News 3/18

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1081097&format=text

Texas-sized comeback finished off by Celtics
Cassell 3 caps huge Green rally

By Steve Bulpett | Tuesday, March 18, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
SAN ANTONIO - Last night the guys from Boston showed how people with “Celtics [team stats]” on their chest should party on such an occasion.

Sure, they were wobbly after drinking too much deficit early, but by last call on St. Patrick’s Day, the guys wearing the shamrocks were the life of the evening.

Sam Cassell’s 3-pointer with 46 seconds left gave the Celtics the lead for good, and thanks to some good play and good fortune, it stood up in a 93-91 victory against the Spurs.

“If I have the opportunity, I’m going to make shots,” Cassell said after scoring 17 points off the bench in just his fourth appearance for the Celts. “You know me. I’m going to make some shots.”

Rajon Rondo [stats] added a huge offensive rebound and hit two free throws after Cassell’s 3, and the C’s survived some late drama. Manu Ginobili’s drive went around the rim but wouldn’t drop thanks to a leprechaun. After he hit two free throws, the Celtics turned the ball over, but Robert Horry’s 3 at the buzzer missed.

“What do you expect on St. Patrick’s Day?” Paul Pierce [stats] said after scoring nine of his 22 points in the last quarter. “They didn’t wear green. Horry makes those shots. Ginobili makes those shots. But on St. Patrick’s Day, you’ve got to have the green on, baby.”

Getting their second straight triumph here on director of basketball operations Danny Ainge’s birthday required a brilliant escape act.

Early on, the Celtics looked like a pint of flat green beer as they fell behind by 22 in the second quarter - their largest deficit of the season, surpassing the 20 they faced in Orlando in November.

“This is big because we were down,” coach Doc Rivers said. “Obviously, if you’re playing the Spurs and you beat them on the road, it’s big for you and it’s big for your team confidence. But this is big because we were getting our butt kicked and we didn’t panic. And for a team that hasn’t gone through anything . . . you know, if you can script a game for this team, it would be this.”

Winning their third in a row against San Antonio and holding Tim Duncan to 10 points - two in the second half - is large indeed, especially at the start of the Texas three-step. The Green play red-hot Houston tonight and Dallas Thursday.

The C’s cut their big deficit down to 10 by halftime, and after a trade of deuces early in the third quarter, they completed the trip back. Kevin Garnett hit a jumper to start a 13-0 run, but Ginobili, on his way to a game-high 32-point night, put the Spurs back ahead by nine with a little more than five minutes remaining.

Rondo left during the stretch after banging his right knee on the floor, but neither he nor the Celts were ready to leave this game behind. Good ball movement got the Celts open looks and lanes to the hoop. Eddie House appeared to salt the game away with two free throws with 9.6 seconds left, and there wasn’t much concern even when Tony Parker scored on a layup at 4.5.

But Garnett’s inbounds pass was stolen by Bruce Bowen, who fed Horry on the right wing.

“Oh, I thought it was good,” Rivers said of the 3 attempt. “Hell, every time he does it it’s in.”

But the last made trey of the game was Cassell’s.

“That’s what we brought him in for - what he brought to the game tonight,” Pierce said. “Then late in the game that’s what he does, knocks down a big shot. That’s what you can kind of expect out of him.”

Cassell and Rondo (20 points) found themselves on the floor a lot together, with Ray Allen (jammed left ankle) still out. They both shook off bad shooting starts to come through late, like the Celtics as a whole.

“I was just really happy with the composure, staying in the game and not panicking when you’re down,” Rivers said.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1081108&format=text

Rockets much more than a blip on radar

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Tuesday, March 18, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
SAN ANTONIO - The Celtics [team stats] tonight will be trying to defeat the same team they were rooting for Sunday. And, no, they haven’t developed a case of schizophrenia out on the road.

The Celts simply wanted the Rockets’ win streak to be intact by the time they hit Houston, and with the 104-92 dispatching of the Lakers, the Rockets complied. That gives the C’s a 22-game run at which to shoot.

“It would have been like a letdown,” Ray Allen said before last night’s 93-91 victory against the Spurs. “You want to be the one (that stops the streak). It’d be something for them to win out. That would be miraculous, unheard of. But we want to be the team that comes in there and really gives it to them. What they’ve done has been amazing.

“We look forward to getting in that building and really just showing them how we play.”

