Seems Like Old Times

3/5/2008

Seems Like Old Times

Back then, the Celtics had more notable rivalries. But nobody seemed to stoke the Celts' ire quite like the Detroit Pistons.

Nobody is Watching the NBA

February 13, 1979 Every national survey that has crossed Larry O'Brien's desk since he was named commissioner of the National Basketball Association almost four years ago has arrived at the same conclusion: Basketball is the favorite sport among this country's 18-to-35 age group.

"The fans are out there, no question about it," said O'Brien. "I don't believe the figures are lying to us."

The Truth and the Ticket: Co-MVPs?

Let’s start with the obvious:

This is Paul Pierce’s best year, bar none. Pierce has completely overhauled his game to fit the team that Doc and Danny have put around him.

Gone are the days where his offense consists of head-down drives through multiple defenders.

Gone are the days where he hoists up contested treys despite teammates standing alone nearby.

He’s playing defense.

He’s picking his spots to score within the flow of the offense.

He’s getting others more involved in the offense, with Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins being the primary beneficiaries of his ball-sharing proclivities.

Let's not forget, either, that he’s still finding time to take over big games, and score by the bushelfull down the stretch, as everyone witnessed at home against Phoenix, at home against San Antonio, and on the road against the Lakers.

Oh, and, by the way, he's the only Boston Celtic, starter or otherwise, to play in every game this season.

The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, have the best record in the NBA, and will probably break the single-season record for win-differential improvement.

Until very recently, however, MVP discussions have failed to include even a mention of Celtics number 34. The biggest reason for this oversight is that Pierce was here last year, the year before, and the year before that, when the Celtics weren’t very good.

So how can he be the reason for the turnaround when, some observers have hinted, he was part of the problem?

One answer might be to look at who the leading scorer has been in the Celtics most important games this year, the games against Detroit, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, New Orleans, and Houston. KG and the Truth have each led the team in scoring 7 times in 15 games against those opponents (Big Baby led the team the other game).

So at the very least Pierce has shared primary scoring responsibilities with the Ticket in big games. Equally important, the Celtics are 13-2 in those games.

Below I set forth Pierce's numbers in those 15 games (click on image to enlarge). His averages in those games are pretty close to his season averages across the board. So while he's definitely played an integral role in the Celtics success, it would be hard to argue that his elevated play was the deciding factor in more than a handful of outcomes.


Yet, as with KG, numbers don't tell the entire story.

Look at the second game against Detroit. Glen Davis was the leading scorer, and, in the eyes of most observers, the star of the game.

But focusing on Davis as the star of the game forgets the person responsible for driving to the hole, drawing double and triple teams, and then finding the open Baby for a layup. Pierce was credited with seven dimes in the game, but on more than a few occasions, Pierce put Baby in a position to score after a dribble or two, even though for statistical purposes, no assist would have been credited.

The Boston Celtics have gone to war with Paul Pierce on their side for a decade now. This makes it difficult to slight him in any way.

At the same time, Pierce himself admits that KG has changed the entire culture in Beantown.

Upon his arrival, Garnett made developing chemistry the first priority and then made a stifling, lock-down defense the team brand. He is the embodiment of selfless teamwork on offense. He creates the mood, sets the tempo, and establishes the focus before the opening tip. During the game, he scores, he intimidates, he deflects, and he rejects. He is the closest thing we've had to Bill Russell on defense since #6 retired, and yet he drains his jumper at a rate approximating Larry Bird in his hey day.

If the writers decide that Pierce and KG should share the MVP, I'd be down with that.

Otherwise, I've got KG.

Sorry Paul.

Riles Batting Lead-Off with Hayward

June 30, 2017
So Pat Riley bats leadoff with Gordon Hayward, eh? What's that mean? That the Heat are the bar by which everyone else will be measured, or that they're the appetizer before the main courses of Boston and Utah?

What's the motivation here from Hayward?

Celtics Sign Former Thorn in Side

Celtics Sign Former Thorn in Side

November 5, 1996

He still looks like your friendly, neighborhood altar boy who just finished science class at Archbishop Stepanic High.

His 15-Game, 91-Minute Career is Over

January 26, 1999

His 15-Game, 91-Minute Career is Over

   WALTHAM - The X Factor is now an ex-Celtic. Officially.

Dontae Jones, whose Celtic career lasted 15 games and 91 minutes, finally was released yesterday. The 6-foot-8-inch swingman was labeled by Pitino as the "X factor" in last season's multiplayer trade with the Knicks. But two things worked against Jones: The Celtics had plenty of players at his position and the team was not wild about his approach to practice.

