The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Brian Windhorst, ESPN – “Both sides attempted to deny it. The game was played Feb. 13, not even Valentine’s Day much less the All-Star break, which triggered a stream of platitudes about how in the grand scheme it is meaningless. Frankly, though, that’s too tough a sell. Wade and James know it and so do the Celtics, their pride at the victory and their continued dominance over this potential new rivalry shining through. Boston is now 3-0 against the re-tooled Heat this season, re-tooled to beat Boston, as a matter of fact. The two wins in the season’s first month can be minimized because they occurred squarely in the Heat’s adjustment period. This one came with the Celtics using really only seven players — five potential rotation players were out with injury — and with Paul Pierce having one of the worst shooting games of his career because of injuries to his hand and foot. ‘You can tell I’m upset,’ James said in an uncharacteristic tone. ‘I just want to win. We all want to win.’”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “‘I got the same feeling right now (as I had) in my third or fourth year, when we continued to play Detroit and we could just not get over the hump,’ James said after his Heat lost 85-82 to the Celtics yesterday at the Garden. ‘In the regular season, the playoffs, we couldn’t get over the hump. It took a long time for us to finally get over the hump.’”

Ben Rohrbach, WEEI – “Chris Bosh tripled his scoring output from his Heat’s 88-80 opening-night loss to the Celtics, and it still didn’t matter. The C’s held Miami to 82 points in a three-point victory on Sunday that gave the East leaders a 3-0 season advantage over the conference’s second-place team. ‘We’ll just have to wait to beat the Celtics in another month or so,’ said Bosh. ‘I really hate losing to these guys, man. We’re just going to have to wait a little bit longer. Things like this are going to make us better. Coming into an environment like this, against tough teams like this, battling for first place, it’s going to add to our experience and add to our trust. We’re just going to have to keep going and learn from it.’”

Ron Borges, Boston Herald – “‘This is classic, typical bigger brothers,’ Wade admitted. ‘You’ve got to get over it. . . . You’ve got to get over the hump. We’re getting closer and closer, but we’re not there yet. Whether or not they had all their guys, they had their guys that have carried them to get to this place. We still got to get over the hump. It can happen any time. We got plenty of time. It can happen in the playoffs. That’s when we would like it to happen anyways.’”

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo Sports – “The Celtics blew out the Heat in the third quarter – outscoring them by 17 – and Rondo’s teammates were mesmerized watching a 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard bodying up and disrupting James. ‘I’ve never seen anybody make LeBron turn his back to the basket,’ Perkins said. ‘He really didn’t want to put [the ball] on the ground around him. When he picked him up, the energy just picked up.’ So much so, Rivers resisted pulling Rondo away from James when it began to work against the Celtics. ‘We can’t do this!’ Lawrence Frank, the Celtics’ defensive coordinator, blurted to his boss on the bench. ‘You’re right,’ Rivers said, ‘but we’re going to keep doing it.’ As Rivers would say later, ‘The matchup made no sense, hurt us a couple of times. …[But] the thing that I saw is that it gave us life.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Miami’s Big Three had been creating the type of hysteria that was expected at the beginning of the season. LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade seemingly had developed chemistry, learned each other’s tendencies, and mastered halfcourt ball movement. But there was James yesterday, dribbling endlessly on the perimeter, searching for a crack in the defense, just as he was last May with the Cavaliers. The Celtics turned him into a freelancer while Wade continued his shooting doldrums against Boston. Bosh turned in a good game, but has there been a quieter 24 points and 10 rebounds? The Celtics needed essentially seven players to elbow — or hard screen — the Heat back to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Nate Robinson played five first-half minutes and did not return, and Avery Bradley spent nine seconds on the court in the first quarter. The Heat, meanwhile, were fully healthy. Sharpshooter Mike Miller, who missed the first two meetings with a fractured right thumb, was first off the bench. The Heat claimed they were a dramatically different team than in November and were ready to pounce on Boston, with little regard for its injury woes. But what we witnessed yesterday is a team that doesn’t respond well to teams that don’t fear them.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “While referees sorted things out, Rondo sneaked into the Heat huddle, attaching himself to James’ hip yet again. James twice pushed Boston’s lanky point guard out of the huddle before Ray Allen and the referees cleared him out (possibly with his safety in mind). ‘I think I was pretty poised and kept my composure,’ Rondo said with a shrug. ‘I was just trying to see the play. Nobody called a timeout. They drew the play up on the court and I wasn’t trying to start anything. I thought I could get my head in there and look at the play they were drawing up.’ Forget the huddle, Rondo was already in the Heat’s heads.”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘They were on a winning streak,’ Kendrick Perkins said. ‘They have been playing well together. I think they started trusting in their system a little bit. I just feel like we needed this win. After coming off a few tough losses to the Lakers and Charlotte, I feel we needed this win.’ Especially as the trainer’s room door continues to swing like an ax. Pierce, for example, sprained his right (shooting) hand in practice Saturday and plans to have an MRI on his sore left foot today. ‘It was obviously a huge win with all of the stuff we have going on,” Rivers said. “Nate (Robinson, right knee bruise) had said he wasn’t going to play literally five minutes before the game and then said he wanted to give it a go. Paul said he felt awful. And so we thought we literally weren’t going to have enough bodies to play this game. We had to win this game with our energy, and I thought Rondo just willed us the game in a lot of ways. That wasn’t a set game plan for him to guard LeBron. We just wanted ball pressure, but Rondo took that upon himself that he was just going to guard and harass whoever was bringing the ball up.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “The Celtics managed to bring the Heat’s streak to an end, reclaiming a half-game lead for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and regaining their footing heading into the All-Star break. ‘We’re shorthanded but we’re not short of heart and grit,’ Kevin Garnett said. ‘We work hard, we will come out here and compete. We’re at home, we’re still a good team. We’re without some major pieces here, but that doesn’t mean we’re not a good team at the same time.’”

