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.’”

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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 – “Ainge said he and Rivers would likely sit down with O’Neal today to go over the next steps. ‘Nothing’s going to happen right now,’ Ainge said. ‘Except determining a course of action.’ If the decision is not to have surgery, O’Neal would expect to play a healthy amount of minutes and still go on back-to-backs, but it would all be on a day-to-day basis, Ainge said. Rivers is all but sure that surgery would sideline O’Neal for the season, and he has said that he wants O’Neal on the floor.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “There will be no prime-time special or children parading around a nearby Boys & Girls Club outside Boston awaiting Jermaine O’Neal to announce his ‘decision.’ But make no mistake about it. The ramifications will be felt by the Boston Celtics, one way or another. O’Neal went to New York to have a second opinion on his sore left knee, one of the many injuries he has had this season while being limited to just 17 games this season.”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “O’Neal planned to make a decision on Tuesday, but weather conditions delayed discussions with the Celtics organization. So he waits. And as he does, he thinks about how this lingering injury could affect his team, his career, and most importantly to him, his family. ‘Long term [I’m not scared] because of me personally, but it’s more because of my children (Jermaine, 4, and Asjia, 11),’ O’Neal told CSNNE.com. ‘My daughter is in the fundamental league at her school. She asked me to take her to the gym twice [last] week, and I couldn’t. That’s hard. Her daddy is supposed to be Super Man.  I didn’t even know until [last Friday], my wife told me that my daughter was concerned. She was asking, ‘Are they going to have to open Daddy’s knee?’ Those are things where you’re not just living it — everybody around you is living it.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “Little wonder, then, that Miller is glad this is the guy who is about to break his record. Miller’s legendary preparation and work ethic are mirrored by Allen’s own routine. It’s easy to respect your mirror image. ‘He’s always been very encouraging with what I’m doing out there,’ said Allen. ‘I competed against him toward the end of his career, and since he’s been commentating, the one thing he’s said is shooters shoot. I tried to get him on the team to come back and play and help us win championships, and that’s when we became good friends,’ he said of a stretch three seasons ago when the Celtics attempted to talk Miller out of retirement. ‘He always has good things to say,’ said Allen. ‘He’s been such a great mentor, a good guy, never been envious or shown any animosity toward me because I’m going to break his record. The great lesson for me to learn is to pass things on to the young guys coming after me. There’s room for everybody. Everybody has their own niche, so pass those lessons on to those young guys.’

Peter May, ESPN Boston – “The students in John Williams’ classes at Cheshire High School in Connecticut will arrive Wednesday to find a new number on the whiteboard. When they left Friday, the number had been 35. After four days off (three for the holiday weekend and another for a snow day), they will return to see the number now at 28. Williams doesn’t teach math. He teaches what is now called technology but back in the day was known as industrial arts. He also happens to be the father-in-law of Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics. And the number he writes on his whiteboard is the number of 3-pointers his son-in-law needs to overtake Reggie Miller as the NBA’s career leader in 3-point conversions. Miller’s record stands at 2,560.”

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 – “‘I mean, I said to somebody else that we look like a totally different team out there just with Kevin on the court,’ said Pierce. ‘You can’t replace what Kevin gives to a ball club. He doesn’t always show up with his numbers, but his presence and his feel for the game and everything he does for this team goes far beyond the numbers, and you see it tonight. We look like a team who is ready, who is energized, who is locked in, and, you know, that’s the culture he’s brought here since Day 1. He raises everybody’s level of play when he’s on the court.’”

Ben Rohrbach, WEEI – “After all the hullabaloo over who’s the real Superman, there’s no wonder Dwight Howard rolls his eyes when he’s asked about Shaquille O’Neal. Thinking for a moment, the Magic center made a bold prediction. ‘The matchup is awesome,’ said Howard, tongue firmly planted in cheek. ‘He won the victory tonight, but we will win the war.’”

