesting the stuff; perhaps he saw Rondo's jam on Maxiell? Before the game, Rondo said that he's probably only dunked on three guys in the league, and Ray Allen was joking that he probably knew the time and score of the games when he did it.

When I asked him if he'd gotten anybody in practice, he said "I got Perk once in practice last year. But I don't really look to dunk much."

71-45 Celtics, 9:31/3rd: Joakim's Noah's shooting form sure is ugly enough. I was joking with Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen that his shot is about as ugly as Jamaal Wilkes'; he said that Noah's makes Wilkes' shot look beautiful by comparison.

Noah's form is certainly atrocious, but the rotation he puts on the ball might be even worse. It spins sideways like an orange tornado, which would seemingly lead to some unkind bounces.

63-43 Celtics, Halftime: The Celtics seem to be able to get into the paint whenever they want to, and their 20-point halftime lead could easily be 30.

Meanwhile, Drew Gooden just got ejected on consecutive technical fouls, and it appeared he was trying pretty hard to pick up the second one.

Stat of the Half: The C's hit 21 of their first 22 free throws and are 25/30 from the line.

51-36 Celtics, 3:53/2nd: Rajon Rondo just set up Ray Allen for the Celtics last five points. His steal at the top of the key led Ray to a breakaway layup, and then he passed on a contested layup (off a nice feed from KG) to find Allen behind the arch on the left wing, forcing a timeout. Rondo's got three assists. We've also noticed he's starting to look to leak out when he senses a turnover with greater regularity these days.

With regard to gambling on defense, I talked to Rondo before the game and he said that it's easier to play for the steal this year when he knows he's got KG watching his back. He also pointed out that he'll typically look for steals early in the game and concentrate on "just being solid" in the fourth quarter.

40-31 Celtics, 6:37/2nd: A few weeks ago I read a blog post about a website called heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com, a site built by a Cavs fan who was perpetually flustered by the shot selection -- or lack thereof -- of one Mr. Larry Hughes. Well, Hughes has since been traded to the Bulls (maybe LeBron knows HTML?) and with that in mind, we'll try to keep track of Hughes' shots tonight as well.

For the record, Hughes is 3/7 from the field for 9 points. All of his shots came from the left side of the floor. His last shot might quality; he basically dribbled out the shot clock and then took a leaner from the left wing with two guys hanging on him.

36-29 Celtics, 8:55/2nd: During the last timeout, P.J. Brown just gave Leon Powe a brief tutorial on veteran boxing-out techniques, showing him how to dig an elbow into a guy's midsection, and presumably, how to do it without it being detected by the officials. Meanwhile, ESPN is doing a sideline interview with Sam Cassell and the camera is literally five inches from his face. Is the zoom lens broken?

32-20 Celtics, End of 1st: The Celtics tightened up the defense for the second half of the quarter and Chicago is shooting just 33% from the field. But the Celtics are doing their work almost exclusively down low; they've got 14 points in the paint and nine points at the line.

We're always watching the Luol Deng/Paul Pierce matchup, simply because Deng's length always seems to give Pierce fits, and in years past when Pierce didn't have the supporting cast he has now, that spelled doom for Boston. But Paul has more options now, so we'll be watching how me moves the ball tonight.

15-9 Celtics, 6:40/1st: It's a fast paced first quarter as the Celtics have yet to commit a foul and both teams are shooting over 50% in the early goings. Joakim Noah, who grabbed 20 rebounds last night in Chicago, already has three to start the game tonight. But Kendrick Perkins, a guy who knows about 20-rebound games, has been active underneath the Celtics' basket, has seven points and is already 5/5 from the line. Not bad for a guy who's about a 60% free throw shooter.

Pregame Media: Sam Meets the Press
Sam Cassell came to his introductory press conference clad in Earth tones, and his tone was pretty down to Earth to match.

"It took a little longer than I wanted it to go, but I think that's what you've got to go through when you want to get to something great. I think its a great situation for me. This team has a great chance. Why not be part of it?"