Greg Payne, ESPN Boston – “His production was a result of his aggressiveness, perhaps best evidenced by his first basket of the second quarter. Just under a minute into the frame, Perkins secured a Davis miss, but had his putback attempt blocked by Heat forward Chris Bosh. Not willing to be denied, Perkins controlled the blocked shot, and this time, in a tussle with Miami center Joel Anthony, he stormed back up and put in a contested layup as Anthony fouled him. He converted the ensuing free throw, capping off a three-point play that sparked signs of life into a Celtics team that trailed by five at the end of the first quarter. Perkins played in a manner that wouldn’t suggest he was logging time in only his 10th game of the season. Perkins missed the first two and a half months of the 2010-2011 campaign while rehabbing from offseason ACL surgery, but he hasn’t altered his style of play as a brooding, physical force on both ends of the floor. He’s already slid back into the Celtics’ starting lineup and hasn’t appeared physically limited in any way. ‘Perk did a great job today. I tip my hat off to Perk,’ said Davis afterwards. ‘He’s been sitting on the sideline watching us play and he comes back and is making his presence felt. That’s what it’s all about. You can see how important he is to us. Just him being back, I’m just so happy he’s back.’”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “Wafer entered the game averaging 2.8 points in 8.7 minutes. He scored 10 points in 14 minutes to give the Celtics an edge with their second unit. Despite being shorthanded by injuries, the duo of Wafer and Glen Davis (16 points) helped the C’s fight back from an early deficit. The Celtics trailed, 20-15, to start the second quarter. Within a span of 2 1/2 minutes, Wafer picked off two steals and connected on two fastbreak lay-ups. His second layup with 8:36 to go in the second gave the Celtics their first lead since 4:22 left in the first. ‘The bench won the game in the first half. They got us back into it,’ said Doc Rivers. ‘I thought in a role reversal they showed the first unit how we were going to have to win this game, and then I thought our first unit took it from there. But Von and Baby were absolutely huge for us and terrific.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “As for limitations with the wrist, West noted that he doesn’t have full range of motion quite yet and that might limit some of his passing and his ability to complete right-handed layups. But he’s not concerned. ‘Actually, I didn’t shoot layups with my right hand before the injury anyway,’ West said. ‘I normally average one [right-handed layup] per year and I think I made a right-handed layup already — I remember it, the Toronto game — so I’m good for the year. I didn’t need it anyway.’ West said playing in Wednesday’s game would give him a morale boost heading into the All-Star break, especially since his return wasn’t initially projected until after the break. ‘It would help tremendously, knowing that I’m back,’ West said. ‘Maybe I’m not 100 percent, but being back part of this team, being part of the flow — maybe even Doc yelling at me a little bit. There’s nothing like being out there in a game-time situation.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “Paul Pierce entered yesterday’s game with the Heat nursing a sprained shooting hand, and he left it needing an MRI on his left foot, which was further banged up in the Celtics’ 85-82 win. Pierce said the foot issues originally crept up a week ago. He sprained the right hand in practice, he said, and banged it again yesterday. For the first time since 13 games into his rookie season, Pierce took double-digit shots and missed all of them, going 0 for 10 from the floor, 0 for 5 from 3-point range, and 1 for 2 from the line in 40 minutes. He said the hand clearly was a factor. ‘I think that really explains my tentativeness and my off shooting,’ Pierce said. ‘I told [coach] Doc [Rivers], I really didn’t have it, but I tried to grind it out, and thank goodness we came out with a win.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Brotherly love. The Celtics watch as Marquis Daniels lays motionless on the floor.

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “He was released from New England Baptist Hospital on Monday and has full use of his motor skills. ‘He’s in good spirits, all things considered,’ Daniels’ agent Mark Bartelstein said. ‘He’s frustrated because he wants to play, but he’s a lot better off than he was on Sunday.’ There are so many variables when it comes to Daniels, who suffered a bruised spinal cord on a play that featured limited contact with Orlando’s Gilbert Arenas. After the game, the Celtics revealed that Daniels has had spine issues in the past and it was those issues that caused him to leave Game 5 of last year’s conference finals. There’s no current timetable for Daniels’ return — he could be out a month or two, or he could be out longer. As team doctor Brian McKeon noted Sunday, the treatment for spinal issues primarily involves, ‘observation and time.’ ‘It’s going to be a process,’ Bartelstein said. ‘We’re going to gather as much medical information as we can.’ While Daniels recuperates, the Celtics are in a bit of a bind. Their depth at the wing was already thin, and now it’s basically down to Von Wafer.”

Kirk Minihane, WEEI – “Last summer, I asked an NBA coach who — among other coaches and players– was the most disliked player in the NBA. ‘Kevin Garnett,’ he said without blinking. Who, I wondered, was second on the list? ‘Everyone else is tied,’ he deadpanned before walking away. … Here’s the thing, though: Garnett — to his eternal credit — has no interest trying to rehabilitate his public image. None. … You know why? Because he doesn’t care what you think, what I think, what players and coaches from other teams think and he sure doesn’t care what Spike Lee — who has directed exactly one passable movie since Garnett entered the NBA in 1996 — thinks. … Is Kevin Garnett a punk? No. He doesn’t try to seriously injure anyone, he doesn’t bitch if the Celtics win but he scored six points, he plays hurt, he cares only about winning, all that stuff. Is Kevin Garnett a dirty player? I think that’s getting closer to the truth. One thing is for sure: He doesn’t care either way. And neither should you.”

Mike Bresnahan, LA Times – “Before the Lakers even think about their rematch with Boston, they have a two-hour surprise awaiting them. They’ll watch edited video of their fruitless loss to the Celtics just a handful of days ago, a painful, yet, they hope, productive investment toward their game Thursday in Boston. There wasn’t much to like about Jan. 30 from their perspective. Kobe Bryant gave them an ‘F’ for team defense. Ron Artest got kneed in the thigh and then was run ragged by Paul Pierce (32 points). The Celtics shot 60.3 percent, their third-best accuracy ever against the Lakers.”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “In his attempt to become an NBA point guard, Bradley is starting from scratch. He played only one year at Texas, not exactly a stretch of time that prepares a point guard for NBA conditions. In that respect, the D-League is slightly better for Bradley’s education. ‘I’m definitely, definitely starting from scratch, but the D-League for me is a step above college, and then going to the NBA is the next step,’ he said. ‘That’s how they have it set up and you can see why. In the D-League, I felt like I was in college again, and now the players are better up here (in the NBA). But when my name is called I’m going to come in with that swagger to my game.’ … ‘A lot of (the D-League) was getting playing time, getting the rust off my game, and being put into situations that I can be fit in,’ he said. ‘This point guard situation is important — bringing the ball up the court, being pressured. I have to take chances and try different things out. I could do that, and work on my game. It makes me feel more comfortable now being up here, because I’ve been working on those things.’”

Greg Payne, ESPN Boston – “Kendrick Perkins played a season-high 35 minutes, 25 seconds in the Celtics’ 94-89 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night — little more than 24 hours after logging nearly 33 minutes in an ultra-physical victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday afternoon. Don’t expect to hear any complaints out of Perkins though, who’s publicly lobbied for more minutes ever since he made his season debut two weeks ago after rehabbing the torn ACL he suffered in his right knee in Game 6 of last year’s NBA Finals. After playing a then season-high 28 minutes in the Celtics’ 109-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last Sunday, Perkins said in a postgame sideline interview: ‘I wanted to go 30 [minutes].’ … The Celtics’ continuous struggles on the second half of back-to-backs will be well chronicled after Monday’s loss, particularly after so many of Boston’s players put forth such sluggish play. Perkins, though — with such little support behind him — played above all of that chatter. On a night when possible fatigue and a lack of focus served as obvious culprits in Boston’s loss, it was Perkins who played as if neither should ever serve as a passable excuse for an uninspiring defeat.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “‘Everybody’s dealing with injuries on this team and we’re no different from it,’ said Kevin Garnett after the Celtics went with just 10 healthy players in a loss to Charlotte Monday night. ‘Quis is probably a lot more hard on us right now, just because it was so sudden . . . We’re just hoping he’s all right, and everybody has to carry a load . . . and go forward.’ Coach Doc Rivers has used eight starting lineups this season, but he said the injuries haven’t brought him to a boiling point yet. ‘I never think that way, I never have,’ Rivers said. ‘You’ve got to keep rolling. I really try not to live in the past or in the what-ifs. I tell our guys that all the time. We’ve just got to keep playing and finding a way.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Boston entered Monday night’s loss to Charlotte Bobcats with injuries to swingman Marquis Daniels, centers Shaquille O’Neal, Jermaine O’Neal and Semih Erden and reserve guard Delonte West. With the returns of Jermaine O’Neal and Daniels uncertain, there has been speculation about the Celtics adding another player. [Kevin] McHale said he believes the Celtics have enough depth. ‘I’m a big Marquis Daniels fan, I like him, it was tough injury and scary seeing that whole thing but I think the Celtics what they have going for them is a ton of depth,’ he said. ‘All of a sudden Delonte West is going to come back and I really like West’s game. He plays with other great players so well. With the Celtics as they lose one guy they gain another guy. And I don’t think they have to make a big trade.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Ray Allen sees the problem being much broader than simply placing the blame on the scheduling gods. He sees a Celtics team that, at times, relies more on its name than its game to be successful. ‘In our locker room, we always have to remember that we’re not superior to any team because we’re the Celtics or because we think we’re good or we have All-Stars on our team or whatever the case may be,’ Allen said. ‘What makes us better is because . . . we’ve proven what we have done. Anything going forward, we have to prove that.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “No one was more disappointed by the Celtics’ storm-delayed return from Sacramento, Calif., than guard Delonte West. It forced him to miss a scheduled CT scan that would have provided a better idea of how his broken right wrist is healing. As such, he was not able to take part in yesterday’s full practice. But he’s getting closer. ‘Each day is getting better,’ West said. ‘Today I was comfortable enough to do a little more. I was shooting layups and catching passes today. It feels a little sore, but I’m hoping any day now that I can start practicing. I missed the appointment, but I should be getting a check-up soon to see how much more I can start to do. (The test) was set up for (Wednesday), but hopefully I can get in the next couple of days.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “When Delonte West works out at the Celtics practice facility in Waltham, it looks like he can do what’s needed to play in a basketball game. He shoots layups. He catches passes. It looks like he might be ready to make a return from the broken right wrist he suffered in late November. But the Celtics guard knows that’s not the case. Yet. ‘Looks can be decieving,’ West said. ‘I’m catching passes and dribbling, but I’m not doing anything really with a lot of force. Force definitely gives me discomfort right now.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “Ray Allen, who was named to his 10th All-Star Game last night as a reserve, also stands a good chance of competing against defending champion Paul Pierce [stats] in the 3-point contest. Allen won the title in 2001. ‘It’s just finding a rhythm, and I like my chances,’ he said.”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “It’s not difficult to imagine what this year’s East coach, Doc Rivers, is now thinking. For the first time since the Pistons placed four players on the 2006 East squad, four Celtics were voted as reserves by Eastern Conference coaches last night. Rivers admittedly looks forward to calling his offense — running his second unit as a true team, plus one addition. ‘The terminology is all the same, but one thing Doc has to be careful of is giving his plays away,’ Allen said. ‘He should come up with plays he used in Orlando, or somebody’s else’s plays. I know last year the coach used all our plays and used our terminology to give everyone a heads up on what we ran.’”

