T.G.I.F. Morning Links!
By Brendan Jackson, CelticsHub.com @ May 8th, 9:47 am
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Managing more with a lot less: The Celtics’ postseason has been filled with unpredictable games. But the unlikeliest outcome might have been Wednesday night’s 112-94 Game 2 rout of Orlando, during which Paul Pierce failed to score after the first minute of play. [Boston.com]
Alston out; Lee could return: The Magic will be without starting point guard Rafer Alston tonight for Game 3, but they expect to gain shooting guard Courtney Lee. Alston was suspended one game yesterday by the NBA for slapping Celtics guard Eddie House in the back of the head late in Wednesday night’s 112-94 loss. Veteran journeyman Anthony Johnson is expected to get the start tonight. [Boston.com]
Celtics guard draws ire when hot: Foes find pest in House: Just call him Eddie the Irritant. Where Ray Allen will destroy a team by calmly and silently burying deep jumpers, and Rajon Rondo [stats] by fearlessly throwing his body into the fray, House is the Celtics [team stats] player most likely to tick off the other team with his shooting and talking, which often occur simultaneously. Earlier this season you could have asked the Knicks, whose reserves wanted to jump the trash-talking guard, en masse, after he buried a shot from his favorite spot on the floor – in front of the opponent’s bench. [BostonHerald.com]
Kendrick Perkins’ testimony to defense: One of the centers is the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, was first-team All-Defense and is a fair lock to be first-team All-NBA. The other center is not, was not and won’t be on any of the three teams. But two games into the Eastern Conference semifinal series between Orlando and the Celtics [team stats], Kendrick Perkins [stats] has played Dwight Howard to a fair standstill. [BostonHerald.com
Doc Rivers against ruling: Reacts to suspension: Put Doc Rivers down as someone who doesn’t believe any player - Rafer Alston included - should be suspended during a playoff series. “Obviously you can’t go around slapping,” the Celtics said prior to the league’s announcement that it was suspending the Orlando point guard for Game 3 as penalty for his slap to the back of Eddie House’s head in Game 2. “Otherwise all the players in this league would stop hitting and start slapping. I don’t believe in suspensions, personally. I know that sounds lax, but I really don’t like guys getting suspended in the playoffs. [BostonHerald.com]
Perkins Proves His Worth: Perkins is becoming one of the more hated Celtics players by fans around the league. The consistent knock on him has been that he’s riding the coat-tails of the Big Three. Hogwash. He knows his role is to be a defensive anchor and he plays that role about as well as anyone, despite being left off the all defensive teams. He’s also developed a solid offensive game where he can back down smaller opponents and hit shots over the top of larger ones. [CelticsBlog.com]
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