Moses Takes Exception to Dietary-Chant

Moses Takes Exception to Dietary-Chant

1981-82 Boston Celtics

If he were playing for the Celtics and if all this happened in, say, Philadelphia in front of all their crazies, this would be written here as a fabled night when Moses and the Celtics silenced the whacked-out Spectrum crowd. Well, he was playing for Houston and he did it here and he silenced the whacked-out Boston crowd and it was the same sort of story. Houston 106. Boston 104.

Moses won the game.

Doc and Danny Debate Who was Better

"We were very similar in our roles," submits Doc. "Kind of glue players. I was a better defender. But I give Danny the edge because of his [3-point] shot. Both feisty."  "I think Doc was a better player than I was from age 22-30 [approximately]," maintains Danny. "We made our only All-Star teams the same year.

"Our games were different. I was fortunate to play on better teams throughout my career. I was able to avoid the injuries he had and was more productive from 30-35. "When he was at his best, he was special. He was better than some that are in the Hall of Fame from the same era."

Meanwhile, with the vote split at 1-1, I needed someone to break the tie and settle the burning issue: Who was a better player, Danny or Doc? Who better to cast the deciding vote than an ex-Celtic who himself was a combo guard, much like Danny and Doc?

When Wilt Jumped to the ABA

 

(PICTURED: THE TEAM WILT INHERITED FROM KC JONES)

Surprise was always a trademark of the Wilt Chamberlain mystique, and he pulled his biggest shocker of all in 1973 when he jumped the Lakers and the NBA to become playing coach of the ABA's San Diego Conquistadors.

The man called Nellie

2008

Don Nelson grew up in humble surroundings on a farm near Sherrard, population 800, in northwest Illinois. He didn't have the greatest relationship with his father, Arvid. And when Don's first child, Julie, was born on Jan. 2, 1961, he practically was a kid himself, a 20-year-old University of Iowa junior. Sharon had Donnie in September 1962, and daughter Chris arrived a year and four days later. Don and Sharon's next and last child, Katie, was a comparative latecomer, born in 1967.

Marbury Deal forces McHale and Saunders to Start Over

March 12, 1999 

March Madness took on a different meaning for the Timberwolves on Thursday when star point guard Stephon Marbury was traded to the New Jersey Nets in a three-team, nine-player deal that also involved the Milwaukee Bucks.

Dream Come True for #32

June 11, 1980

Kevin McHale blew into the Boston Garden yesterday with a Music Man-type fervor that had everybody in the room eagerly awaiting Opening Night.

"I'm elated," he declared. "Boston is a team where I can fit in without a lot of pressure. And it'll be nice playing with The Bird."

Those Southern Californians, They're So Laid Back

While we are on the subject of Bill Walton, I found this little tidbit that is slightly disturbing. John Wooden coached UCLA for 27 years, beginning in 1947, and won 620 games, 10 national titles (including seven consecutive titles from 1966-1973) and 88 straight games at one point. Gene Bartow replaced "The Wizard of Westwood" in 1975, and led the Bruins to a 52-9 record during two seasons as head coach. But Bartow could not replicate Wooden's penchant for winning titles and left the program amid threats to take his life if he continued coaching at the school. I guess UCLA students don't apply their "Life is a Beach" approach to winning basketball programs that fail to net national titles.

There's a New Sheriff in the East

3/6/2008

There's a New Sheriff in the East

In an intense contest between the East's top two teams, the Celtics defeated the Pistons, 90-78, last night in front of a sellout crowd at TD Banknorth Garden.

Purple vs. Green: The Hatred Runs Deep

3/29/2013

BOSTON -- After Friday's back-and-forth between Pat Riley and Danny Ainge, you have to remember one telling, underlying fact: The Heat el jefe started it. And he started it because he can't help himself.

He (cue Tommy Heinsohn voice here) loathes, loathes, LOATHES the Boston Celtics.

Ainge Promises to be Active in Free Agency

July 1, 2005 For the record, Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge discussed the impending start of free agent negotiations as he traveled around the Boston area yesterday. He was not headed for Logan Airport for a late flight to some undisclosed location to woo an available big-name player such as Ray Allen or Michael Redd or Donyell Marshall or Stromile Swift.