The game has been picked up by TNT and moved to 9:30 p.m. for maximum national TV exposure.

“There’s going to be a lot of hype around the game,” Paul Pierce [stats] said. “I mean, you’ve got the team with the best record coming in against the hottest team in the league. That type of stuff is good for the game. You’re going to have a lot of fans watching. I think it’s going to be a great game.

“I’ve felt all year that we’re the team that’s going to get everybody’s best, but when you’ve got a team that’s that hot, you definitely want to go out there and break up what they’re doing.”

While coach Doc Rivers is on record as enjoying the difficulty of this trip for his team, he believes his guys should perhaps be careful of their wishes.

“I think everybody would like to be the team that beats them, but 22 teams haven’t, you know what I mean?” Rivers said. “I just think any of that type of stuff in the regular season is a good thing. It gives you more spice during the regular season and I don’t ever think that’s bad. It’s a challenge.”

The Rockets have met more than a few challenges along the way, including the loss of Yao Ming. “I’m definitely surprised,” Pierce said. “I’m surprised at any team that can accomplish that type of feat. To win 22 games in a row the way the NBA is, especially in the Western Conference, that’s a hell of a feat. Even winning 10 games in a row these days is great.”

No shot for Allen

Allen missed his second game with a jammed left ankle. The guard took part in the morning shootaround but still had some issues when he went through his pregame shooting routine.

“He shot and just didn’t feel great,” Rivers said. “He could still feel it, so it’s just not worth playing. We want him back. It’s nothing serious obviously, but we want it to heal 100 percent.”

The Celts are leaving the door open for Allen to return tonight.

“But I’m doubting that,” Rivers said. “It could clear up but I would say I doubt (tonight). Probably Dallas (Thursday) is more likely.”

Cry in your green beer

The NBA once again chose to send the Celtics on the road for St. Patrick’s Day. They’ve played at home just once on the date this decade and were making their second straight visit to San Antonio.

“I always thought the Celtics played in Boston on St. Patrick’s Day, but I guess we’ve got a chance to beat traffic,” Allen said.

Rivers joked that his team was away out of necessity.

“The theory is that we could not get everyone out of the bars to come to the game because it’s St. Pat’s Day,” he said. “I think that’s why we’re on the road. It’s safer on the road.”

The C’s improved to 21-9 overall on St. Patrick’s Day (12-1 at home; 9-8 on the road).

Frequent flyer

Rivers has a two-word plan to keep up with his son, Georgetown guard Jeremiah Rivers, in the NCAA tournament: “Private flights.”

“Fortunately they play Friday-Sunday (Raleigh, N.C.) and we play Thursday-Saturday (Dallas, New Orleans),” Doc Rivers said, “so I’ll have a chance to watch both games, hopefully at least one in person.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1081109&format=text

To defend or attack?
C’s views on Bowen are mixed

By Steve Bulpett | Tuesday, March 18, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Tara Carvalho
SAN ANTONIO - Celtic opinions on San Antonio forward Bruce Bowen vary.

Doc Rivers is a fan. Ray Allen believes he’s a dirty player. Paul Pierce [stats] was a supporter, but that waned after watching a video clip of Bowen’s transgressions.

Bowen, a Celtic for two years in the late 1990s, has carved out a career as one of the NBA’s toughest defenders. He’s also gotten quite a rep, with many surprised that his one-game suspension last week for kicking New Orleans point guard Chris Paul was his first. Bowen had played in 500 straight games before getting kicked out.

“For me, (it was) nothing unexpected,” said Allen, who’s had his run-ins with Bowen. “Obviously, I’ve been on the other side of some of those kicks.

“I did get a chuckle out of (the suspension). Most players in the league have been on the other end of that or have seen him do something like that throughout his career. So it wasn’t anything where we said, ‘Wow, Bruce did that?’ ”

Rivers wasn’t shocked either, but he appreciates Bowen nonetheless.

“I love him,” the Celtics [team stats] coach said. “I don’t know if he crosses the line, but Bruce Bowen, to me, does whatever it takes to win basketball games. Anybody who doesn’t like him are guys who are not on his team. Everybody on his team loves him. Bill Laimbeer . . . there’s a long list of guys like that everyone would love to have on their team, but they hate him because he’s not.”

Asked about Bowen’s penchant for undercutting players when they rise for jump shots, Rivers said, “That’s a dirty play, but I don’t think he’s dirty.”