Frank Dell’Apa, Boston Globe – “Rivers on the coaches’ vote: “What is unusual is I didn’t get a lot of calls. Usually you get a lot of calls from coaches asking to vote for their guys. I thought that was strange. ‘Voting for four other guys was very difficult. Take our four guys off and try to make an Eastern Conference team, it’s very difficult. I’ve always thought it was more special to be voted in by your peers. The fan vote is nice, but I’ve always thought it was really nice when the coaches recognize you. They’re telling you that you’re an All-Star.’”

Greg Payne, ESPN Boston – “Celtics captain Paul Pierce took to Twitter on Monday to express his desire to square off with teammate Ray Allen in the 3-Point Shootout at All-Star Weekend. After practice on Thursday, Allen said he’s up for the challenge. ‘I like my chances, sure,’ said Allen. ‘I’ve done it before.’ … ‘I think it boils down to how much rest you get that weekend,’ Allen said. ‘I see some guys come in and they don’t make it around to the top of the key because they’ve been out every night, four days in a row, so it’s just kind of finding a rhythm.’”

Peter May, ESPN – “Last year, he struggled and there was no outcry when his name (or phone number) wasn’t called. There were trade rumors, the Celtics had a terrible January and Allen’s first-half numbers were underwhelming. In the first four months of the season, he averaged 16.1 points on 44.5 percent shooting. In the last three months, knowing he wasn’t going anywhere, he relaxed and averaged 17.7 points on 52.3 percent shooting. He also had an excellent postseason. But who saw this in 2010-11? He’s shooting 50.8 percent from the field; his previous best is 48 percent and his career average is 45 percent. He’s shooting 45.8 percent from international waters. His previous best is 43.4 and his career average is 39.8. He’s dipped on his free throws, connecting on “only” 85.7 percent. He’s been better than 90 percent the previous five seasons. And he has done it all at the age of 35 while not missing a game and averaging almost 36 minutes a game. No one on the Celtics has played more minutes this season, though Rondo is averaging more per game. Allen has appeared in three All-Star Games with the Milwaukee Bucks, four with the Seattle Sonics and this will be his third as a Celtic. This time around, however, he’s there because the Eastern Conference coaches, the guys who try to stop him night after night and have yet to figure out a way to do it, finally gave him his due.”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “When Shaq hasn’t been able to go Rivers has turned to rookie Semih Erden in order to keep Glen Davis in his familiar sixth man role off the bench. But now that Kendrick Perkins has five games under his belt, don’t be surprised if he gets the call. ‘We will [make the switch] eventually,’ Rivers said. ‘It’s not a big deal to us. I’m more concerned about who finishes the game.’ The coach has a point. Without Perkins the Celtics have been using Davis at center in the fourth quarter. According to 82games.com, Rivers has used the lineup with the four starters and Davis as much as he has the starting five with Shaq. The Davis-at-center lineup has been productive, and it makes sense due to the minutes limitations on Shaq, as well as his well-documented foul difficulty this season. But Perkins’ return gives the Celtics options and that’s never a bad thing.”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “That Perkins made it through the four games in six nights with no physical trouble is a goal secured. ‘This definitely helps my confidence,’ Perkins said. ‘I think it’s all mental. I keep saying that. A lot of people out there are not 100 percent, so I think you’ve just got to keep pushing, keep grinding. I feel good. My body feels good. I feel like I’m getting in good shape. It’s only five games. I’m just going to keep on pushing from there.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “Delonte West, coming off a broken wrist, traveled with the team for the first time this season and has a meeting with doctors this week. He hopes to be cleared for practice soon and wants to return this month, giving the Celtics added depth.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “The four-game trip felt like it took forever. The Celtics couldn’t get out of Phoenix Friday night because of fog, arriving in Los Angeles a day later than scheduled, then snowstorms made it impossible to get out of Sacramento Tuesday night. The schedule doesn’t get any easier once the Celtics return home. The Dallas Mavericks are scheduled to be at TD Garden tomorrow night, and the Celtics wrap up their season series with Orlando Sunday. Then after going to Charlotte Monday, the Celtics meet the Lakers again next Thursday. ‘It gets tougher, but at least we’re home,’ Rivers said. ‘The two-day break is nice, even though we’re not going to get it now. Dallas, then Orlando, it just gets tough, and that’s fine. We just had to get through this stretch first.’”

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN – “Even as their principal players return to health, the Miami Heat readily acknowledge that they can’t compete with the chemistry established by the Boston Celtics and other formidable rivals. ‘We’re way behind those guys,’ LeBron James said following the Heat’s practice on Wednesday. ‘Just look at the number of games played, the number of playoff series those guys have had. We’re only a few months in together — 40-something-plus games. I’ve seen the statistics. Boston has like 250-plus games played together. We’re way behind those teams.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “Getting four All-Stars is a big deal. It’s happened only eight other times in NBA history and only twice since the Sixers pulled it off in 1983. Only the 1998 Lakers and 2006 Pistons have pulled it off in the last 27 years. The Celtics have had three reps a staggering 31 times – and they have done it every season since Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett arrived – but they have had four All-Stars only three other times in franchise history: 1953, 1962 and 1975. The argument against the Celtics getting four this season seems to focus on the rarity of the achievement. The question gets twisted into: Are the Celtics having a good enough season to warrant four selections, while other teams like the Magic and Bulls may be left with one? That’s really a non-existent issue. All-Star selections should be based on individual merit, and while team success shouldn’t be dismissed, this is about which players are having the best seasons. The issue really isn’t if the Celtics deserve four All-Stars, but instead whether there are four Celtics having All-Star seasons.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Imagine being told four months into your first NBA season that you were assigned to the NBA Development League. Suddenly, your career had taken you from the sports mecca of Boston to Portland, Maine. How would you feel? Frustrated? Disappointed? Not Avery Bradley. He embraced the Celtics’ decision. ‘It’s very important for me to make the most of it,’ Bradley told CSNNE.com. ‘Seeing how I didn’t get the chance to play Summer League, this is really my first chance to get a lot of minutes since college. I’m really trying to get my game back, trying to get all the rust off my game, so it’s really good for me. That’s how I’ve got to look at it, and that’s what I’ve been doing. That’s why I’m staying positive, knowing that I have to do this so I can get better for my team, and that is the Celtics. They need me to do this and so that’s what I’m doing here, just trying to get better.’”