The Celtics Have Phil Woolpert to Thank for the First 11 Banners

Phil Woolpert (December 15, 1915 - May 7, 1987) was an American college basketball coach. In 1950, Woolpert was hired by the University of San Francisco to become the men's basketball coach and athletic director. During his nine-year tenure at USF, Woolpert posted a 153-78 record, including a 60-game win streak that at the time was the longest in college basketball (surpassed later by John Wooden's 88 straight wins at UCLA.). He is best known for coaching the University of San Francisco Dons to two straight national championships in 1955 and 1956.

--Wikipedia

There you have the standard account of Phil Woolpert's career. Impressive, but lacking the debt of gratitude that Red Auerbach, the Boston Celtics, and all of Celtics Nation owe him. In The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball, John Taylor recounts how Woolpert was singularly responsible for Bill Russell and KC Jones having decided to go to college, play basketball, and not go straight to work out of high school.

While Bill Russell was a good high school player by his senior season, he was largely ignored by college and university basketball programs. In fact, on the day Russell planned to apply for a job at the local sheet-metal factory near his home, he received a visit from Hal DeJulio, one of Woolpert's assistant coaches, asking Russell to try out for USF. The rest is history. A year earlier, Woolpert had rescued KC Jones from his job at the post-office with a scholarship offer. In Russell's freshman year, Woolpert assigned #6 to room with the sophomore Jones. The two soon became inseparable, and would stay that way through two college national championships and eight NBA titles.

Sounds to me like but for Phil Woolpert, the Celtics tradition that we all celebrate might not exist.

Bird Added to Olympic Squad

September 21, 1991 Three months ago, the Olympics were somewhere between cold fusion and natural law in Larry Bird's thought process.

Just off back surgery, he was unsure he'd ever play basketball again, for the Celtics, the US Olympic team or in his backyard at French Lick.

The End of Two Eras

February 4, 2010

Kevin Garnett's knees began to betray him last year. Paul Pierce keeps coming up with one owie after another. When is Ray Allen's turn? Rasheed, too

Isn't this what happens when you are dependent on aging basketball players?
 Four of the first six members of Doc Rivers's rotation are 32 years of age or older. That's not an opinion. That's a fact. You can't act surprised if an older player gets hurt. That's another fact

Ainge Deals Riles a Body Blow

This is a big defeat for the Miami Heat and a very personal one for Pat Riley.

You can try to spin Tuesday's news — top prize Gordon Hayward picking the Boston Celtics over the Heat and Utah Jazz — any way you wish, but it is an unequivocal loss for Miami. Period. It means an ultimately disappointing summer of free agency in South Florida.

Hayward chose the Fourth of July to declare his independence from Utah, his longtime NBA employer, but in doing so essentially told the world he thought Boston was closer to competing for a championship than Miami, his very decision making that a reality. The Celtics had a built-in edge: Brad Stevens, their coach, coached Hayward in college. Riley tried to overcome that but could not, losing what amounted to a 1-on-1 duel with Celtics counterpart Danny Ainge to convince Hayward where his future would be best spent. Ainge and Riley have had a professional animus since the 1980s, one that in 2013 led Riley to publicly tell Ainge to "shut the f--- up."

It was a needed victory for Boston, which hoped to both trade for Paul George and then sign Hayward but missed out on the first half of that dream.

The Heat and Celtics both offered Hayward what Utah could not: An easier Eastern Conference. A more reasonable path to the NBA Finals that did not include the gargantuan roadblock of reigning champion/dynasty Golden State.

Now the defeated Heat are left to prioritize retaining and re-signing their own two top free agents, James Johnson and Dion Waiters, keeping the core of the team that went 30-11 in the past season's second half, and tinkering from there. By signing Hayward, Miami might have been unable financially to keep both Johnson and Waiters and might even have lost both.

Heat fans of the glass-half-full variety will go there now, seeing the bright side, convincing themselves that keeping Johnson/Waiters (if they can) will outweigh losing Hayward.

That's dubious. Hayward was not a tinker. Miami was aiming big with him. He was the top available free agent out there. He was not a “whale,” no, but he's an in-his-prime 26-year-old versatile forward coming off a 22-point-average season. He made the 2017 All-Star team. He can shoot the 3. He'd have been a great add for Miami, a budding star, not to mention a big personal triumph for Riley.

Now, the Heat is left to parse the disappointment and hope to salvage the summer.

