News 4/1

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1084211&format=text

Tony Allen must produce now

By Steve Bulpett | Tuesday, April 1, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill (File)
Early in the last quarter Sunday, Tony Allen stole the ball from Miami’s Chris Quinn and had an open lane to the hoop. As he contemplated the possibilities, he lost the handle on the rock and left his layup on the front of the rim.

It may have been a microcosm of his season. Allen has struggled on the way back from major surgery on his left knee, falling into uncertainty at times as to its strength. Now he is dealing with the knee and a bruised back and, of some significance, the fact he will be a restricted free agent when this season ends.

He broke out a bit last season with six straight games of 20-plus points and was on his way to a seventh when he tore his ACL in January. Now he is trying to fill a defensive role for the Celtics [team stats] while realizing he probably won’t be able to lock up financial security with his next contract.

There are numerous possibilities to contemplate.

“It’s frustrating, but I try not to put my frustration upon the team and not bring it to work,” Allen said after a lengthy postpractice shooting session with Ray Allen yesterday. “That’s something I’ve got to deal with. When I’m at work it’s got to be strictly Celtics and what we’ve got to do to win. I am a human being and that (the contract and his future) is going to be brought up at some point in time. I just want to keep it out of my mind as much as I can for now. But having that out there puts something on this season.”

Doc Rivers wishes he could take an eraser to Allen’s brain, noting how he often lets a bad play linger in his mind.

“That’s always been an issue with him,” Rivers said. “It’s been like that since he’s been here. He plays a lot of times in the play before. It’s been a focus of ours since we’ve had him. Clearly we haven’t done a very good job right now, but it doesn’t take a lot to get him turned around either.”

Asked if he will use Allen more down the stretch, the coach said, “Well, if he plays better. He has to play better. I want to give Tony more playing time, but I’m not just going to give it to him for my health. He’s going to have to earn it.”

The ability is there, according to his teammates.

“He’s one of the guys that we look for to be a defensive leader out there,” said Paul Pierce [stats]. “If T.A. can understand his role, he’s really big for us.”

“I think sometimes he gets confused about what the coaches want him to do, but he’s our defensive leader. He can guard pretty much anybody in the league except for the bigs. He’s a guy who can handle tough assignments, and we need that from him. Once he understands that, he’s going to help us. There’s going to be situations where he might not play, and then there’ll be a situation where we won’t be able to win a game without him.”

Allen insists he’s ready to play defense.

“I think about that every day,” he said. “I look at it like the offense is additional. I don’t try to go outside my role. First things first; when I get out on the court, I’ve got to stop somebody. When the offense comes and it’s rolling, I roll with that, but mainly my focus is just the defensive end.

“I’m pretty hard on myself, but I’ve got to get it rolling. It’s almost playoff time, and I want to be a part of it.”

He also wants to be on the scoresheet on his next breakaway.

“I had plans on trying to do a windmill or something,” Allen said of the Sunday mishap, “but that didn’t work because I lost the ball. Next time I get a break like that, I’m just going to, hey, lay it up.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1084212&format=text

Pollard is on road to recovery

By Steve Bulpett | Tuesday, April 1, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by John Wilcox (File)
Today marks the three-week anniversary of Scot Pollard’s left ankle surgery, and for now, all he has to show for it are a long scar and a rather gamey protective boot.

“It smells great,” he said sarcastically. “You wash the lining, but there’s just some smells that bleach just doesn’t get out.”

The boot will be an everyday companion for about another two and a half weeks, and by the time Pollard is ready to resume basketball activity this summer, the backup center expects far better movement than he had in his first - and possibly only - season with the Celtics [team stats].

“Both doctors have said it’s going to be better than it’s been in years,” said Pollard, referring to the physician in Indiana who performed the surgery and Celtics team doctor Brian McKeon. “It was an old NBA ankle, and now it’s going to be free of spurs, and they cleaned up the arthritis a little bit. My tissue looks great, (and) they reattached some things. It’s actually going to be a lot better than it was.”

And at 33, the unrestricted free agent-to-be still wants to play.

“Absolutely,” Pollard said.

“The frustrating part is if I just pulled the trigger and had the surgery in October, I’d be back now and playing. But nobody has a crystal ball, and we didn’t think it would linger. Then it turned out in Phoenix that one more thing happened, and that’s something that I couldn’t play through. One of the tendons on the side of my leg actually ruptured. It felt better because it wasn’t pulling on my ankle bone, but it was really weak. You can’t play through that.”