Cassell admitted that he's been intrigued by this Celtics team since the offseason trade for Garnett happened.

"He helped make me an All-Star, and he became an MVP (in 2004) the year I played with him in Minnesota. I played five years with Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, I've played with him a lot in the course of the summer. There's a lot of mutual respect going on between the four of us."

Cassell made a point of making clear that he's here to back up Rajon Rondo, not to take his job, calling himself the "calmest backup he's ever had."

"I don't want his job. I'm here to make his job easier," Cassell said.

Cassell says he's still hungry for a title despite winning two rings in his early days with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995. 13 years later, he wants to taste victory again.

"I thought that's how it's gonna be. Let me tell you something. When you miss it, miss it, miss it, year after year after year...I'll never forget when I saw Shaq win his first championship, I thought, 'why is he crying?' Now I know why."

Check the Audio Archive for Cassell's complete presser, as well as comments from Rajon Rondo and Doc Rivers.

Morning Update on Cassell
Sam Cassell is expected to meet with reporters tonight before the Celtics host the Bulls at the Garden.

At this point, it's unknown whether Cassell will dress or play tonight, but we'll have more details in this space before tip-off

[FLCeltsFan]

yardbarker.com/nba/articles/Getting_Prepared/185025

Getting Prepared
RajonRondo
submitted by RajonRondo
17 hours ago | 18 comments | Email to a Friend
Just got up from my pre-game nap...thought I would drop yall a few lines. I'm feeling pretty good today. Everything is fine. A lot of people have been asking if my head is okay, and it is. I'm glad we got that W against Detroit the other day. That was a big one for us. We played great as a team...my boy Perk got up that game with 20 rebounds. The collaborative effort as a team really sparked a flame for us during that game.

Yesterday, I had a couple of things to do. I went and worked out in the morning. Then I had some signings to do. They were pretty coo. I went to Capital Grille last night with my family. My mom is in town, so I wanted to take her. I love that place. It's right up there with Ruth's Chris.

Right now, I'm just playing my music...getting ready to pack for our short road trip and get dressed. I like to listen to my music while I'm getting into my game mode. We have Chicago tonight...gotta get ready. I'll holla!

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x691145409

Celtics 116, Bulls 93: Simply overpowering
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By Scott Souza/Daily News Staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Mar 08, 2008 @ 12:04 AM
Last update Mar 08, 2008 @ 12:18 AM

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BOSTON — Sam Cassell said before last night's game how impressed he's been as he's watched the Celtics on television in recent weeks with hopes of soon joining the team.

It looked even better from up close.

Cassell was on the Boston bench for the first time since signing for the rest of the season on Tuesday. The Celtics gave another glimpse why the 15-year veteran was so interested in joining them for so long as they ran circles around the tired and disinterested Bulls, 116-93, on national television at the TD Banknorth Garden.

``(It was) how well the guys played with each other,'' Cassell said. ``No one is thinking about their own shot. Everybody is helping each other out. That's winning basketball. When you make a play for your teammate, and the next time down your teammate makes a play for you, that's the key to success right there.''

Paul Pierce led six Celtics in double figures with 22 points in 25 minutes, Kevin Garnett had 16 points and eight rebounds in just 24 minutes and Kendrick Perkins had his third double-double in a row with 14 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes as the Celtics won their seventh straight game.

Cassell, who joined the team for yesterday's morning shootaround, smiled, laughed and joked during timeouts throughout the mounting score differential. With only Rajon Rondo topping the 30-minute mark in the blowout, he had some extra time to catch up with past and present teammates.

The reunion spurred Garnett, who played with Cassell in Minnesota, to sing.
``I hit him with the `Reunited and it feels so good,''' Garnett crooned as Pierce winced while sitting next to him in the postgame press conference. ``It was good to see him and have him on this ballclub. I am glad he's here.''

The Celtics jumped out to a 12-point lead after one quarter with Perkins providing 10 points and three rebounds out of the gate. The Bulls meandered within eight through the first 6:31 of the second quarter before the Celtics went on a 19-7 run into the half.