Travis Didn't Care for Ricky Pitts

January 24, 1999

There is no doubt among those who had even a casual contact with the Celtics last year that Travis Knight was miserable. But Knight took the high road last week when asked about it. "It was hard," he said. "The whole experience was hard. But I knew what I was getting into. I asked about [ Pitino] . I don't think I got into something I wasn't prepared for." Knight also said he thought Pitino improved his work habits and he wasn't bothered by the coach's intensity or yelling. "I learned to adjust and live with it," he said. "I learned a lot. I really did. And we made some great strides."

 However, in an interview with the Hartford Courant at the end of last season, Knight said, "I sold myself to the Devil. For money." He also added, "With coach [ Jim] Calhoun, I knew he cared about me as a person, not just a basketball player. Even though he would yell, I always knew where I stood with him. Maybe I knew coach Calhoun better. Maybe that's why [ Pitino's yelling] doesn't bother the Kentucky guys. He yells at them and they're fine the next day. It's a fine line between motivation and insult. A very fine line."

Asked about those comments, Knight said he'd prefer not to discuss them . . . Michael Stewart's decision to sign with Toronto also was about the money. (Cliff Robinson basically did the same thing last year with the Suns and apparently has a long-term deal waiting for him.) The Raptors will have plenty of cap room this summer and can re-sign Stewart for more than the capped-out Celtics could offer. What's more interesting is the way Stewart was cast aside by the Kings for Vlade Divac. That means either the Kings are just being the Kings or they feel Stewart is limited and the soon-to-be 31-year-old Divac is a better fit. As it stands, the Kings have a front line of Divac, Chris Webber (who skipped the first day of camp but then showed up), Corliss Williamson (re-signed for one year at $500,000), and promising newcomer Predrag Stojakovic, who can float between small forward and big guard . . .

The Knight-Battie deal was historic in that the Celtics and Lakers, the two most successful franchises in league history, almost never do business with one another. Using both teams' media guides as sources, it looks as if the Knight-Battie trade is only the second between the clubs since 1960, when the Lakers moved to LA. The other came on Dec. 27, 1977, when Boston sent Charlie Scott to the Lakers for Don Chaney, Kermit Washington, and a first-round pick in 1978. That first-round pick turned out to be No. 8 overall and was huge in that it gave Red Auerbach a cushion to "risk" the No. 6 pick on a junior-eligible then playing at Indiana State. Need we say more? Oh, yes, and the eighth pick was expended on Freeman Williams, who never played for the Celtics. He was sent to San Diego in the infamous franchise swap of 1978 between Irv Levin and John Y. Brown.

Ray's Trey Moves C's to 11-1

11/25/2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Imagine that. A Celtics game with no double-digit leads - by either team. A Celtics game with more than 20 lead changes. A Celtics game where - gulp - the Celtics actually trailed in the fourth quarter and went down to the last shot.

Wolves Broadcaster Calls KG a Choker

 December 2008

Chad Hartman, a former Minnesota Timberwolves broadcaster, reflects on the Celtics-Spurs game, and, in doing so, basically calls out KG as a choke artist. 

 He advises Boston fans what to expect come playoff time. Highlights include: --KG is a "very insecure" player (history of shooting air-balls during final minutes) --KG "clutches up" in the fourth quarter (eg., bad pass at end of Spurs game) --He's not even the MVP of his own team (Paul Pierce) --He comes up with "brutal" performances in all four quarters of big games (e.g., Game 6, WCF's) --Leadership skills are overrated --Practicing hard and ball-sharing are not leadership skills --Hartman's sidekick echoes sentiment that KG is "greatest #2 player of all time"  

 

The Celtics success sure must be a bitter pill for these various Wolves personalities to swallow, as they are coming out of the woodwork by the bushel-full. Here is the link to the full discussion. Scroll to the mid-way point of the progress bar, or thereabouts.

The defense needs work

November 20, 2005
And now for the hard part. The Celtics finished arguably the easiest stretch of their schedule one game below .500 after defeating Toronto Friday night and enjoyed yesterday off from practice. Over the next two weeks, they will face the fast-starting Cavaliers on the road and the Atlantic Division-leading Sixers at home.

Jordan Airball Allows C's to Escape

2/6/1985

CELTICS ESCAPE BULLS AFTER JORDAN'S AIRBALL, 110-106

CHICAGO

The Second City Hoop Renaissance is making Chicago a dangerous NBA outpost once again.

The Celts escaped from archaic Chicago Stadium with a 110-106 victory over the Bulls last night, but no one enjoys the thought of seven games in May against the NBA's Young and Restless.