A hot ticket

The Celtics put playoff tickets on sale at 10 yesterday morning, and about an hour and a half later, they were gone.

Customers had to purchase strips of 16 tickets - the maximum number of home playoff games - and they were apparently more than willing. . . .

Coach Doc Rivers has made talking on defense an area of emphasis down the stretch, and he’s already gotten some good results.

“I jokingly said, ‘You guys never shut up on the airplanes and on the buses. I would like you to have that same conversation during the games.’ ” Rivers said. “So they are, and that’s good.” . . .

The Celtics headed off to Chicago after yesterday’s brief workout and will take on the disappointing Bulls tonight.

“The regular season hasn’t gone the way they want it to,” Rivers said, “but if they sneak in the playoffs somehow, they’re going to try to be a factor.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/01/celtics_look_for_one_tony_allen_to_emerge?mode=PF
Celtics look for one Tony Allen to emerge
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 1, 2008

WALTHAM - There have been two Tony Allens for the Celtics this season.

There is the confident one who throws down highlight-reel dunks and showcases a big smile afterward. Then there is the Allen who heard some boos at TD Banknorth Garden Sunday after missing a layup against Miami.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers has said his main goal by the end of the regular season is to get Allen going. The frustrated Allen hopes Rivers gets his wish, too.

"I show flashes of what level I can play," Allen said. "It's just trying to get that consistency."

Allen is averaging 6.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 18 minutes per game in his role as a reserve, spelling Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. His most productive month was February, when he averaged 9.9 points and 1.1 steals in 19.7 minutes, shot 52.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. He scored at least 14 points four times in 11 contests.

In March, however, Allen regressed.

He averaged 3.9 points and 0.6 steals in 17 minutes per game, shot 34.5 percent from the field and missed all nine 3-point attempts in 14 contests. He didn't score in double figures in any game during March. In Sunday's win over Miami, Allen had 2 points on 1-of-7 shooting, 2 assists, and 4 fouls in 19 minutes.

"He's struggling, but he's coming out of it," Rivers said. "He did some good things [against Miami]. Obviously, the layup was a blunder. But that happens. Overall, he's doing some good things."

Rivers, said Allen, is "not trying to get me to score 30 points or nothing like that. He's just trying to get me to take shots when I'm open, drive aggressively, get to the rim, and play solid defense, which is what I'm really here for. Basically, he just wants me to be playing good."

Ray Allen is considered by some one of the top shooters in NBA history, and after yesterday's practice, he worked with Tony Allen on his shooting technique and shared his shooting philosophy.

"There are so many plays where he has the ball and teams are leaving him open and telling him to shoot it," Ray Allen said. "It's confidence for him and using the power he has in his legs to get up into his shot.

"He has to have the confidence to shoot the shot. A lot of his shots are short because when he's shooting the ball he's holding on to it [too long]. I tried to explain what I'm thinking when I'm shooting and what I want."

The main reason for Allen's up-and-down play seems to be his surgically repaired left knee.

Allen missed the last 48 games of the 2006-07 season following the surgery and is still wearing a brace. He expected his knee to be much stronger by now. He said he hyperextended it while elevating for that missed layup against Miami, but will be ready to play tonight against Chicago.

"It sure isn't 100 percent to where I want it to be, but I'm fighting," Allen said. "That's all I can do at this point. Some days it gets better than others.

"I was told that this would happen. Fighting is what I got to do from here on. It's no excuse on anything. I'm just taking it in stride.

"It's frustrating. It's behind me and all I can do is move forward."

Rivers said he believes that some of Allen's issues are mental, since doctors have assured the Celtics that the knee is strong again.

"He's better," Rivers said. "I think he has to [get] better on the floor as far as his play. I don't use his knee [as an excuse] anymore."

While Allen's scoring dipped dramatically last month, Rivers is more concerned about his role as a defensive stopper and his ability to get Pierce and Ray Allen rest. The Celtics have reserve guards who can score in Eddie House and Sam Cassell, but Allen is considered the best defender.

"He's a defensive stopper, No. 1," Rivers said. "No. 2, if he's not, then that really extends Ray and Paul's minutes. We need him to give our guys a break."

Allen will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he said his pending status hasn't affected his play.

"I just let it go," he said. "It is what it is."

Three weeks have passed since Scot Pollard had surgery in Indianapolis on his left ankle that ended his season. Pollard, 33, got off crutches last Wednesday, is now wearing a protective boot, and will be reevaluated in Indianapolis in mid-April.

Pollard, who will be a free agent this summer, said he "absolutely" wants to continue playing in the NBA and hopes to be doing basketball activity again in late June. He also hopes to travel with the Celtics in the playoffs, though he can't now because his ankle swells on flights.