``I thought we came out with a lot of energy and a lot of focus,'' Perkins said. ``We kept the intensity up. We came out playing team ball.''

The onslaught began with a 7-0 blitz as Garnett scored on an inbounds play, Rondo had a steal that he fed to Ray Allen for a 12-point edge. Allen's ensuing block then went to Pierce, then Garnett in the paint, then to Rondo cutting under the basket, and finally out to Allen for a 3-pointer and a 51-36 lead.

The run took a toll on the Bulls, who are in a fight for the eighth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference and were coming off a big victory over the Cavaliers Thursday night.

``We caught a team clearly that was tired and we played with great energy,'' said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. ``That's a good combination for us. The offensive ball movement in the first half and then the third quarter was as good as you're going to see.''

Chicago's frustration boiled over late in the quarter when Drew Gooden picked up a loose ball foul and two technical calls. The flurry of free throws that ensued helped the Celtics build the lead to 63-43 at the half.

Boston took 20 free throws in the second quarter and hit 25-of-30 for the half and 38-of-43 for the game.


Another technical - this time on Chicago coach Jim Boylan - came after a Pierce 3-pointer 3:50 into the third quarter with Allen's freebie making it 75-49 and the rout was on.


P.J. Brown made his Celtic debut to a standing ovation with 2:07 left in the third quarter and finished with six rebounds in six minutes. Brian Scalabrine, who had his head shaved for charity on Thursday, completed the bench evacuation with a minute left in the third.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.patriotledger.com/sports/pros/x267433865
Sam Cassell’s arrival at the Garden Friday creates plenty of noise
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By Mike Fine
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Mar 07, 2008 @ 11:30 PM

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BOSTON — Minnesota Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman was asked the other day how much better the Celtics will be with the addition of Sam Cassell. “We’ll find out,” Wittman said. “But they’ll be louder, that’s for sure.”

Sure enough, Cassell’s arrival at the Garden Friday created plenty of noise, starting with the well-attended pre-game press conference and continuing to the locker room, where he renewed acquaintances with several former teammates, including Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. But Cassell was calm and collected once the Celtics took the court against the Chicago Bulls. The veteran didn’t play (or dress), nor would he Saturday night when the Celtics traveled to Memphis.

“Probably Monday (at Philadelphia),” Celts coach Doc Rivers said of Cassell’s debut and who was planning a scaled-down practice for his club Sunday. “I think he’s going to be a great fit. I don’t know that yet, but it’s always easier to work in a point guard. When they call the play, they know the play. We’ll now what Sam knows by what he calls.”

Make no mistake about it, the 38-year-old Cassell knows a whole lot. He’s a 14-year veteran with two championship rings (with the Rockets in 1994 and ’95), and he knows the game inside and out. In fact, he began to take an interest in the Celtics as far back as last summer, when they traded for Garnett. “I said, ‘Wow, that’s going to be great, they’re going to be very tough.’ Because I know what Kevin brings to a basketball team. He helped make me an All-Star. He became MVP that year I played with him in Minnesota (2003-04). I played five years with Ray Allen. Paul Pierce, I played with him a lot through the course of the summer. He’s from L.A., so there’s a lot of mutual respect going on between the four of us.

Most of all, that applies to Cassell and second-year starting point guard Rajon Rondo, who will continue to get the lion’s share of minutes, with Cassell as his backup. “I’m not here to challenge for his job,” Cassell said. “I’m here to be the backup. He’s the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics. I might be the most calmest backup ever in his career. I don’t want his job. I want to make his job easier.”