Give Geoff Petrie an Assist

June 25, 1998

Give Geoff Petrie an Assist

Send your thank you notes to Geoff Petrie in Sacramento. If you're as excited about Paul Pierce as Rick Pitino is, then you've got Petrie, the Kings' basketball boss, to thank. He made it all happen.

Reggie Miller to Make It a Big 4?

August 9, 2007

Never underestimate Danny Ainge's ability to think differently.

Karl Malone, Antonio McDyess and Allen Iverson were all targets of the Celtics executive director of basketball operations at some stage over the last four years.

Battle of the .800 Teams

January 29, 1981

When a couple of teams are playing over .800 ball this far into an NBA season, it's only natural to examine the seasons enjoyed by the all-time percentage champions in NBA history for a comparison. In other words, what are the chances of either the 76ers or Celtics to flirt with basketball immortality at the end of this regular season?

Entering last night's game the 76ers had a 44-9 record. Billy Cunningham's team had suffered through one rough week during which they lost three games in a row out on the West Coast. The Celtics, meanwhile, came in with a 42-9 record. Remarkably, the Boston team has yet to drop even two games in a row, let alone three. No NBA team has ever gone through an entire season without losing two in a row at least once.

Here is a look at some other big NBA seasons:

Slimmer Quinn Buckner Making a Difference

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 119, Bucks 105Record: 2-1
11/3/1983

If you ask Quinn Buckner, he'll tell you he owes his success to clean living and target practice. Translated, that means the veteran Celtic guard is off to the kind of season he envisioned a year ago when he came here from Milwaukee. Before the Celtics' 119-105 victory over the Bucks last night in their home opener, all eyes were on Milwaukee's Tiny Archibald. But afterward, most of the sellout crowd at the Garden was singing the praises of Buckner, who scored 16 points and gave Boston an unexpected lift with the kind of outside shooting that he didn't have a year ago.

"I've really been shooting well since training camp," said Buckner. "The way I thought I would when I came here a year ago. I owe a lot of it to keeping my weight down and shooting all summer, with Junior Bridgeman of Milwaukee, would you believe. Since training camp, I've been shooting with Larry Bird. They are two pretty good shooters, and maybe some of it rubbed off."

On paper the Bucks figured to have a slight edge because they could bomb away outside with the likes of Sidney Moncrief, Bridgeman and Archibald. No team with a Larry Bird can be called bashful about shooting from the outside, but it was thought that if Gerry Henderson got into foul trouble, the Celtics had only one other pure shooter at guard, Danny Ainge. Sure enough, Henderson did get into foul trouble in the third quarter, with Boston leading by only 69-67. In came Buckner, who had hit 4 of 5 shots in the first half, and out went the best-laid plans of Bucks' coach Don Nelson. With Boston leading, 72-70, Buckner hit a 16-footer from the right baseline to give the Celtics a four-point lead, and the Bucks never came any closer.

"Quinn did just a super job," insisted Celtics' coach K.C. Jones. "He showed that he's not only a great defensive player, but also that he's a leader. He hit some big shots from the outside." Nelson, the man who let Buckner go to Boston for Dave Cowens, agreed that Buckner's play was an important factor in Boston's victory. "On defense, we had a lot of problems getting by him," said Nelson. "He's improved a lot. I think it is because he approached the season well. His weight is down and he is playing well on both ends of the floor."

Buckner's fine play off the bench is something that future Celtics' foes will have to think about. If he is successful as an outside shooter, it will mean that Boston has four interchangable guards. Dennis Johnson and Henderson are the starters. "Right now," said Buckner, "we're able to get a lot of versatility out of the guard situation. D.J. is playing very well inside, and I'm trying to make whatever contribution I can make.
"Right now, the jump shot is going. Defensively, I'm just playing aggressively. I think that's what we have to have, guards playing aggressively to get the forwards and centers playing the same way."

Buckner said the key for him was his preseason approach. He lost 10 pounds by dieting right after last season, and spent the whole summer keeping weight off and working his shot. "It paid off," he said. "I was aware of the guard situation when I came to camp. All I had to worry about was getting my game in shape, and learning what was expected of me and my teammates. "I feel better than I did last year. I thought I was going to shoot like this then. But I got hurt in training camp and I didn't get started the way I like. You live and you learn in this game."

Bird and McHale Showing Some Early Signs of Chemistry

Larry Bird and rookie Kevin McHale combined for some last-minute magic last night to lift the Boston Celtics to a gutty 101-99 victory over the Bullets.