The Celtics yesterday sold out their 2008 playoff strips, which include tickets to all 16 possible home games. A limited amount of individual tickets for Games 1 and 2 of the first round will go on sale April 9.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1132465100
Megliola: April a perfect time to be in Boston
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By Lenny Megliola/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Mar 31, 2008 @ 09:44 PM

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On a day saved for foolery - hey, your fly is open! - the first day of April, all kidding aside, also ushers in a serious stretch for the Boston sports fan. There's a lot going on.

Hockey (pro and college); basketball (pro and college); running; soccer; baseball; football; tennis.

The most compelling drama involves the Bruins who have three games left and may, or may not, make the playoffs. It's that close. OK, you say you're not a hockey fan. The Bruins left your stream of consciousness years ago, about the same time the entire National Hockey League did. Lighten up. Pull for the Bruins to make the playoffs, if for no other reason than it would enhance Boston's reputation as a sports bonanza town, the envy of fans around the country.

With the Celtics, there never was a doubt about playing in April. Many expect them to be playing in May and June. That possibility popped up the moment Kevin Garnett pulled the No. 5 jersey over his head for the first time.

It's been a while since we've had both denizens of the Garden in the postseason. Let's have fun with it.

Plus, Bruins coach Claude Julien seems like a nice guy.

When it comes to nice guys, Boston College coach Jerry York is at the top of the list. Just ask anyone who knows him. You could fly to the moon easier than you could find anyone who has a bad thing to say about York. Along the way Mr. Nice Guy has managed to win 801 games.

His Eagles punched yet another ticket to the Frozen Four with an overtime win against powerful Miami (Ohio) on Sunday. It could turn out that BC plays Notre Dame in the championship game.

Only Catholics will be allowed in the arena.

York's 800th win, making him the second-winningest coach in college hockey, came Saturday against Minnesota. In the locker room after the game, you would have thought it was York's 107th win, or something. He was already thinking about the Miami game. York made no mention of 800. It was the furthest thing from his mind.

Captain Mike Brennan couldn't let the moment pass. "Congratulations, coach, we wish we could've got (800) earlier," said Brennan, who handed York a ceremonial puck from the game, according to Tim Clark of the BC media relations department, who was there, "(York's) so modest, he never saw it coming."

April is synonymous with baseball, but the Red Sox were already playing games that count in March. Tonight it's their first game in North America. They play in Oakland. Boston will have played games in the Far East, in Southern and Northern California and Canada before their home opener a week from today. They'll probably kiss the sacred Fenway ground.

It'll be Ring Day at Fenway, the second one in four years. As Joe Castiglione might say, "Can you believe it?"

The first week of April also rewards us with the NCAA Final Four. Personally, I'm pulling for John Calipari's Memphis Tigers. Maybe it ended on a sour note, but the run his UMass Minutemen had in 1996 is unforgettable. UMass crushed a formidable Allen Iverson Georgetown team in the tournament. Ordinarily, UMass beating the haughty Hoyas would have been unthinkable.

OK, the women's tournament has no Boston reference, but it's leading up to a UConn-Tennessee championship game that could be spectacular. These teams hate each other. UConn coach Geno Auriemma and counterpart Pat Summitt will be faking any handshake. These teams used to play once a year during the regular season. Summitt called the game off this year, and blew the whistle on UConn for what the Vols perceived a recruiting violation concerning Lady Huskies' freshman superstar Maya Moore. Naturally, Summitt was recruiting Moore too.

For tennis fans looking for a ride in the time machine, John McEnroe plays Pete Sampras when the Champions tour stops at Agganis Arena later this month.

For running devotees, April also means the deluge of Boston Marathon stories are upon us. It also means the MLS is back, and your Revs are in first place (hey, 1-0 is 1-0). Is this the year the Revs win The Big One? After all, the Kraft family is starving for a championship team. Their other one just isn't getting it done. Segue to the NFL Draft at the end of the month.

These are all good things. You can have April in Paris. April in Boston is no slouch.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x2132939167
Celtics: Potential playoff previews on tap
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By Scott Souza/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Mar 31, 2008 @ 09:50 PM

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WALTHAM — The Celtics Playoff Tune-up Tour 2008 hits the road tonight for the first in a series of games against opponents still hoping to find their own way into the postseason.

Beginning in Chicago, the Celtics could either be taking part in one of several possible first-round previews, or seize the opportunity to help deliver the knockout blow to a playoff wannabe's survival chances.