Back from a funeral in Baltimore, Cassell watched his new team go through a Friday morning shootaround, and had an opportunity to speak with Rondo. He told him, “Enjoy this opportunity. I’m going to push you. I’m going to prepare you how it’s going to be for the postseason. He’s ready. He made tremendous strides before I became a member of the Boston Celtics, when talks were going on. I watched the Celtics games a lot, and I’ve seen the great upside that that young man has. He’s energetic, he’s going to get tougher because he’s playing with Kevin Garnett. His awareness of the game of basketball is going to get even better. So with Doc Rivers pushing him, myself behind him , guys like Ray, Paul, and Kevin – you don’t have to worry about them guys – I just want to get started. Doc is holding me back a little bit, but he’s the boss.”

“You still never know,” Rondo smiled when asked about his starting job. “Doc Rivers makes the decisions. If that’s what’s best for the team ”

Rondo suggested that he might even play alongside Cassell, as a shooting guard, something he did a couple of times in college. What he really appreciates is Cassell’s ability to teach him “how to close out games better. I’m still learning how to do that.”

In the long run, Cassell says, he will not be the most vociferous voice on the court. That job still belongs to Garnett. “He lets his emotions fly. If he doesn’t, he won’t be KG,” he said.

“The great thing about it is you’ve got a cool guy like Paul and an ultra-cool guy like Ray Allen. That calms you down a lot.”

“He has no choice,” Rivers said of Cassell. “He’s too old to get excited.”

Around the rim

Brian Scalabrine showed up with his head shaved as part of a fund-raiser for Children’s Hospital. “I thought he was our security guy, Phil Lynch,” Rivers said The Bulls did not dress Tyrus Thomas, who’s been suspended two games for missing a practice The eight 3-pointers attempted by the Celtics Wednesday against Detroit was a season-low Rivers was hoping to get the other newcomer, P.J. Brown, into the game. “Eventually I’ll just throw him out there. At some point he needs to get out there and play.” Rivers came into the game with a 320-324 career coaching record, 149-156 with the Celtics.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.patriotledger.com/sports/pros/x1581408415
Celts grab Bulls by the horn
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By Mike Fine
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Mar 07, 2008 @ 11:35 PM

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BOSTON — Doc Rivers had little doubt that the Chicago Bulls had picked it up a notch since their coach, Scott Skiles, was fired on Christmas Eve.

“Just because they don’t have a good record, I still think they’re a quality basketball team,” said the Celtics coach, who predicted a Bulls playoff berth. “Now they’re playing with a calm intensity.”

Well, one of two is bad, for the Bulls Friday night played with an early calmness that left no room for much intensity until garbage time in a game that featured 81 free throws on 54 personal fouls. They were so passive that the Celtics wrapped up their Garden meeting early, 116-93, attacking the basket so fiercely that the Bulls seemed powerless to stop them.

The Celtics closed out the first half by going to the free throw line 16 straight times without scoring a field goal, good enough to give them a 20-point halftime lead. The Bulls were so frustrated that newcomer Drew Gooden, part of the big February trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, was hit with two quick technical fouls with 55.1 seconds left, walking off the court matter-of-factly, as if he wanted no part of any of this. The Bulls, who were led by Ben Gordon’s 20 points, were hit with four T’s.

It was all good for the Celtics, who got 22 points from Paul Pierce, and double figures from each of the other starters. Kevin Garnett was lifted with 4:21 left in the third quarter after scoring 16 points – seven shy of the career 20,000-point mark. That will have to wait until Saturday in Memphis. Kendrick Perkins recorded another double-double: 14 points and 11 rebounds, giving him 52 boards in his last four games. Rivers even got newcomer P.J. Brown into action for the first time, and he responded with six rebounds in six minutes. And Brian Scalabrine, too. He hadn’t played since before the All-Star break.

It was also good for Rivers, who was facing his first all-Marquette coaching duel, going against Chicago’s Jim Boylan, but the thing that Rivers liked was that he didn’t have to rush newly acquired point guard Sam Cassell into action. Cassell instead sat on the end of the bench in civvies, shouting all sorts of things at his new teammates.

Really, Rivers had reason to be concerned with the Bulls, who were coming off two straight wins, including one over the Cavs a night earlier. “The Bulls are playing good basketball,” he said. “If this is a letdown game (for the Celtics), then shame on us. But our guys have been good so far.”