Peter May, ESPN Boston – “I know. I know. I know. The Boston Celtics think of themselves as a defensive team. They pride themselves on being a defensive power and understand that stopping the other guy is the best and surest way to add another banner to the franchise collection. All of that is true. But oh my goodness, they are doing things at the other end of the floor that make you want to call the championship flag seamstress and tell her to start working. If these guys can continue to shoot the ball the way they have over the first 40 games and their defense, already pretty good, comes around when everyone is (hopefully) healthy, we have the makings of a hardwood leviathan.”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “While other clubs reconstruct themselves with trades, the Celtics are doing it with good health. To a man, every Celtic acknowledged Sunday’s practice was motivational because Perkins and Garnett were back, and the team was whole. Glen Davis came off the bench last night and took shots in rhythm, after uncharacteristically turning into World B. Free in Garnett’s absence. And Shaquille O’Neal didn’t have to defend Dwight Howard one-on-one for the entire night. Garnett offered help, especially in the fourth quarter. The Celtics are approaching their natural order and that gives coach Doc Rivers a feeling of comfort. He tends to harp on injuries too much, as every NBA coach does, but without Perkins as an option and injuries to Rajon Rondo and Garnett, the starting five has undergone more cast changes than ‘General Hospital.’”

Mike Petraglia, WEEI - “‘You get out of it what it what you put into it,’ Garnett said. ‘These two weeks have been dark days for me, trying to keep my morale up, be around the guys, travel. But being hurt is not one of my things I like to be a part of. I hate it. I don’t deal with it well. But as I get older, along with these knuckleheads here keeping it real light for me, keeping my spirits up, I just worked through it. Tonight, I just felt stronger and I’m going to continue to build on this and not have any mishaps.’”

Mike Petraglia, WEEI – “Rivers didn’t feel the two teams played very good defense in the first 45 minutes, the last three were what mattered in a 109-106 Celtics win Monday night over the team they eliminated in the Eastern Finals last year. So, Garnett yelling out defensive calls and making plays like a steal on Jameer Nelson with 10 seconds remaining to seal the win was music to Rivers’ ears. ‘Listen, they all talk, but no one talks like Kevin,’ Rivers said. ‘He’s the best talker in the league. When you’re talking defense. And I think Perk [Kendrick Perkins] may be the second best. So, it is clear tonight – and I didn’t think we had a great defensive night; I thought we were actually average – but it was clear the communication, especially those last four possessions, you could hear it. He was calling their sets out. He’s a defensive coach on the floor.’ Rivers had no doubt the energy would be there. His stamina and effectiveness were another thing altogether. ‘I knew he’d play with energy,’ Rivers said after Garnett scored 19 points and hauled in eight rebounds in 30 intensity-filled minutes. ‘You could see that. You could see it [Sunday], and I was telling guys that our practice was just crazy with energy. And so, you knew that. I was concerned about his wind; I wasn’t concerned about his health at all.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “But there’s something about the waning moments of games that wakes Pierce up. He dealt the Knicks a dagger last month, drilling the game-winner over Amare Stoudemire from the right elbow. Last night, he victimized Jason Richardson, getting to his sweet spot, drilling an 18-footer, getting the foul, and converting a 3-point play that helped the Celtics seal their 109-106 win. ‘I’ve been in those situations a number of times,’ Pierce said. ‘I really don’t get rattled. I try to keep cool and calm about myself especially in the last two minutes, when the crowd’s frantic and everybody’s going crazy. I just try to zone in at that point in the game and just keep my focus.’ Pierce acknowledges that in his younger days, he would have been calling for shots. ‘Even though I got all the shots,’ Pierce said jokingly.”

Steve Buckley, Boston Herald – “But wake up, Boston: As of right now, and with apologies to the Bruins, and with the Red Sox still a few weeks away from revving up the equipment truck for Fort Myers, the Celtics represent Boston’s best shot for the next championship. The Celtics still have their Big Three. They have Rajon Rondo. And they have Shaq, who the other day did what we all have done: He slipped on the ice, and then cursed, and then got up, and then went to work.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Rivers confirmed that reserve center Jermaine O’Neal trekked to New York on Monday to receive another opinion on his ailing left knee, which has sidelined him for 22 games this season. ‘What I think will happen is he’ll get some information then bring it back,’ Rivers said. ‘And [team physician] Dr. [Brian] McKeon, [trainer] Eddie [Lacerte] and J.O. will talk and come to a conclusion.’ Rivers said Sunday he thinks that unless O’Neal can find a doctor that can operate and get him back on the court before the playoffs the 32-year-old center will elect to follow a non-surgery path and play with the pain and limitations of the sore knee the rest of the season.”

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