A Capital Centre crowd of 11,718, the second largest of the season, was treated to everything they could hope to see in a basketball game, but in the final analysis, it was two big shots and a block by the 6-foot-10 McHale and a great steal and a pair of baskets by Bird that made the difference.

EZ Ed's Belated All-Star MVP

 

His performance one night 47 years ago was to become a part of basketball history, but Easy Ed Macauley -- and everyone else involved -- did not know it at the time. On March 2, 1951, 20 of the best players in the 5-year-old National Basketball Association gathered in Boston for the inaugural N.B.A. All-Star Game. There was no glitzy All-Star weekend, nothing special for the fans or even for the players. But those who played at Boston Garden that night put on a show, with Macauley leading the East to a 111-94 victory and earning most valuable player honors -- eventually.

LeBron too Much for C's

November 23, 2005
CLEVELAND -Too much LeBron James. There really is no other way to describe what happened to theCeltics last night.

Just as the Celtics put themselves in position to tie the Cavaliers in the third quarter, James went to work, scoring 15 of his 36 points and sending Cleveland on its way to a 115-93 victory.

Powe Bloodies Baby Twice in Same Practice

November 4, 2007

The relative serenity of yesterday's Celtics practice was broken when Glen Davis took exception to getting his nose bloodied by Leon Powe. By NBA standards, it was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, but ``Big Baby'' made his displeasure known.

Ricky Davis Returns to Cleveland

November 23, 2005
CLEVELAND - The boos came early and often, every time Ricky Davis touched the ball. They grew louder every time he put up a shot or got called for a foul. With 2.1 seconds remaining in the first quarter, the vulgar chants started in one end of the Quicken Loans Arena.

Much-maligned when he played for the Cavaliers, Davis expected the unkind reception, though he filled about 18 ticket requests for friends and family last night. Almost two years removed from his days in Cleveland, Davis has put that controversial time behind him. 

"I've had a good game [playing for Boston in Cleveland]," said Davis. "I haven't really had a great game. It's fun being back in Cleveland, somewhere you've played, getting all the boos and the cheers, you know, all the animosity. It's fun. When you leave on a down note and come back on an up note, it's a great feeling to be in the gym."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers wants Davis focused on defense and changing speeds when he plays.

"We still work on him about defensive things where he gets lost," said Rivers. "He plays hard, but sometimes he blows assignments. But the one thing is, when you correct him, he does it.

"Offensively, this year, we're trying to get him playing at different gears. That has not been so successful yet because he's so damn fast, he's thinking he can beat him with speed. He can, but sometimes the speed dribbles him into traffic and into turnovers.

"If we can get him to play at different gears, I think he can become an unguardable force in our league."

Rivers went on to call Davis a future All-Star, with one caveat: The Celtics have to win more.

"Unless you're a big winner, I don't think you should have more than one on your team," said Rivers. "That's an old-school thought. I believe Detroit should have three and they only had one. We've got to correct that, so send that message out to coaches."

Allen stays behind

Contrary to what he told reporters last week, Tony Allen will not return to practice today. He did not even make the trip, remaining in Boston along with Marcus Banks (stress fracture left leg). According to Rivers, Allen will spend the rest of the week working with strength and conditioning coach Bryan Doo, then undergo an MRI on his surgically repaired right knee. The concern now is with a bone bruise that occurred at the same time he tore his meniscus. Rivers expects Allen back practicing with the team Tuesday and guesses he could be activated in two to three weeks. Allen played Gerald Green one-on-one Monday after practice and, according to Rivers, looked "terrific." Said Rivers, "If he looks like he looked the other night, it could be pretty quick, but who knows? But a one-on-one game against Gerald Green is completely different than a five-on-five game against everybody. I would say two or three weeks, but I don't know that. I'm just throwing that number out."

Floating forward

There may be no bigger Drew Gooden fan outside Cleveland than Rivers, who coached the power forward in Orlando. "The thing that you love about Drew is he's tenacious," said Rivers. "He's never going to stop trying to rebound. The only negative with him is you've got to try to keep him inside of who he is. Sometimes he floats into being Magic [ Johnson ] and sometimes he floats into being Jerry West in his mind. Other than that, he's great." Gooden entered last night leading the Cavaliers with 9.2 rebounds per game, which was 17th in the league . . . Paul Pierce has a love-hate relationship with Cleveland fans. Recently, it's been more hate, especially after an exhibition game in Columbus, where Pierce allegedly spat at the Cavaliers bench. "I don't know why the fans don't like me," said Pierce. "I thought they liked me. I bought a guy popcorn and hot dogs one year. I played with the Moondog [mascot]. I thought they liked me. It's entertainment sometimes. Sometimes you've just got to have fun with it." . . . Here's one for the trivia books: Rivers's son, Austin James , is named after two members of the Cleveland teams of the 1970s: Austin Carr and Jim Brewer (currently a Celtics assistant) . . . Rivers was a little perturbed that Brewer was not represented in the commemorative wall decorations around the Cleveland arena that honored great players from the past. "Who did this wall?" said Rivers. "What about guys that helped this team win?" . . . Damon Jones left the game with 10 minutes 50 seconds left in the half with a sprained ankle and did not return.