The Bulls game is the first of five in the final nine contests against squads with at least an outside chance at grabbing the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. Of the final eight opponents, only the Wizards (38-35 entering last night's action) figure to avoid the top-seeded Celtics in any first-round series, while the Knicks and Bucks (whom the Celts play twice) are already out of the playoff mix.

That leaves the Bulls (29-44), Pacers (30-43), Bobcats (28-45) and Nets (31-43) all chasing the Hawks (33-40) for the final playoff seed with all five teams in Boston's path over the next 15 days.

"I don't look ahead," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers following yesterday's short workout in Waltham before the team's afternoon flight to Chicago. "But I am not a fool. I can see who could possibly be there for us. We could play any one of these teams. So, yeah, that will be good for us.

"Those teams will probably look at it the same way. But the difference for them is that if they get in they know who they are going to play. We still don't."

Unlike the upstart Bobcats and Hawks, the Bulls, Pacers and Nets are all squads that likely envisioned something better this season than a fight for the right to likely first-round playoff obliteration. Perhaps the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season is Chicago, which went from an emerging power in the Eastern Conference at the end of last season to a purveyor of remarkable underachievement throughout this one.

"You can have one of those and be dangerous," offered Rivers, shunning the we-should-clobber-these-teams mantra of captain Paul Pierce following Sunday's blowout of the NBA-worst Heat. "That's probably the way they are trying to look at it. The regular season hasn't gone the way they wanted to, but if they can sneak in they are going to try to be a factor."

Though Rivers acknowledged the coaches will take an extra interest in some of the potential playoff foes due up over the next two weeks - the Celtics host the Pacers tomorrow and then travel to Charlotte on Saturday - he would rather the players continue to focus on sharpening their game regardless of the opposition.

"We have been very good at not looking at the opponent for the most part," he said. "Even when we played Detroit, I told them that we are playing ourselves. I told them Detroit has nothing to do with this game as far as I'm concerned. It's all about us."

Ray Allen agreed the players have little to gain by gazing ahead at this point of the season.

"We've seen them all enough," he noted. "From watching them on TV, you know player tendencies. So it won't be hard to know what they do. It's just really forcing them to be uncomfortable when they are doing what they do."

At 58-15, Allen determined the Celtics must focus on the task at hand, while understanding the big picture could be something nice to sit back and take in down the road.

"It's hard to realize what you've done because we're on the inside," he said. "So many people are on the outside talking about what we're doing. It's just a joy to be so dominant like we have been these first three-quarters of the season.

"But I don't really worry about what is ahead of us right now. What is immediately ahead of us is (tonight's) game."

********

Rivers said prior to the last two games that one of his goals late in the season remains getting Tony Allen ready to help the team in the playoffs as a key player off the bench.

While the inconsistent shooting guard responded well to the challenge with six points and no turnovers in 20 minutes against the Hornets in Friday night's victory, he regressed Sunday against the Heat with only two points (on 1-of-7 shooting, including a muffed breakaway) and four fouls in 19 minutes.

"He has to play better," the coach declared yesterday. "He tends to play in the last play instead of the next play. That's been something with him the whole time we've been here. Obviously, we haven't done a great job with it.

"The good thing is it doesn't take him long to get turned around either. He has a good stretch and then it turns into a great stretch." ...

Scot Pollard was at practice yesterday after undergoing season-ending left ankle surgery three weeks ago to repair a ruptured tendon. Despite only playing 178 minutes over 22 games this season, he said with the help of the surgery he plans to continue his career next season and could begin basketball activities in about three months.

[FLCeltsFan]

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

Bulls Still Eying Playoffs; T.A. Still Seeking Groove
The Celtics had a very short practice in Waltham Monday before taking a 3 p.m. flight to Chicago for their game against the Bulls on Tuesday night. The Bulls, who were a preseason pick to be near the top of the Eastern Conference, have won just 29 games and sit four games behind the eighth place Atlanta Hawks.

"You can have one of those [seasons] and then get in the playoffs and be dangerous," Rivers said. "The regular season hasn't gone the way they wanted it to, but if they can sneak into the playoffs, they're gonna try to be a factor."

One Celtics player who's still trying to become a factor is reserve swingman Tony Allen. T.A. has struggled to regain his form this season after his second knee surgery, and he's still looking for the explosiveness upon which his game is predicated.

"I'm pretty hard on myself, but I gotta get it going. It's almost playoff time and I want to be a part," Allen said after running through some extra shooting drills with Ray Allen.