Allen begs to differ.

“I think so,” he said when asked if Bowen crosses the line. “I definitely think so. At the end of the day when you make basketball plays, sometimes you’re going to get frustrated and you do something over the top - or you just make a tough defensive play hoping to get away with it. You know, you want to win for your team. But sometimes it’s borderline trying to hurt somebody. When I’m out here on the floor, there’s a couple of players in the league that I might not care for, but I’m not going to try to hurt anybody.”

Pierce recently saw a Bowen mix on YouTube (a selections of kicks and cuts) and came away shaking his head.

“He does what he can do,” Pierce said. “That’s what the great defenders do, the Dennis Rodmans and those people. They find ways to get in your head. They’re masters at it. Bruce always tried to get in your head with little pokes here and there. You just can’t let it get to you.

“He’s a great defender. He’s one of the best all time to me. He has to guard the toughest guys on the perimeter night in and night out. He’s going to go down in history. Guys hate playing against him.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/18/sam_dunk?mode=PF

Sam dunk
Cassell's clutch shot helps Celtics top Spurs
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 18, 2008

SAN ANTONIO - Sam Cassell has nailed numerous clutch shots in his 14-year NBA career. Last night, he added another to his long résumé as he hit his first big one as a member of the Celtics.

Cassell nailed a late 3-pointer that helped the Celtics to a 93-91 victory over the reigning NBA champion Spurs at a sold-out and playoff-intense AT&T Center. Cassell had 17 points off the bench, and his momentum-changing three with 46.4 seconds left gave Boston an 89-87 lead.

"If I get the opportunity, I'm going to make shots," said Cassell, who was playing in just his fourth game since signing with the Celtics March 4. "You know me, I'm going to make some shots. They gave me the opportunity to make the shot and I just made it."

The Celtics have won 12 of 13 games and six straight on the road. The Spurs have dropped four straight, and the loss snapped a seven-game home winning streak.

Three Celtics starters had at least 20 points in what may have been the biggest road win of the season: Paul Pierce (22), Kevin Garnett (21), and Rajon Rondo (20).

"That one made me sweat," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, his forehead beading with persperation after the game. "It was a great game."

The Celtics scored a season-low 11 points in the first quarter (they trailed, 28-11) and were down as many as 22 (35-13) before coming back to take a 56-51 lead in the third quarter. San Antonio entered the fourth quarter ahead just 70-68.

San Antonio seemed to be in good shape as two free throws by Manu Ginobili (game-high 32 points) pushed Boston behind, 81-72, with 5:56 remaining. But the Celtics responded with a 12-4 run finalized by an Eddie House 3-pointer to trim their deficit to 85-84 with 1:45 remaining.

"I'm really proud of our guys because San Antonio came out and they attacked us," Rivers said. "They went after us. We didn't respond to it very well. The lesson there is, on the road, you can't ease into a basketball game against an angry great team.

"That's what they were. They lost three in a row. You can see them, they had a purpose."

Said Spurs forward Robert Horry, "I'm mad that we were up 22 and blew it. I know we're playing one of the best teams in the league in the Celtics, but there is no excuse."

With Boston down, 87-86, in the final minute, the ball was swung around to Cassell at the top of the key. He nailed a 25-footer to push the Celtics ahead, then the 38-year-old skipped down the court and was mobbed by his new teammates as the Spurts called a timeout.

"That's what we brought him here for," Pierce said. "He kept us in the game, pretty much, the whole second quarter when we got down. And late in the game, that's what he does. He knocks down the big shot."

Garnett, who played with Cassell in Minnesota, said, "That's what it is. He was great for us."

After Ginobili missed a 3-pointer with 37.9 seconds left, Cassell got the rebound. Rondo got fouled after rebounding a Garnett miss with 16.6 seconds remaining and nailed two free throws to give Boston a 91-87 lead. Ginobili nailed two free throws with 11.1 seconds left to slice the Spurs' deficit to 91-89.

House sank two free throws with 9.6 seconds left to put Boston up, 93-89, but the game wasn't over. After a lay-in by Spurs guard Tony Parker, Garnett threw a bad pass that was stolen by Spurs forward Bruce Bowen. Bowen immediately passed to one of the NBA's greatest clutch shooters of all-time, Robert Horry. But Horry missed what would have been a game-winning 3-pointer, and Garnett left the floor relieved.