Meredith Goldstein, Boston Globe – “Shaquille O’Neal stood in his kitchen on a recent chilly afternoon debating finances with his girlfriend, Nikki ‘Hoopz’ Alexander. They argued about whether certain bills had been paid. Or at least, they tried to argue. They teased each other with wide grins. Within seconds of the debate, they were giggling. It’s difficult for either of them to stay serious when they’re anywhere near each other. ‘I knew he was a goofball,’ Alexander, 28, said of her boyfriend O’Neal, 38, who famously joined the Boston Celtics over the summer. ‘We’re the same. We’re both goofballs.’ … At home, she’s followed around by her two dogs, a teacup Yorkie named Hunny and a white Lab named Koty, which Shaq bought for her after another of her dogs was hit by a car. She and Shaq also share a new pit bull that he named Shamrock — for obvious reasons.”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “It’s the potholes along the way that jolt the Celtics’ system. One night, they fall, 88-71, to Phoenix in an admitted ‘stinker’’ by coach Doc Rivers’s standards, and appear to be a fatigued, combustible team that stopped playing defense once their shots stopped falling. Then, with a day’s rest and seven months’ worth of pent-up NBA Finals frustration, they make the defending champion Lakers look like a struggling one-man operation, playing some of their most smothering defense of the season. ‘I think the biggest thing with us is challenging ourselves every day, with every opponent,’ Rondo said. ‘We’re always up for these types of games — the Lakers, the Heat, the teams supposed to be the teams to beat in the league. It’s just the teams that are under .500 that we’re struggling with right now. I think it’s a lack of focus. We’ve got to come mentally prepared better.’ … ‘We know that moving forward we can’t have any hiccups,’ said Ray Allen. ‘We’ve got to take care of business against everybody. We want to beat everybody. I don’t look any differently at anybody. I know that we are more focused in those games, but as the season progresses, we have to beat everybody.’”

Tony Massarotti, Boston Globe – “The truth, unfortunately, is that Sunday’s 109-96 Celtics victory had a great deal to do with the Lakers than it did with the Celtics, a story we should know all too well here. Since starting the season 13-2, the Lakers are a mere 20-13. Los Angeles has lost two straight and 4 of 7. The Lakers are now the team that appears to have a rather sizable hangover, the way the Celtics did last year, when Boston went 27-27 over its final 54 games and seemed entirely disinterested in the regular season. Then the playoffs came and the Celtics turned it up a notch, coming within a whisker of the NBA title during a season in which many of us had written them off. Really, are there people foolish enough to write off these Lakers, who seem so unwilling to play defense that the Celtics shot 60.3 percent from the field Sunday and an even more absurd 67.6 percent in the second half? Team Staal played more defense in the NHL All-Star Game than the Lakers did Sunday. So did the AFC in the Pro Bowl.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘Well, we learned our lesson last year,’ said Paul Pierce. ‘I think, as a group, we looked ahead a lot. I thought that was the reason for our (50-32) record. Then when the playoffs came, we turned it on, but unfortunately we didn’t have Game 7 (of the Finals against the Lakers) in Boston. If we had homecourt last year, who knows what happens in Game 7? So we’re definitely not looking ahead this year, because it can come down to another Game 7, and hopefully we can have it on our home court.’”

Gerry Callahan, Boston Herald – “Maybe they are going too hard in the regular season, expending too energy and spilling too much blood. Maybe they will run out of gas and come up short of a championship, but you get the sense that they won’t apologize. This is what they do. This is how they play. Tonight they take on the Kings, second-worst team in the West. You can tell Garnett to ease up, but good luck with that. You’ve got a better chance of getting the pit bull to give up the pork chop or Kobe to give up the ball.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Boston has 11 losses, five of which have come against teams with a losing record. It isn’t so much that those teams play significantly better against the Celtics. Instead, it has more to do with the C’s simply not playing with the same level of commitment and focus at both ends of the floor that they display when playing the top teams in the NBA. ‘We don’t want to have a letdown,’ said point guard Rajon Rondo. But it’s difficult to avoid, especially when it comes at the end of a long road trip. Tuesday’s game will be Boston’s fourth matchup in seven days. That, combined with Sunday’s 109-96 victory over the two-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, makes the Celtics a ripe candidate for a letdown performance against the Kings.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “The San Antonio Spurs have far and away the best record in basketball, but don’t be deceived. The Boston Celtics are far and away the best team in basketball as the calendar flips to February. After Boston’s 109-96 thumping of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at the Staples Center, there can be no argument. The Celtics wrapped up the month of January with a glossy 5-1 record against teams with records better than .500, including a 105-103 triumph over those very Spurs (which, if not for some careless final moments, wouldn’t have been as close as the final score suggests). … But, heck, before the Celtics even beat his team three weeks ago in a battle of conference juggernauts, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich admitted his team was a cut below Boston. ‘We’re a significant notch below the big boys, and, of course, Boston being one of the big boys,’ Popovich said. ‘Boston [was] third in defensive field goal percentage. Those are the kind of stats we used to have defensively. Right now, I think we’re a good basketball team. We have to step up defensively. Luckily, it’s early. Maybe I can get these things across.’”

Broderick Turner, LA Times – “Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said Monday that he’s not happy with how the team has played, and he has pondered making a trade to shake things up. The two-time defending champions lost Sunday to the hated Boston Celtics and Friday night to the lowly Sacramento Kings, with both losses at home, leaving Kupchak in a state of uneasiness about his team. ‘Yes . . . I may have to look into a trade, but I’m not saying we have’ talked to other teams yet, Kupchak said. ‘We have not been playing up to our level and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s complacency. I’m not sure.’”

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Paul Flannery, WEEI – “To watch the Celtics play at their best is to wonder how they ever lose. How can a team with this many weapons, that is this unselfish, that plays this kind of defense ever come up short? The obvious reasons include health, focus and the unrelenting NBA schedule. Put the Celtics in a game they really care about, with all their players available and a day off in-between, and it’s almost impossible to pick against them. So far this season they have defeated the Heat (twice), Bulls, Magic, Spurs and now the Lakers, who they beat 109-96 Sunday. They are now 17-5 against teams with winning records. The Magic, Heat and Lakers all have losing records against .500 teams, while the Bulls are a respectable 10-9. Only the Spurs at 18-6 have a comparable mark, but only the Celtics have recorded wins against the other five. The Celtics didn’t just beat the Lakers, they beat them in every phase of the game.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “‘It’s another game, but it’s definitely an emotional game, especially since losing Game 7 here,’ admitted Celtics captain Paul Pierce, the offensive catalyst, who scored 14 of his team-high 32 points in a third quarter that helped Boston create its initial separation. ‘The thing is, when you win a game here now, it’s not for the championship. It’s a regular-season game. When we play against the Lakers, it really gets our juices going, because they are our rivals. It’s a big game just knowing that we can come into this building and get a win.’ … The Celtics wanted it more. They needed it more. They fully expect to see the Lakers again down the road and they needed to start the process of asserting that there won’t be a repeat of last year.”