Allen's comeback has been something of a roller coaster. While he had a monster dunk in the Celtics first exhibition game in Rome in October, and it looked like he'd be a contributor right away, he's had ups and downs throughout the year. He had a few big games in February, but his minutes and his output have been largely inconsistent in March.

Sunday night against the Heat, Allen missed a breakaway when he mishandled the ball while thinking about a dunk and ended up short-arming his shot.

"Last night, I don't know what happened. I got kind of excited, once I lost the ball, [there was] hyper-extension on the knee," Allen said. "I had plans on trying to do a windmill, but that didn't work because I lost the ball. Next time I get a [fast] break like that I'm gonna lay it up."

The Celtics could certainly use some depth at the two and three spots, but Doc Rivers says that he's not going to just throw Allen in the mix for nothing. So when will his next opportunity come?

"If he plays better. I want to give Tony some more playing time, but I'm not going to just give it to him," Rivers said. "He's going to have to earn it."

Pollard Recovering from Ankle Surgery
The bad news is that Scot Pollard is definitely out for the year and won't be resuming basketball activities until July. The good news is that Planet Pollard should resume shortly.

Pollard met the press for the first time since his ankle surgery was performed by a foot and ankle specialist in Indiana a few weeks ago, and the reserve center is looking forward to getting ready for next season. In the meantime, he's regretting that he didn't decide upon surgery during October, because he would likely be back in action now rather than missing the Celtics' upcoming playoff run.

"I'm in a boot for like two and a half more weeks," Pollard said. "The doctors here are keeping an eye on it."

Pollard said he's confident that his ankle will be better than it's been in years once it heals up this summer.

"It was an old NBA ankle, and now it's going to be free of spurs, and they've cleaned up the arthritis a little bit," Pollard said. "My tissue looks great, they re-attached everything. Some things were just not attached and hadn't been for years. It's going to be a lot better than it was."

Check the audio archive for post-practice interviews with Doc, Ray Allen, Tony Allen, Pierce, and Pollard.

Playoff Strips Sell Out
BOSTON - The Boston Celtics announced today that they have sold out of 2008 Playoff strips in under two hours. Playoff strips include tickets to all 16 possible home games during the 2008 NBA Playoffs and went on sale to the public today at 10 a.m.

"It has been an extremely exciting season for our team and our fans and we are all looking forward to tipping off the postseason at home next month. We have had unbelievable support at the Garden this year and this is another indication that fans are ready for the playoffs," Celtics Senior Vice President of Ticket Sales and Marketing Shawn Sullivan said.

While loge and balcony playoff strips are sold out, fans still have other ticketing options beyond the 16 game playoff packages. Currently, a limited amount of luxury suites are available for all playoff games, giving companies and fans a prime view of the court along with exclusive amenities and business entertainment opportunities. Fans and companies interested in Premium Seating options may call 617-854-8018 for pricing and availability.

[FLCeltsFan]

aol.nba.com/celtics/news/blog/grande033108-heat.html

Trading Places
From the Booth
By Sean Grande
Special to Celtics.com
March 31, 2008

I know it was mean, but come on, how many chances like this are you going to get?

The Miami Heat are two years removed from a championship and a year removed from crowing about it, and flaunting it under the prime-time national spotlight only enjoyed by the precious few NBA elite. Those Heat, show up at the Garden to play the Celtics, here and now the NBA's best team, on the exact same day the Harlem Globetrotters play the Washington Generals/Nationals.

And I'm not supposed to make jokes about that?

That's like asking a dog to not eat the pork chop you accidentally dropped on the floor.

That's like asking !!!GREENIAC!!! Vitale to sit in a silent Quaker meeting house for an hour after the brackets come out.

It's like telling Eddie House that he can't shoot in the fourth quarter of a blowout game.

It's cruel, unfair, and it's just not going happen.

There has never been a more painstaking rise to NBA Title glory than the two-decade odyssey of the Miami Heat. The slow, incremental climb from Ronny Seiklay expansion team, to the Harold Miner growing pains, to the Alonzo Mourning near-miss years, when their reach for the title wasn't nearly as strong as Jeff Van Gundy's death grip on Zo's ankle.

Then, the mountain top. Shaq, D-Wade, Antoine, J-Will and James Posey all holding the trophy.

Less than two years later, there's never been a more precipitous fall from glory.

It's redefined penthouse to outhouse.

Britney Spears didn't fall that fast.

Elliott Spitzer did, but his payroll wasn't nearly as high. Close, but not quite.