Tony Allen Showing Promise

Tony Allen Showing Promise

January 9, 2005

CHICAGO - It was quite a homecoming for Chicago native Tony Allen, who finally got a chance to play before friends and family at the United Center. The rookie guard missed a road exhibition game against the Bulls after suffering a hyperextended left knee. But lately, Allen has made up for lost time, earning minutes with his tough-minded, energetic play.

No Deal Imminent as Draft Nears

June 2007

The Celtics finished up their work in the gym yesterday, prepared to use their first-round pick in tonight's NBA draft. But they're also prepared to deal it away.

C's Beat Bulls as Bird Goes for 30, 10, & 10

 1983-84 Boston Celtics
April 9, 1984

First, it was a rainy, blah Sunday. Second, the Celtics already were assured of the NBA's best record. Third, they were playing Chicago (27-51). This is a list of reasons to explain away the Celtics' slip-slidin' 117-110 victory yesterday. Several hundred fans among the announced sellout Garden crowd and five players didn't show up, including Celtics guards Danny Ainge (sprained left ankle) and Gerald Henderson (hamstring), ending his 327 consecutive-game streak. Cedric Maxwell (Achilles tendinitis) didn't play, either, but at least he was there.

KG Leads Wolves to Surprise Victory Over Fakers

KG's Rookie Season
11/8/1995
It didn't take Kevin Garnett long to get special attention at center court after a Timberwolves game at Target Center.Not only was he interviewed Tuesday night at midcourt after being named the player of the game in his first NBA regular-season home game, his mother, Shirley Irby, surprised him by running onto the floor to give him a hug.

Garnett did not know his mother had flown in from their hometown of Mauldin, S.C., for the Wolves' 93-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. ``I've had this ritual of not speaking to him before a game since he was in junior high school,'' Irby said. ``I surprised him again.'' Garnett might have surprised the Lakers. The 19-year-old rookie had eight points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals. Three of the rebounds came in the crucial third quarter, when the Wolves turned the game around.

Garnett was on the floor with Rider at the end, but it was in the third quarter when he made things happen. Garnett had three rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot in a crucial stretch that saw the Wolves erase a 62-55 deficit. The kid was playing so well that veteran forward Sam Mitchell told Blair to leave Garnett in the game when Blair wanted to send Mitchell in to replace him for the tense finish.

``I can feel that the fans and my teammates want me to do well,'' said Garnett, the Wolves' first-round draft pick this year. ``I've always been taught to stress teamwork first. The NBA is another level, but it's still basketball, and the same things apply.'' A big roar for Garnett came early in the second quarter. The Woofies were down seven, when the lean, 6-foot-11 wunderkind Garnett made a three-pointer and then a lay-up. On the next play, L.A.'s Vlade Divac spun inside and sent a floater toward the basket. Garnett soared and spanked the ball viciously to the floor. The strike-breaking officials called it goaltending, but this did not deter the fans from letting out a 20-second standing ovation for the kid.

Lakers' guard Nick Van Exel missed a last-second shot that would have sent the Wolves (1-2) to their third in a row. Instead, they were celebrating a much-improved bench and the impressive performance of Garnett, who was among the reserve group of Porter, Rooks, Isaiah Rider and Marques Bragg that put a spark into the Wolves.

Decent value at the 5-spot

June 17, 2007

Assessing next week's NBA draft, some have said that picks No. 3 through 15 are of similar quality, if not completely interchangeable.

But don't tell that to the Celtics, who are mulling over a list of seven and possibly eight players in the event they keep the fifth pick.

C's Versatility Draws Raves

January 10, 1983

CELTICS' VERSATILITY DRAWS RAVES

The last leg of the 13-day journey began with a wakeup call at 4:30 a.m. But few of the Celtics were complaining and some stayed up all night in anticipation of an early-morning flight.

Where Did Celtics Go Wrong?