Ramona Shelburne, ESPN – “Afterward, the Lakers found ways of coping with the loss. They spoke of getting back to work, of the need for patience and perseverance during a long season. They reminded themselves that the playoffs are still three months away, that there’s still time to get this right. ‘It’s not the playoffs yet, is it?’ Jackson asked with a hint of defiance. ‘We’re still playing regular-season games, right? We’ll get there in time.’ But beneath those proclamations of confidence, bubbles of urgency began to rise. ‘It’s definitely a work in progress,’ Walton said. ‘But it’s getting later and later in the season. At some point the work in progress has to become an identity, has to become to where other teams come in and they’re afraid to play us, where they’re not looking forward to it. Right now that’s not happening. We’re losing at home, we’re losing to all the other elite teams in the league and that’s not like us.’”

J.A. Adande, ESPN – “In the 2008 NBA Finals the Celtics showed the Lakers that the tougher team wins championships. The Lakers learned their lesson and were able to stand up to the Celtics in last year’s Finals. And it wasn’t as if the Celtics smacked the Lakers around Sunday. (In fact it was Kevin Garnett who shed the most blood and needed multiple stitches after catching a Pau Gasol elbow to the head.) The new standard the Celtics have established that the Lakers haven’t reached is in the decidedly less physical but more aesthetically pleasing category of teamwork. ‘When we play together as a team,’ said Paul Pierce, who led the Celtics with 32 points, ‘we’re tough to beat.’ There was none of that from the Lakers, with Kobe Bryant taking as many shots as the Lakers’ entire starting frontcourt. Even though Bryant was more efficient than usual — he made 11 of his first 18 shots and 16 of 29 on his way to 41 points — the Lakers still couldn’t hang with Boston. Bryant’s offensive outburst caused his teammates to check out and stop participating in their sets.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “Bryant was piecing together his latest scoring binge, shot by difficult shot, dueling — in his mind, at least — with Paul Pierce, who was working on one of his own. Midway through the fourth quarter, Bryant drove into Pierce, stopping to release a floater that made it 89-82 Celtics, as Pierce tumbled backward to the Staples Center floor. Bryant shot a quick stare as Pierce picked himself up. It was almost a challenge to go one-on-one. But Pierce had long withdrawn from the individual battle. Ray Allen became Pierce’s reinforcement on defense, doing his best to blanket Bryant down the stretch. Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo played a two-man game, and no matter how many times Bryant shot the ball, he found himself trying to beat the best team in the Eastern Conference as an army of one.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “‘I think everybody knew it was going to be a physical game,’ Garnett said. ‘It’s always interesting when you play Kobe and the Lakers, so that was no surprise, how tough it is to play in the Staples Center. We knew that. When you look at the wins, whoever’s won out of this series, it’s been the one that’s controlled the boards,’ Garnett added. ‘Doc , for about two days now, has been talking about rebounding, rebounding, rebounding. Having Shaq [O’Neal] back helps, having Perk back helps, having Paul and Ray in there on the boards helping the bigs out helps a lot.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “[Rajon Rondo] looked that way at times yesterday, making silly mistakes, taking some inexplicably poor shots, and refusing to attempt layups. In other stretches, he ran the offense with daring and not precision, taking far too many chances and wasting scoring opportunities against a team that possesses the most explosive scorer of this generation. The Rondo who orchestrated a masterful second half and enabled the Celtics to pull away in the fourth quarter is the one Rivers adores and trusts. The Rondo who recorded 11 assists and 13 turnovers in his previous two games is the Rondo Rivers has to closely watch. The one who appears to play mind games with himself, sometimes creating on-court quandaries; making the spectacular play and not the simple one, like a shortstop with too much trust in his cannon arm. Rondo has too much trust in his instincts and ability to thread passes into minuscule creases. Rondo is the NBA’s best at making the pinpoint pass at the precise moment, but he relies too much on that skill. In the second half yesterday, Rondo made matters simpler for himself and his teammates. Very rarely does Rondo play an entire half, but yesterday he played all 24 minutes and the Celtics shot a mind-boggling 69.4 percent from the floor.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “After the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers made it a point to tell the team that it was one of Rondo’s best games of the year. ‘I thought he called an absolutely perfect game,’ Rivers said. ‘He’s our pitcher. I thought he called a sensational game. Coming out of timeouts, he made sure guys were in their spots … I thought Rondo tonight played with a great speed. When he plays with speed, he has power and I thought he did that tonight.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘I don’t want to get into a gunfight with Kobe,’ said sheriff Doc Rivers after the 109-96 victory over the Lakers. ‘I don’t care who it is. I just would prefer not to. But at that point we needed Paul, and we told the guys that. It wasn’t because Kobe had it going; we just needed Paul in that stretch.’ Pierce had 16 points in the first half to keep the sinking Celts afloat and 14 in the third quarter when they were making their move. Each possession seemed almost a one-act play. Pierce would slink around a pick and squeeze in a shot. Kobe would hit a floater in the lane and pointedly look down at Pierce, who had fallen. ‘It was like being a little kid at the playground watching a great one-on-one game,’ said Nate Robinson. ‘Both guys got it going. Paul’s one of the best players in the league, and Kobe, as well. Just watching two greats go at it like that, it’s clash of the titans. But today we had more firepower to help out with our team. We had a complete team, and it just looked real good out there.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘When he was going on his run, he was going both ways into the paint,’ said Allen. ‘When you look at the dynamics of their team, he was taking tough shots and making tough shots, but we were keeping everyone else out of the game. When we made him miss, we were able to run.’ But don’t call him a Kobe stopper. There probably isn’t a player in the league who carries those credentials. ‘No. The same thing that makes you laugh makes you cry,” said Allen. “It’s always more than a one-man effort. In this league you’re definitely not guarded by one-on-one. I got in foul trouble early, and then they had to put Paul on him with a bigger body. Make him shoot over the top. Paul and I play defense differently, so make him try to guess.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Robinson said he was unaware of any sort of short leash Rivers had with him, but responded by scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with a trio of trifectas over 13:47. Over his previous eight games, Robinson had connected on a mere 16-of-54 shots (29.6 percent) and the start of Boston’s four-game road trip hadn’t been very friendly to him. Robinson was a combined 2-of-11 shooting, including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. ‘Honestly, I was going back and forth on whether to play [Robinson] at all,’ said Rivers. ‘But he was huge for us.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “Two days after that ugly loss in Phoenix, the C’s returned to the efficiency that’s made them the best-shooting team in the league. They’re the only squad in the NBA shooting over 50 percent (50.1). ‘That’s phenomenal,’ coach Doc Rivers said. ‘We lead the league in field goal percentage, and we didn’t act like that in the last two games. Tonight, our execution was great coming out of timeouts. We had a focus tonight, and it’s amazing that we played with that. We don’t do that every night, unfortunately. As a coach I would like that.’”

Mark Heisler, LA Times – “Whether it’s good news or not in Lakerdom, this was a special effort by your team. Of course, if the Lakers played this hard all the time, they would be two or three games behind San Antonio instead of 7½ and Sunday would have felt more like a loss in January than the latest sign the end is near. Before Sunday’s game, the question was whether the Lakers could play at the Celtics’ level. I guess they settled that.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Bryant’s 41 points came on 16-for-29 shooting from the field. The rest of the Lakers shot a combined 20-for-52 from the floor. ‘I didn’t think anybody else wanted the ball,’ said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. ‘We did run a couple other plays to get guys into position, but I thought those times he had the best opportunities when other people were moving to the ball. But, a lot of times it didn’t look like we were running anything out there offensively.’”