The greatest one-hit wonders are all gathered marveling at the crash. Shelley Long, Joe Millionaire and Vanilla Ice are all doing the Macarena to commemorate it.

The Heat are the fool who Mr. T pities.

And as they took the floor Sunday at the Garden, like the final week of a Broadway show, understudies dotting the roster ("at this performance, the role of Dwayne Wade will be played by Blake Ahearn, etc."), they look across the floor at the team that replaced them as the league's standard.

Two years ago, Antoine Walker walked into the building offering playoff tickets to his former team. Sunday, Miami fielded a team of guys who likely will be buying tickets in the not too distant future.

The notion of reversals of fortune are almost as old as literature itself. But we won't be talking about King Lear, Joseph and the Pharaoh. And Cinderella's a bit overused this time of year.

To me, there's only one literary reference best suited for this improbable last-season clash. Only two characters that best personify this historic role reversal.

Louis Winthorpe and Billy Ray Valentine.

Because no two NBA teams have ever traded places like this.

Think about it, for the last two years, the Miami Heat, like Winthorpe, have been the fat cats. Living large off the rest of the league, high payroll, national TV, deep runs through the playoffs. Meanwhile, the charming, street-wise Billy Ray has been forced to try and survive with all the slings and arrows of outrageous basketball fortune. In this case, the NBA's most storied franchise was quite clearly a victim of environment, not heredity.

And it's as if the puppet masters (represented in the film by the villainous, avaricious Duke brothers) are playing out a bet to see if they can take one team from the lottery and make them title contenders, while returning the other from 1st to 30th at the same time.

In the movie, they take away Winthorpe's house (Shaq traded to Phoenix), his car (Dwayne Wade), freeze his bank accounts (way over the salary cap) and leave him without any way to help himself (injuries to Jason Williams, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem and Dorrell Wright). They do it to see if he can survive.

Meanwhile, with Billy Ray having been arrested on a trumped up charge and facing years, it seems, in jail (draft lottery night), they change his life as well. And bestowed upon him are the big house (Kevin Garnett), the fancy car (Ray Allen). Even Winthorpe's most loyal guy, the unflappable Coleman, who'd do all the dirty work, anything that needed to get done without complaint, simply for the sake of being a pro...ends up with Billy Ray (James Posey). They go it to see if he thrives.

As it turns out, he had his own special abilities all along (Paul Pierce). And the captain never complained publicly, never made trade demands on someone's cell phone camera at a mall. He just did his job. Because pros, like karate men, bruise on the inside.

And how goes the experiment?

Forty-two games over .500. A sweep of the Texas Triangle. Wins over every other team in the NBA. The first double-digit scoring differential season since the Jordan Bulls. Twenty wins by twenty or more.

While the erstwhile champion Heat are just hoping to win twenty, period.

Talk about copyright infringement. That's Trading Places.

So as the Celtics make the turn for home...the finish line of the one of the best NBA regular seasons in the last quarter-century, there's really only one thing you can say.

Looking good, Billy Ray.

Looking good.

For the Geek Side of Your BrainOne of the best parts of this magic carpet ride of a winter has been, in addition to the quality of the play and the quality of the wins, have been the quality of the numbers for this particular section. I mean, four years ago when I was doing this column, I'd have things like "Did you know Eric Williams is leading the NBA in free throw attempts per minute?" Now we're in a whole new stratosphere.

There are plenty of ways to determine, mathetmatically and statistically, that the Celtics have been the best team in the league this year...by far. As if the eye test wasn't enough.

These are two of my favorites...

FEWEST LOSSES BY MORE THAN 5 POINTS - NBA 2007-2008

(Through March 30)

BOSTON - 6
SAN ANTONIO - 14
LA LAKERS - 15
DETROIT - 15
PHOENIX - 15
DALLAS - 18
HOUSTON - 18
ORLANDO - 18
NEW ORLEANS - 19

FEWEST DOUBLE-DIGIT LOSSES - NBA 2007-2008

(Through March 30)

BOSTON - 2
PHOENIX - 8
SAN ANTONIO - 8
DETROIT - 9
DALLAS - 10
HOUSTON - 10
LA LAKERS - 10
NEW ORLEANS - 13

[FLCeltsFan]

www.patriotledger.com/sports/x504462052
Tony Allen needs to find his comfort zone
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By Mike Fine
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Apr 01, 2008 @ 12:05 AM

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WALTHAM — The Bulls will do it tonight in Chicago. The Indiana Pacers will do it Wednesday at the Garden. Each of the playoff wannabes that the Boston Celtics play for the next two weeks will put out maximum effort against the class of the NBA. There’s too much at stake all around.