"I thought I had balance and then I looked up and there were five guys frantically coming at me," Horry said.

Cassell, who played with Horry in Houston, said, "I don't like when he's set. He does that one, two, step. I don't like that.

"I've known that guy a long, long time. I know what he's capable of when his feet are set. His feet weren't set, so we got the benefit of the doubt tonight."

There is little time for the Celtics to enjoy this big victory, however, as they play the Rockets - winners of 22 straight games - in Houston tonight.

"It's going to be great," Pierce said. "A lot of hype around the game. We got the best team in the NBA. The best team in the Eastern Conference against the best team in the Western Conference."

Said Cassell, "The Green Machine is coming."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/18/houston_may_have_a_problem?mode=PF

Houston may have a problem
Streaking Rockets take on NBA's best
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 18, 2008

SAN ANTONIO - Paul Pierce is looking forward to enjoying a rare night when the target isn't on his team's back.

The Rockets hope to extend their winning streak to 23 games when they face the Celtics tonight at the Toyota Center in Houston. Only the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, winners of 33 straight games, have won more regular-season NBA games in a row.

With the league's best record, the Celtics will bring a stiff challenge to the hot Rockets for this nationally televised contest (TNT).

"That's an impressive streak that they got going, really," said Pierce, who scored a team-high 22 points in last night's 93-91 win over the Spurs. "It seems like for once the target is going to be on the other team's back now. When you see a team do such an incredible feat, you think, 'Hey, you don't want them to do it on us.'

"There is going to be a lot of hype around the game. You got the team with the best record playing a team that is doing something that hasn't been done in a while."

Ex-Lakers star Gail Goodrich is confident the Rockets won't break the record win streak that he was a part of; in fact, he wouldn't be surprised if it ended tonight.

"I've said this all along: The streak won't get broken," said Goodrich, now an analyst for NBATV. "The Rockets are playing outstanding, obviously. But this week we will find out how good they are.

"They have been playing great defense and they have very good scorers. They face a very good Boston team."

Rockets star Tracy McGrady, when asked about the streak possibly ending tonight, told the Houston Chronicle: "We don't worry about what everybody says. We have a winnable ballgame to play. We all understand they are the best team in the East, the first team in the league to 50 wins.

"It's a winnable game for us. It's going to be a challenge. It's going to be a tough game for us. But we're capable of winning it."


Allen still out
Celtics guard Ray Allen missed his second straight game with a left ankle injury that is expected to keep him out tonight, too. He sustained the injury Friday night against Utah and didn't feel comfortable returning to action following a workout prior to last night's game.

Coach Doc Rivers said Allen could return Thursday at Dallas.

"He's obviously day-to-day," Rivers said. "He shot and just didn't feel great. The one thing you always kick yourself is, should he have shot at all? You just don't know because it's a bruise.

"We want him back. It's nothing serious, obviously. We just want it to heal 100 percent."


Extra points
The Nuggets had one of the most impressive scoring performances in NBA history Sunday when they racked up 168 points against the Sonics. But the best performance in NBA history (for a regulation game) still belongs to the 1958-59 Celtics, who scored 173 points at Minneapolis - without the 3-pointer.

Phoenix also scored 173 points against Denver on Nov. 10, 1990, but that was with a 3-point line.

During Boston's 173-point game, Tommy Heinsohn scored a game-high 43 points and Bob Cousy added 31 points and 28 assists. Those Celtics scored 52 points in the fourth quarter, had four players score at least 20, made 47 free throws, and shot 50.4 percent from the field.

"The funny part about that game when we scored 173 points is that [Bill ] Russell didn't play in the game," said Heinsohn, a longtime TV analyst. "He was hurt. Gene Conley took his place. We had many games with 40-point quarters and 80 halves back then.

"The other funny part about it was then-NBA commissioner Maurice Podoloff was going to have the game investigated. He couldn't believe any team could score that much. It was a complete up-and-down game."

Pierce expressed his admiration.

"That goes to show you there was no defense played back then," Pierce said. "It must have been one pass, then a shot, had to be. You had to have some talented players to be able to do that.

"I don't care what era it is. You've got to be able to have some guys that can put the ball in the hole just because of the time on the clock and the possessions. They didn't turn the ball over. With no 3-point shot, you definitely didn't turn the ball over."