Mike Bresnahan, LA Times – “Jackson chose his words carefully when asked about it, cognizant that Artest yelled at him during a practice this month because Jackson continually criticized him to reporters and in front of teammates. ‘Ron took a couple shots that I thought were, like, perhaps not in the context of what we were trying to do,’ Jackson said. ‘I thought maybe we’d go another direction.’ Artest said he was slowed after getting kneed in the right thigh on a first-quarter drive by Shaquille O’Neal. ‘I wasn’t able to continue to take [Pierce] and be aggressive,’ Artest said. Artest, however, wasn’t disappointed that Bryant gave the team an ‘F’ grade for its defense against Boston. He took the optimistic approach. ‘I got ‘F’s in elementary school,’ Artest said, ‘and I still went to college.’” Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “He cares not that the Lakers have had their stumbles this season, letting you know where they stand to him when asked if they’re still one of the teams to beat. ‘I see them as the team to beat,’ Pierce said. ‘I don’t see them as ‘one’; I see them as ‘the.’ I mean, they’ve proven it. I don’t really care what their record looks like. If you get them in a seven-game series, they’re going to be tough to beat.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Despite the hype surrounding the Miami Heat and the blockbuster trade that bolstered the Orlando Magic’s title hopes, the Celtics have remained confident that they will be the last team standing at the end of the season. And they’re pretty confident the Lakers will be right there with them, even if they’re not the best team in the West right now. ‘They’re back-to-back champs,’ said C’s guard Rajon Rondo. ‘Whether they’re .500 right now, they’re still the team to beat. They pretty much went through the West last year. They’re the team to beat, regardless of their regular season record.’”

Chris Gasper, Boston Globe – “We are extremely lucky that these teams are in position to write another chapter in their storied rivalry. Few thought that would be the case after Game 7. It looked like it was time to roll the credits on the Big Three/Doc Rivers era on Causeway Street. Rivers, who got an ovation after he left the podium due to the presumption it was his final game as Celtics coach, said that night, ‘We’re not going to be the same team next year.’ But then Doc decided to return as Shamrock Shaman, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen followed suit, and the Celtics were back in business, with one very large addition in former Laker Shaquille O’Neal. The acrimony between O’Neal and his former running mate, Kobe Bryant, has been well-documented. As has the Celtics’ general disdain for Pau Gasol. But Boston doesn’t need personal vendettas for motivation. Game 7 says it all. The Celtics led by 13 early in the second half and were still up three with 6:29 to go. Rivers is fond of saying that the Celtics starting five has never lost a playoff series, and any player or coach who was in the tear-filled Celtics locker room after Game 7 will go to their grave believing the outcome would have been different with a healthy Kendrick Perkins.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “In the days leading up to today’s game, Rivers kept hearing the question: ‘What’s it going to be like to play in that building after Game 7?’ He didn’t have an answer. But he knew the Lakers had their own struggles coming back to TD Garden after losing Game 6 of the 2008 Finals. The visitors locker room felt haunted, Andrew Bynum said. The hotel rooms and restaurants brought back painful memories, Pau Gasol said. The city got darker and darker by the hour, Luke Walton said. The Lakers swept the season series in 2008-09, winning on the Garden floor despite the demons. They came back last year, stole another one on the parquet when Kobe Bryant drilled a winner over Ray Allen’s outstretched arm. ‘Hell, they have experience from that and they seem to do all right,’ Rivers said. ‘So let’s see if we can do all right in their building.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “The Celtics resorted to a big-man arms race last summer, adding Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal to their frontcourt depth — the one area responsible for their collapse over the last six minutes of Game 7 against the Lakers. ‘I think it’s important,’ Lakers coach Phil Jackson said yesterday of the C’s offseason moves as the teams prepared to play today at Staples Center. ‘When you’re a team as good as Boston, you have to play to win it all. They know what the difference was last year.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “This point can’t be stressed enough. The Celtics lost the NBA championship because they were a poor rebounding team and in Game 7 the Lakers grabbed 23 offensive rebounds. Maybe Kendrick Perkins would have made a difference, but this was a season-long issue for the Celtics and it caught up with them at the worst possible moment. Pay no attention when people say the Celtics are the worst rebounding team in the league this season. They are the worst offensive rebounding team in the NBA, but that is a very different thing. The number that matters is defensive rebounding percentage, and they rank a respectable ninth in that category. Again, this is a far better way to judge a team’s effectiveness on the glass than total number of boards because it accounts for the number of shots attempted. Defensive rebounding has been the constant theme for the Celtics this season and until Kevin Garnett missed nine games with a calf strain they were on their way to re-establishing themselves on the boards. Since Garnett has been out – and even since his return – the Celtics have slipped. Before Friday night’s ejection, Garnett was in the midst of his strongest night on the boards since his return. He had nine defensive rebounds and grabbed almost half of the available defensive boards when he was in the game. That’s the kind of effort the Celtics will need against Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom.

Mark Heisler, LA Times – “When it ended unhappily, they took their broken hearts home, reloaded and came back, looking like a herd of buffalo with a bad attitude. Remember last Feb. 18 after they beat the Lakers here, when Doc docked everyone in the traveling party $100, hid the $2,600 in the ceiling tiles and challenged his players to return for it? (This time, we’re going over their dressing room with pickaxes and sensory gear as soon as they’re on the bus.) Whether they leave anything else here, on the floor or in the ceiling, even on crutches with their heads swathed in bandages, these people mean business.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “The NBA is investigating Doc Rivers’ ejection from Friday night’s Celtics loss in Phoenix, with the possibility he could face a further fine. Rivers was hit with two technicals by referee Steve Javie during a timeout in the second quarter. The Celts coach was unhappy from the start of the process, but he became livid after the second tech. He repeatedly shouted, ‘It’s not about you. It’s about the game,’ at Javie as he paused twice before leaving for the dressing room. The failure to leave the court in a timely manner, a common basis for league action, is what might cost Rivers.”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘Regardless of what anybody says, that duo of Kobe and (O’Neal) in LA was one of the best tandems of all time,’ [Brian] Shaw said. ‘Just looking back in retrospect myself, it’s a shame that they didn’t get along, because that team that was in place, instead of winning three championships should have won six or seven championships. Kobe has matured, and Shaq has matured, and Phil has gotten better with it, because his relationship with both of them was tumultuous at times. Looking back, if they could have it all back, I’m sure they’d all say they would have done it a little differently.’”

Dave McMenamin, ESPN – “‘They force you to play physical, otherwise they’re going to step on you,’ said Gasol, who battled hard against Boston since arriving in L.A., shedding his soft reputation. ‘The importance of having size and understanding that size helps you a lot, especially during playoffs. You need to have big bodies there to make sure to play hard, to rebound, to intimidate, to contest shots. I think that that’s why they went that direction.’ O’Neal, 38, is averaging 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds this season. He has had his turn-back-the-clock moments with 25 points and 11 rebounds against the Nets and 23, five and five blocks against the Bobcats. ‘I told him he can play till he’s 40,’ said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who had O’Neal under his watch from 1996 to 2004. ‘He’s a good enough athlete that he should be able to do that.’”