“We’ve still got something to play for, and I feel everyone we’re playing has something to play for,” said Paul Pierce. “We’re trying to continue to wrap up home court, Chicago’s playing for the playoffs. We’re going to expect their best, and they’ve got to expect our best, too.”

That in mind, Celtics coach Doc Rivers has a dilemma. His team is already in the playoffs, yet he wants to give his key players a break along the way, not in days off, but in reduced minutes. For that, he needs his bench to step up. Particularly, he’s looking for more from Tony Allen.

Allen has been an enigma throughout the season. Talented, quick and, well, talented, the 26-year-old has rarely exhibited the form he showed prior to knee surgery in January, 2007, after he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament. His playing time has plummeted to 17.9 minutes per game, his offensive production is down to a career-low 6.3 points and he hasn’t given the Celtics anything near the defensive output that he had prior to getting injured.

“He has to play better,” said Celts coach Doc Rivers. “I want to give Tony more playing time. He’s gonna have to earn it. Clearly we haven’t done a very good job. It doesn’t take a lot to get him turned around, either. He has a good stretch and then it snowballs into a great stretch.”

Rivers said Allen has to be more consistent “offensively and defensively. Defense first.” The coach also said Allen is healthy, and that there’s are no physical excuses. He said that when Allen missed an easy breakaway dunk against Miami Wednesday, the only reason was because he bobbled the ball, not because he was leery of leaping on the knee, which is how he was injured in the first place.

“It’s tough,” Pierce said. “You can’t get in a guy’s head. With injury you’re always going to think about it when you step on the court. So he has the big knee brace, which is like ‘I still have this brace on’ and the injury’s still in his head. He’s gotta figure how he hurt himself on a regular dunk coming down, so it takes time to mentally heal from those kinds of injuries.”

Allen, who said he slightly hyperextended the knee on the dunk attempt, also knows he’s got to improve. At Monday’s practice, he spent some time with teammate Ray Allen, working on his shot, but some would suggest that he must work even harder, and get over any psychological hurdles. Allen also injured his right knee in 2005.

“I think the key for Tony is getting here and working in the gym,” said Pierce after Monday’s practice. “It’s mental with him at times. He thinks about the injury at times when he gets in the gym and starts jumping. It’s all about mental with him. He has to find a comfort zone and get confident in his ability and his knee to forget about them and just go and play.”

Allen, though, said “nick-knack injuries” are holding him back, and that he has to heal them prior to the playoffs. “They’re all nick-knack injuries compared to the surgery. I’m fighting through them, trying to basically get ready for the post-season and make sure everything goes away by then.”

He said the one thing he wants to accomplish is “my explosiveness, to get better defensively, just maximizing my role. If I can do that, that’s big.”

While he was working on offense after practice, Allen knows his bread and butter is defense. “I think about that every day. I look at it like the offense is additional. I just look at it like first thing first when I step on the court, that I’ve got to step on somebody. When the offense comes and it’s rolling, I roll with that but my focus is on the defensive end. That will be big going into the playoffs.”

“That’s what Tony’s role is,” Pierce said. “His mentality is to come in and play the other team’s best offensive player, give us some energy, be a slasher, a guy who gets steals. There’s gonna be a series where we need him to come in and shut down some people.”

Checking in

Fresh off surgery to his left ankle, Scot Pollard made an appearance yesterday and said he’ll be ready to resume playing over the summer. He said the surgery he had in Indiana was to repair a detached tendon, among other things, similar to Curt Schilling’s injury. “It’s funny because I don’t know what the hell he did to bleed,” Pollard said. “Mine didn’t do that. Mine was just ruptured. I don’t know the difference between his and mine, but there was some similarities.” He added, “It looks less and less like a dog bone now, which is nice. It’s going well.”

The series

The Celtics have won each of the first three games of the season series, but they know enough not to take the Bulls, who last season won 49 games and got to the Eastern Conference semifinals, lightly. “A lot of times you start off slow and things start rolling,” Rivers said. “The regular season hasn’t gone the way they wanted to, but if they can sneak into the playoffs they’re going to try to be a factor.”

“I had Chicago as one of the top two or three teams in the East,” Pierce said. “That just goes to show you how things can turn around in an instant – like it did with us.”