So good that they bounced back without a letdown after their rousing win over the Pistons two nights earlier. Suffice it to say that the gym wasn’t nearly as frenetic as it was Wednesday, but the Celtics, winners of seven straight, 10 at home, wasted little time in asserting themselves, heading to the paint at every opportunity, which led to 30 first-half trips to the line – to only nine for the visitors.

Garnett and Perkins were very active early on, but by the end of the half, Garnett had 12 points while Perkins, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo had 10 apiece. Pierce continued his trend of slow starts, with four points, while his team pulled off a 19-7 run before heading to the locker room.

The Celtics were also playing defense, scoring 12 points off nine Chicago turnovers, with a 27-17 rebounding edge. “We’re starting to play defense again,” Rivers said. “No doubt. The urgency is definitely back.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080308/NEWS/803080522/1009/SPORTS
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Cassell to mentor Rondo

Veteran backup says he’ll ‘cry like a baby’

CELTICS NOTES

By Paul Jarvey TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[e-mail]




Newly acquired Boston Celtic Sam Cassell shoots during warmups prior to last night’s game. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Enlarge photo


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BOSTON— One thing about this Sam Cassell, he’s a confident sort.

He has demonstrated that in a 14-year NBA career with a willingness — and a need, perhaps — to have the ball in his hands with the game on the line. And he showed that last night when he met the media and said he came to Boston for just one reason, to win a championship.

If it happens, he said he would “cry like a baby,” as would his other veteran teammates.


What the 38-year-old didn’t come here for was to replace Rajon Rondo, the Celtics’ second-year point guard.

“I’m here to be his backup,” Cassell said. “I don’t want his job. I want to make his job easier.”

He promised to be the calmest backup Rondo has ever had, which may not be difficult to pull off because Rondo said he’s never really had a backup before.

Cassell also came to Boston to play, but he’ll have to wait a couple of more days for that.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Cassell probably won’t get into a game until Monday in Philadelphia. The guard just hit town yesterday and Rivers wants him to have a practice under his belt before he plays him.

“I think he’s going to be a good fit,” Rivers aid. “He’s a point guard. I always find it easier to work a point guard in because when they call a play they already know it.”

Cassell was playing 25 minutes a game and averaging 12.8 points with the Los Angeles Clippers, but he probably won’t see that much action with the Celtics. His primary role will be to mentor young Rondo.

Rivers praised Cassell for the tempo with which he plays and hopes the vet can impart some of that on Rondo.

Rondo said he hopes Cassell can teach him, “how to close out games better. I’m still learning that.”

The two guards haven’t had a chance to talk yet, but they did have a rather violent meeting last month when Cassell was charged with a flagrant foul after hitting Rondo around the head as he drove to the hoop.

“Cost me a nice piece of money,” Cassell said. “I wish I never did that. But emotions take place.”

He was already thinking about wearing Celtic green at that point. He said he started thinking about that possibility in August when Boston traded for Kevin Garnett.

“I said, ‘wow, that’s going to be great. They’re going to be very tough,’ ” Cassell said. “Because I know what Kevin brings to a basketball team. He made me an all-star. Well, he helped make me an all-star.”

Cassell has won a pair of championships in his career, both coming early in his career with the Houston Rockets.

“I thought that’s how it was going to be,” he said. “Let me tell you something, when you miss it and miss it and miss it year after year … I’ll never forget when I saw Shaq win his first championship and I thought, ‘why is he crying the way he’s crying?’ Now I know why.”

This is Cassell’s seventh NBA stop, so he’s seen a lot of teams in his career. He likes the Celtics’ chances to win.

“I think winning an NBA championship, a little luck must transpire, and this has got to be the luckiest city in the world,” he said. “But the chances are great. We’ve just got to stay healthy. I’m feeling pretty good and I know the rest of the guys are feeling pretty good. I’m so excited to just get acclimated with my teammates and just get after it.”