Ian Thomsen, Sports Illustrated – “‘We do a lot of skeleton stuff over and over again, which is extremely boring and monotonous,’ Rivers said after practice Monday. ‘We’ve done more skeleton work than we’ve ever done but we do it at full speed, game-like, because we don’t have enough guys to go up against each other. I’ll say this: Our veterans — Ray [Allen], Paul [Pierce], Kevin [Garnett], [Rajon] Rondo — have been terrific in understanding the situation we’re in. Like today, we had a good practice because of them and their focus. They knew we weren’t going to be here long, but they got through stuff.’”

Ramona Shelbourne, ESPN – “Why haven’t the Lakers been able to beat the best this year? Frank Hamblen’s first instinct was to reject the premise entirely. ‘We beat Denver,’ the Lakers assistant coach said. ‘On the road.’ The Denver Nuggets? Not much else needed saying. Hamblen understood as soon as he said it. ‘Yeah, I guess we haven’t beat a San Antonio, we haven’t beat a Boston, we haven’t beat a Miami; you’re exactly right,’ Hamblen said, conceding the point at the same time he racked his brain for an explanation. ‘But we obviously didn’t have Andrew [Bynum] and he’s a big part of our team, because we’re built for length, not speed. So missing him hurt a great deal.’ Reminded that the Lakers’ losses to Miami, San Antonio and Dallas all came after Bynum returned to the lineup, Hamblen could only shrug. ‘I wish I could say something more exciting,’ he said.”

Jackie McMullan, ESPN – “Kendrick Perkins is 26. He’s a free agent at the end of the season and his Wes Welker-like recovery is no doubt motivated, in part, by his uncertain future. Perkins wants to re-up with Boston; he’s convinced his learning curve is still pointing straight up. ‘You can always pick up new things,’ Perkins said. ‘About execution, mostly. I’ve been watching Ray Allen fight to get open, and I can see now how I can set a better screen, make it easier for him.’ Perkins logged 21 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night and came up one shy of a double-double (10 pts, nine rebounds). He will be a work in progress as he regains his timing and re-establishes his confidence. ‘The only thing I’m worried about is my stamina,” Perkins said. “This leg has already taken some pretty big hits in practice. Do you see how Big Baby plays? It’s been tested, man.”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Paul Pierce, who had 17 points, suffered what team officials are describing as a bruised right thigh injury. That diagnosis came shortly after coach Doc Rivers had initially believed Pierce suffered a knee injury. ‘Stuff that happens throughout the course of a game, bang knees, turn ankle,’ Pierce said. Knee. Thigh. It doesn’t matter. Pierce’s status is up in the air heading into Friday’s game at Phoenix. ‘Hopefully it doesn’t swell up too much,’ Pierce said. ‘It swelled up a little bit, but not too bad. Hopefully it’ll be all right for [Friday].’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “As he works his way back into the Celtics [team stats] lineup, planning to return tonight in Phoenix against the Suns, Shaq is taking full advantage of modern chemistry — at least the stuff allowed under NBA guidelines. He went heavy with the anti-inflammatory drugs to get through a shin and calf injury from a collision with Amare Stoudemire, though he had to slow down when he had an adverse internal reaction. And he recently took a shot of Synvisc, an arthritis medication, to help him with his troublesome right hip and general maintenance. ‘I got one in training camp, and I figured it was time to get another one,’ said O’Neal before last night’s 88-78 victory against the Trail Blazers. ‘It helps me get some lube in my hip.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “Since coming to the Celtics, Garnett has had to do less than his Minnesota days and his numbers have dipped across the board, but he has always been a willing passer. He flashed his skills in a stunning minute-and-a-half stretch in the third quarter when he assisted on four straight baskets. Twice he hit Ray Allen for open 3’s and he also hit Perkins for a dunk and Allen for a layup. Ironically, one of his greatest strengths has always been looked at as a weakness. Garnett was always so willing to make the pass – to make the right play – that some people questioned whether he wanted the responsibility of taking the shot himself. True to his nature, Garnett wouldn’t change for his critics. This, he believed, was the correct way to play the game and this was what he would do. Everyone else, frankly, could go to Hades and leave him alone. As much as Garnett has given Boston in his three and a half seasons here, we shouldn’t forget that we never got to see him truly at his best. For 90 seconds Thursday night, he gave us a glimpse.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “But in typical KG fashion, his impressive night statistically didn’t mean much. He was reminded that LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds, had a double-double in the first half. Garnett then reminded a reporter that Aldridge’s big game also came with an ‘L.’  ’I'm more into letters, than numbers,’ Garnett said. ‘All right?’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “The Celtics have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they were runners-up all the way around in the final fan balloting for the NBA All-Star Game starters. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce finished third and fourth at forward behind LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire; Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen were third and fourth at guard behind Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose; and Shaquille O’Neal came in second at center behind Dwight Howard. ‘To look at our record and to have no starters is surprising,’ Doc Rivers said before last night’s win against the Blazers. ‘But not really, because we’re such a team. We’re not a team where individuals will stand out, but I think because of the record they should stand out. Hopefully all four (Pierce, Garnett, Rondo and Allen) are on (as reserves). I think they should be, and we’ll see.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Rivers never harbored any concerns about minutes, roles, or egos. He left that to the fans. He hopes the second half of the season brings more normalcy regarding injuries, but the depth certainly helped make the first half a successful one. ‘I would prefer to have them all,’ Rivers said. ‘Then we could rest guys and we could do a lot of other things. Right now it’s working out that we have enough bigs. But I’m looking forward to the day where [having too many] becomes a problem. That would be great.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “Kendrick Perkins is champing at the bit to make his debut after offseason ACL surgery. The C’s starting center has recovered rapidly and is hoping to return ahead of the Feb. 4 target date he set last week. ‘I think we’re going to keep the timetable whatever it is,’ Rivers said. ‘Honestly, he wants to play (tonight). He’s already approached me about that. The only consideration has been (trainer) Eddie (Lacerte) and Dr. (Brian) McKeon. I’m not going to listen to Perk, I can tell you that.’ Perkins participated fully in practice, working with the second unit. ‘Perk went through live practice and he looked terrific,’ Rivers said.”

David Aldridge, NBA.com – “Boston will need him. The only really healthy bigs the Celtics have at the moment are Glen Davis and rookies Semih Erden and Luke Harangody. ‘It’s exciting to know, for (Perkins’) own sanity, that he’s back on the floor,’ Allen said. ‘Having another big body that’s defensive minded, it definitely makes us a lot better. Bringing Shaq and Jermaine in, trying to incorporate them into everything that we’re doing, there’s an adjustment period. Jermaine hasn’t been on the floor a lot, so we’ve been minus a big, and Shaq has been in and out. There’s been a little inconsistency there as far as bigs, and minutes played. Perk’s been a guy that’s typically always been in there, and we’ve had a consistent lineup over the last three years. He knows, pretty much, the protocol of what we’re doing, and I’m sure he’ll catch up pretty quickly.”
But Rivers says Perkins will help at the other end of the floor, too. We’ve been good offensively this year,” Rivers said. “But when he’s in there, we’re really good. Because we can run stuff that we ran two years ago out of a (timeout), that he knows. Timing and all that stuff is so important, and he gets that. He’ll be able to come back quicker because of that.’ And the ‘real’ starting five will get to defend its honor. Twelve days.”