May 4, 1983

JUST WHERE DID THE CELTS GO WRONG?

It is a city that's been weaned on disappointment.

It suffered Bucky Dent's shot over the Green Monster at Fenway Park in the memorable 1978 American League East playoff game with New York.

Bird and McHale

The relationship between Larry Bird and Kevin McHale was always interesting, to say the least. And as the Celtics in recent years have struggled at times with differing personalities, it is instructional to note how two talented players with their share of differences were able to rise together above any issues. Professionalism it is called.

Beat LA

Beat LA

June 2008

Expect Jack Nicholson to be flying into Logan Airport while Celtics fans from Chatham to Chicopee to Charlestown revive their "Beat LA!" chants. Television executives are salivating over a matchup that has not played out in more than two decades. In today's editions, a headline in the Sun Star Cebu in the Philippines reads: "Are you ready? It's Celtics vs. Lakers."

Bird Saves C's as Time Expires

February 27, 1983

BIRD's 25-FOOTER AT :01 SAVES CELTICS,

PHOENIX

Larry Bird's buzzer-beating 25-foot jumper gave the Celtics a stunning 103-101 victory over the Phoenix Suns last night.

Lakers, Lakers, and more Lakers

 October 12, 1991

The Lakers last night. The Lakers tonight. The Lakers next week.

The Celtics and Lakers play three times in 11 days in the exhibition season. "That tells me one thing," said Robert Parish. "Someone is making a lot of money off of us."

The last time these teams saw so much of each other was in 1985. They went at it four times, and in the last meeting, Parish and Maurice Lucas got into a fight.

Could familiarity again breed such contempt? Parish was asked.

"Nah," the Chief said. "Maurice Lucas was a bully. Period. They don't have any bullies on that team."

Three down

John Bagley (eye), Brian Shaw (knee) and Kevin McHale (foot) were unable to go for the Celtics. That will again hold true for tonight's tilt at the Worcester Centrum . . . Stojko Vrankovic wheezed his way through 28 minutes and had 12 rebounds. He also had four goaltending violations. Parish played the other 20 minutes at center, and that means a DNP for Joe Kleine. "Joe will get his minutes," coach Chris Ford said.

Larry Bird Apparently Likes His Turtle Fried

May 12, 1997

Larry Brossmer takes a drag on his cigarette, then takes a sip of his beer.

"You see Larry," he drawls, "you ask him if he still likes that fried turtle. He used to love that fried turtle."

We are in Dubois, Ind., 12 miles west of French Lick, and we are in Butchie's, one of Larry Bird's home-away-from-home haunts. We are among Larry's kind of people. These are true Southern Indiana Hoosiers who think that Bird's decision to come back to Indiana in order to coach the Pacers is nothing less than a fulfillment of his destiny.

Bird Ready to Talk $$$

July 1983

Celtics forward Larry Bird said yesterday he will not talk contract with club management once the season begins - even if the ownership question is still unsettled. "I won't have nothing to do with it once the season starts," said Bird, who was in town to receive the Seagram's 7 Crowns award as the league's best player. "And they knew that last year. I told them before the season was over - if you want to get it done, get it done now."

At 22-8, C's May have Righted the Ship

December 1980

CELTIC RECORD GOES UNNOTICED

One of the problems with being five-and-a-half games out of first place is that people tend to forget how well you're playing.

As Philadelphia continues its rendezvous with whatever destiny lies in store for it (such as 65 or more wins), the Celtics are the league's most unnoticed titan. Their 22-8 record happens to be the fourth best record in the league. Aside from Philadelphia only Phoenix (25-8) and Milwaukee (24-9) have better records.

Green v. Purple and the Multivariate Subplots

Green v. Purple and the Multivariate Subplots

February 23, 1983
INGLEWOOD, Calif.

Under smoggy skies and the threat of a rare three-game losing streak, the Celtics make their annual visit to the fabulous Forum tonight. A joust with the Lakers is always a glamor game, but tonight's match is especially significant because the Celtics must win to avert the indignity of three straight losses - something that has happened only once in the four seasons since Bill Fitch and Larry Bird came to Boston.
 

C's Get Revenge for Playoff Sweep

 1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 119, Bucks 105
Record: 2-1
11/3/1983

Ancient philosopher Juvenal claimed, "Revenge is always the delight of a mean spirit, of a weak and petty mind." Maybe. But Juvenal probably couldn't go to his left or make the outlet pass to start a fast break. He certainly never experienced the indignity of being swept 4-0 in the playoffs.