In the spotlight

Pick a Bull, and he’s dangerous, for the Bulls are four games out of a playoff spot without much time left. Everybody’s healthy, save for Drew Gooden, who’s dealing with an abdominal strain. “The next couple of teams we play seem to have the potential to face us in the first round,” Ray Allen said. “We have go out with the mindset we haven’t done anything and be prepared to face anybody we might face.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.enterprisenews.com/sports/pros/x1770862008
C’s leave division in the dust
The Celtics have a chance to do what only three teams before them have done in NBA history — win a division by 20 games.
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By Jim Fenton
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted Mar 31, 2008 @ 10:41 PM

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BOSTON — There have been just three teams in the history of the NBA that have won a regular-season division title by at least 20 games.

The Boston Celtics enter the final two weeks of their remarkable season in a position to join that exclusive club.

With a 58-15 record, the Celtics sat atop the Atlantic Division by 201/2 games over the Toronto Raptors (38-36) with the Philadelphia 76ers (37-37) 211/2 games behind.

The only teams to finish in first place by 20 or more games were the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls in the Central Division and the 1984-85 and 1985-86 Los Angeles Lakers in the Pacific Division.

The Celtics have nine games remaining, beginning tonight when they face the Chicago Bulls at the United Center (8:35, TV: Comcast SportsNet; radio: WEEI-850 AM).

The game begins an easy April schedule for the Celtics, who play just one team with a winning record, the Washington Wizards.

The Celtics’ magic number for clinching home-court advantage throughout the playoffs is three, so it remains to be seen how many minutes their key players will get as the season winds down.

The Atlantic Division title was clinched on March 14, but that was a foregone conclusion ever since the Celtics jumped out to a 13-2 start in November.

All that’s left in the division is whether the Celtics can finish with a 20-game margin over the second-place team.

The Bulls, who set an NBA record for victories in ’95-96, were 72-10 to finish 20 games ahead of the Indiana Pacers (52-30).

Chicago then went 15-3 in the playoffs to win the championship, closing out a dominant season in style.

The ’84-85 Lakers went 62-20 and wound up with a 20-game edge on the second-place Portland Trail Blazers, who were 42-20.

Like the Bulls, the Lakers put together a 15-3 postseason run and won the championship in six games against the Celtics, two of the wins coming at Boston Garden.

A year later, the Lakers were also 62-20 and set the NBA record for the largest margin of winning a division. The Trail Blazers were again second, this time with a 40-42 record to finish 22 games off the pace.

There was no happy ending that season, though, as the Lakers were upset by the Houston Rockets in five games in the Western Conference finals.

The Celtics’ best final margin in a division race was 19 games in 1987-88 when they were 57-25, well ahead of the then-Washington Bullets and New York Knicks, who tied for second place.

Since the Atlantic Division was created in the 1970-71 season, that’s the biggest difference between the first and second-place teams.

The Celtics, who are on the verge of reaching the 60-win mark for the 12th time, aren’t planning on sitting out top players Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett or Ray Allen once the best record is clinched.

Coach Doc Rivers said he will probably lessen their minutes down the stretch but wants to keep them in a playing groove with the postseason set to open the weekend of April 19-20.

“They’ve played (73) games now, so nine (games) that aren’t that hard, I honestly don’t think will matter,” said Rivers. “The key is keeping their rhythm.

“I’ll play them. I’ll probably shorten their minutes. You want them to stay sharp. What if I sat Kevin Garnett out a game? He’d be in the gym the next day working three hours anyway.”

Pierce is the only Boston player who has appeared in every game after missing 35 with injuries a year ago.

He has gone the distance three times in his career and probably wouldn’t mind doing so again, but will leave it up to Rivers.

“I’m not biased either way,” said Pierce. “If there’s an opportunity for me to rest and the coach feels like it’s necessary, then I’ll be for it. But as a competitor, you want to be on the court at all times.

“I understand what’s important to the coaching staff and what’s important to the franchise. I’m open for it, depending on where we stand those last few games.

“It hasn’t even been brought up yet. Right now, the goal is win as many games until we clinch home court throughout and worry about that later.”

Eyeing a sweep:
The Celtics will attempt to register a four-game sweep of the Bulls in the season series. Boston, which entered the season with an eight-game losing streak against Chicago, hadn’t won a series over the Bulls since 2000-01 and has not swept them since 1986-87. … The Celtics have cut back on practices this season to give the veterans rest, something that couldn’t have been done with an inexperienced team that went 24-58 a year ago. When asked about the different practice schedules, Pierce said, “When you go through an 18-game losing streak (last season), shoot, we should have practiced in the summer.” … The Celtics needed just two hours to sell out playoff strips for all 16 possible home games on Monday. A limited number of individual tickets for Games 1 and 2 of the first round will go on sale April 9 at 11 a.m.