Frank Dell’Apa, Boston Globe – “The Celtics lost to Cleveland early in the season, and after a decent start to their campaign, the Cavaliers have lost 17 consecutive games. ‘It’s been a terrific season so far but we’ve had some bad losses,’ Rivers said. ‘And I tell our guys that some of the teams that have beaten us are under .500, and those are tough losses for a team that shouldn’t lose those games. So, more lessons learned, and [I’ve] just got to keep teaching them. Cleveland beat us once already this year. I rarely worry about the opponent, I worry about ourselves. And when we play right it gives us an excellent chance to win the game and when we don’t anybody can beat us, and that’s been proven this year.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Reading between the lines, it appears the Celtics could potentially fly O’Neal to Phoenix, where he could join the team for Friday’s tail end of a back-to-back. Even if he doesn’t play, that at least gives him the chance to be with the team when it travels to Los Angeles for Sunday’s nationally televised showdown against the Lakers, the first battle between the two teams since Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It’s hard to image O’Neal, given his history with the Lakers, would miss that one, especially if the injury is not severe as Rivers suggested Monday.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Delonte West did some skeleton work with the Celtics on Monday. He did not do anything live, but it’s clear that he’s progressing toward his goal of playing sometime next month.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “How are NBA All-Star coaches selected? The league sets a cutoff point (this year it’s Feb. 6) and the coach (and his staff) of the team with the best record in each conference earns the right to be on the All-Star bench. The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics (33-10) will play seven more games before that date, but coach Doc Rivers already boasts a 2.5 game cushion on the field and, barring a bumpy west coast trip, could be returning to the All-Star sideline for the annual showcase.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “During those skeleton drills, because of the lack of bodies available, guys often find themselves practicing at a position that they are surely not likely to play in a game. For example, Glen Davis spent time on Monday practicing at the small forward position. ‘He enjoyed it,’ Rivers said. ‘He thought he could shoot every time, like Paul [Pierce].’ Clearly, Davis is not a small forward. But then again, 6-6 forward Marquis Daniels is not a power forward, either, but he has seen some time at that position this season. All the Celtics have to be ready, to play any and every position. Because with all the injuries they have had this season, there’s no telling when an opportunity to play will present itself.”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Pete May, ESPN Boston – “We all know how truly valuable Perk can be on this team with his defensive presence, shot-blocking ability and the occasional double-figure rebound game. He and Kevin Garnett form an excellent one-two punch anchoring the Celtics’ defense, and the team legitimately feels that the only way it will raise another flag is if the defense returns to somewhere near the heady level of 2007-08. Perk helps in that area. The one caveat in all this is that while Perkins may be medically cleared to play, that doesn’t necessarily mean we will see the old, snarling, physical presence. Celtics team physician Brian McKeon cautioned that it takes a player 18 months to really get over an injury like Perkins had. He will be six-plus months out from the surgery when he does return, so realism will have to trump expectations for a while.”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “‘He’s been working pretty well. We’ll see, I’m not sure,’ Rivers said Saturday of Perkins being available next week for the home game against the Mavericks. ‘He looks good in practice, I will say that. He’s running well. He’s working hard. I don’t know if I’ve seen him or any guy work as hard as he’s worked. He really wants to get back. He wants to get to playing. He knows it’s going to take time once you get on the floor. He’s doing the work.’ … ‘He knows our stuff so well, it’s amazing,’ Rivers said. ‘We’ve been good offensively this year, but when he’s in practice, we’ve been really good. Because we can run stuff we ran two years ago out of a [call] that he knows. Timing is so important and he gets all that. Yeah, he’ll be able to come back quicker because of that.’ … And there is extra incentive for Perkins to regain his status as one of the league’s top defensive centers. He is a free agent at season’s end and could garner a career-defining contract extension. If the Celtics allow him to hit the open market, he could be one of the most sought-after players under a new collective bargaining agreement. ‘I’m trying not to think about it,’ said the 26-year-old Perkins, who has played his entire career in Boston. ‘I always say, whatever happens, happens. Obviously I want to be here. I’ve been here for eight years. I ain’t trying to leave. Hopefully at the end of the year the Celtics still have plans on me being part of their future and we can just move from there.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “Goliath fears David. The Bostonians have counted victories over NBA overall leader San Antonio, Orlando and Oklahoma City. Twice they’ve taken the measure of Miami. But they’ve lost to the likes of Detroit, Toronto and the Wizards. They even fell to 8-35 Cleveland, but that was back at the start of the season before the Cavaliers understood how bad they are. The mighty Celts have been defeated by four of the five worst teams in the East. (And pipe down, New Jersey. You’ll get another chance in a few weeks.) Half their 10 losses have been to sub-.500 teams. The struggling, and thus fearsome, Cavs are in town tomorrow night.”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “Leon Powe has played over 100 games at the TD Garden. This week, however, he won’t be able to add to that total. Powe, who played the first three years of his career in Boston, suffered a torn right meniscus earlier this month and will stay back in Cleveland to continue his rehab when the Cavaliers take on the Celtics on Tuesday. ‘I was disappointed,’ Powe told CSNNE.com. ‘I wanted to go out there [to Boston]. I haven’t seen some people, especially the fans, in a while. I wanted to go out there just to say hi to everybody and make sure they see my face.’ … ‘I’ve been watching them,’ he said. ‘I’m a basketball fan so I’ve been watching a lot of basketball. The guys out there, they’re still my guys. I still want them to do good, as long as they’re not playing against me and my team (laughs). But other than that, I don’t have anything against them. They’re my guys over there.’”

Greg Payne, ESPN Boston – “Their strong friendship, in some ways, should have been expected, given the similarities that existed between the two: Both were big men who play in the post, both were from the south (Perkins is from Texas, while Jefferson hails from Mississippi), and both entered the NBA straight out of high school in back-to-back years. The only glaring difference between the two appeared to be their respective games. Perkins was a hulking, physical defender whose offensive game still needed a decent amount of polishing. Jefferson, meanwhile, was an offensive stud, a natural scorer with an arsenal of slick post moves and a soft touch at his disposal, whose defense still left something to be desired. Apart, their respective games could not have been more different, yet when placed together, they forged a unique pairing along the front line for the Celtics – two young big men filled with potential, each boasting key strengths on opposite sides of the ball. It didn’t take long for the pair to realize they could actually learn from one another, and their contrasting games soon gave way to intense competition that ultimately brought them closer together.”

Greg Payne, ESPN Boston – “Maybe Shaquille O’Neal knew what was coming. After helping the Celtics to a closer-than-it-should-have-been 86-82 triumph over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, O’Neal spoke at length about the team’s struggles against weaker opponents. ‘[We] can’t keep playing with people,’ O’Neal said. ‘Great teams stay dominant at home, really beat the teams they’re supposed to beat, and stay above .500 on the road. We’re supposed to beat [the Pistons] every time, but not by three, not by five, but [by double digits]. We can’t keep playing with people. However, we’re still learning each other, we’re getting better every game. We just have to learn to put our foot on people’s necks and kill ‘em right away. We can’t keep playing with people.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Pierce, 33, said he is leaning toward defending his 3-point shootout title at All-Star Weekend. Pierce entered the contest last season to prove to naysayers that he was a solid long-range shooter. And to further support his case is his career-best 42.7 percent shooting clip this season from beyond the arc. ‘I’m thinking about it,’ he said with a smile. ‘I guess I’ve got to represent back home.’ Teammate Ray Allen said Pierce has improved immensely on his long-range shooting. Pierce hit 2 of 4 3-pointers last night. ‘I think he’s more patient with his offense,’ said Allen, who also hit two 3-pointers to move to 25 behind Reggie Miller for career 3-pointers. ‘He kind of picks and chooses when to attack. So the one thing I try to focus on when I’m on the floor is I try to get him easier shots . . . Paul is one of those guys while he can score anywhere. He’s been that way his whole career. But now he’s piecing the game together. Very simple. Very efficient.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.