Scalabrine startles Rivers
Brian Scalabrine has shaved his head, creating a look so startling Rivers thought he was a security guard and not a player when he first saw him.

The forward broke out the clippers to raise money for cancer research.

Boylan debuts in Garden
The game marked the first appearance of former Assumption College guard Jim Boylan in the Garden as Bulls interim coach. Boylan took over the Bulls two days after Christmas, replacing Scott Skiles. ... Boylan and Rivers are both Marquette grads. … The Bulls were without Tyrus Thomas who is serving a two-game suspension for skipping practice on Wednesday.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080308/NEWS/803080515/1009/SPORTS
Celtics take charge of Bulls

Early lead lets Boston coast late in game

By Paul Jarvey TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[e-mail]






BOSTON— Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

That would be good news for Celtics fans given the way Boston has handled the Bulls this season and especially last night when the C’s ran off with their seventh straight win, 116-93, at the Garden.

Boston had this game under such control that Rajon Rondo was the only starter whose services were needed in the fourth quarter.


Rivers is hoping that allowing his starters to put their feet up early will pay off tonight when the Celtics play at Memphis.

“This late in the season you get weary legs,” said Paul Pierce who led all scorers with 22 points, 16 coming in the third quarter. “I think lately Doc has been doing a great job with our minutes. Me playing 24, Kevin (Garnett) playing about the same going into Memphis, which can be a scary team. It’s good to get this rest especially with a long flight.”

The starters earned their rest as all five scored in double figures, including Kendrick Perkins who posted his third straight double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds).

“I think we came out with a lot of energy and a lot of focus, kept the intensity up,” Perkins said.

Boston has had trouble with the Bulls in recent years, but not this season. The Celtics, who improved to an NBA-best 48-12, are 3-0 vs. Chicago.

There was concern there might be a letdown after the Celtics’ big win over Detroit on Wednesday, but the Bulls were also coming off an emotional victory, a triumph over Cleveland on Thursday.

Anyway, no letdown materialized, at least not on the Boston side.

Chicago, though, seemed drained by the Thursday win, which brought the Bulls to within a game of eighth place and the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Last night showed exactly how large the gap is between the top and the playoff hopefuls at the other end.

The Celtics beat the Bulls everywhere, especially inside and at the free-throw line where they had an incredible advantage in the first two periods.

The Celtics outrebounded the Bulls, 55-35.

Joakim Noah showed some early spark on the boards with five rebounds midway through the first period, but he was no match for Garnett (16 points, 8 rebounds) who treated the rookie to his full arsenal of veteran moves. With Garnett and the Celtics hot, and the Bulls not (32 percent shooting for the game), this one stopped being close after the first quarter.

Garnett, Rondo and Ray Allen brought the crowd to its feet with a series of nifty passes resulting in an Allen three with four minutes left in the first half. That shot gave the Celtics a 15-point lead and caused Chicago coach Jim Boylan to call timeout.

“The offensive ball movement in the first half and third quarter was as good as you’re going to see,” Rivers said.

The Celtics built their lead to 63-43 at the half, scoring the last dozen points of the period from the free-throw line.

The Celtics amazingly scored 25 points from the line in the first half to nine for the Bulls.

No wonder Chicago began to get frustrated, with starting center Drew Gooden being ejected just before intermission after picking up a pair of technicals. Boylan and Larry Hughes were slapped with technicals in the third quarter.

The free throws pretty much evened out over the second half — Boston had 43 attempts to Chicago’s 38 — but the Bulls still weren’t able to get back into the game.

The Celtics led by as many as 28 points in the third quarter.

By the time P.J. Brown made his Celtics debut to a loud ovation late in the third quarter, the Celtics were ahead, 90-68.

Brown, playing his first game of the season after just a few days of practice, looked rusty at times, but it was a good game for him to get some low-pressure playing time, and he finished with six rebounds and three points in six minutes.

“Bobbling the ball, basically that’s going at NBA speed,” Rivers said. “That’s a whole different speed than YMCA pickup games.”