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

When you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all.

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “Coach Doc Rivers said he didn’t know whether O’Neal would ultimately require surgery. ‘I’m concerned,’ Rivers said. ‘I think he’s gone two weeks and a practice and his knee swells up. First of all, it has to be extremely frustrating for him. He worked his butt off to get back and he was playing well. Secondly, we all have common sense. That’s a concern, ‘Why is this happening?’ And so we have to figure that out.’ Having shut down O’Neal once already, Rivers didn’t seem as though he wanted to do it again. ‘We’ve done that and we thought we were good, and it happened again,’ Rivers said. ‘I don’t know. I don’t have any answers. I just know this has to be frustrating.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “For better or worse, the Celtics need Jermaine O’Neal to be functioning this spring. If his knee injury is going to be a constant concern, then that is a very big deal for the Celtics because they still don’t know what Kendrick Perkins will be able to give them when he comes back and Shaquille O’Neal’s play has tapered off dramatically since late December. Rivers had a plan for the O’Neals, but it has already been blown up and modified as the injuries have mounted and lingered. ‘We had a strategy going into the year with Jermaine and Shaq, but we didn’t account for the other guys going down,’ Rivers said. ‘That’s where it kind of got a little dicey and still is.’ The Celtics need three centers for the playoffs and for the time being they have two. Both of whom, it should be pointed out, have their own injuries. That’s their biggest concern right now. Not Garnett.”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “There’s a good chance, according to Rivers, that Kevin Garnett may not see action until Monday, when the Orlando Magic visit. Though Garnett has required more time than expected to recover from a strained right calf, Rivers insisted that unlike the forward’s knee trouble two years ago, there is not more to this than the team is letting on. ‘It’s no conspiracy,’ Rivers said. ‘He’s just taking a little longer than we wanted him to. No one has told me to worry about it. (Trainer) Eddie (Lacerte) has been really nonchalant about (whether this is going to be) a season-long injury problem. He’s dealing with it like Kevin. But with Kevin, he’s so emotional that you want to make sure he doesn’t get down about stuff. That’s where I’m always concerned with him — starting this why-is-this- happening-to-me stuff, you don’t want him to go there. It’s not a bad injury, but he doesn’t like missing games. I think his goal was to play all 82. The fact that isn’t going to happen (ticks) him off. It’s just who he is. That’s a good thing in the long run.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “‘We didn’t come out with the same energy [Monday] as we did tonight,’ said Marquis Daniels, who scored 12 points off the bench. ‘We’ve just got to find a way to do it every night regardless of who we’re playing. We’ve just got to come in, get back in transition, and rebound the basketball. We’ve been getting killed on the boards, so that’s something we’ve got to focus on. It’s always another notch we can go to. We’ve just got to pick each other up, regardless of if it’s the starters or the second string. We’ve just got to be tuned in and play a full 48-minute game. … Rivers needed to see his players respond to his call for more energy, and they did. ‘We just wanted to put pressure on them, making sure that we were the instigators,’ Davis said. ‘It means a lot. It helps the team out in so many ways just to do things harder. It helps on the offense and defensive side. It sets a standard. That’s what we need to do.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘I thought we played well in the first half in two ways. I thought we had an amazing pace with Rondo and Nate,’ coach Doc Rivers said. ‘We were pushing the ball up the floor. We missed I don’t know how many point-blank layups and open shots. So I told them, don’t worry about the offense.’ The defense, without Garnett, is a going concern, as evidenced by Sacramento’s ability to shoot 51.4 percent, including a marauding paint performance by power forward Carl Landry, who scored seven of his 17 points from the line. But the bench ultimately made it possible for the starters to take a fourth-quarter seat. After the recent grind of seven games in 10 days, the break was badly needed. ‘I saw Paul icing early, Ray (Allen) is icing early, Rondo,’ said Daniels. ‘It’s always a good thing to see those guys icing early. We are going to need those guys down the line.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Boston’s strong performance was fueled by Pierce’s ability to make the most of his matchup with Sacramento’s Franciso Garcia. Celtics coach Doc Rivers attributes Pierce’s strong play, as well as the solid performance by the entire Celtics roster, to a spirited practice on Tuesday. ‘[Tuesday] in practice after showing them the film, we practiced hard,’ Rivers said. ‘And the cuts were hard. And you could see it. And you were just hoping there would be a carryover today and there was.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “What does Rivers miss most about Garnett when he’s not on the floor? His ability to quarterback the defense. ‘You can get somebody to provide energy — Luke [Harangody] plays with a lot of energy. What we miss is his voice. Kevin is the best talker on defense in the NBA, maybe in the history of the NBA. It doesn’t matter what you do. Watching our transition defense the last two games, and how awful we were, it’s clear what was missing — that guy running down the middle of the floor pointing at everyone to ‘Get over there,’ or ‘Go over there.’ We just don’t have a guy like that and you can’t replace that.’”

Frank Dell’Apa, Boston Globe – “The bench was able to stay in control in the final quarter, allowing the starters to rest. ‘They tease us about that all the time,’ Robinson said. ‘They tease the bench. They say, come on now, we don’t want to play the rest of the fourth, so we can get a little bit of rest. The bench, we try to go in every night and bring energy and play hard, take some of the slack off the starting five, because they do a tremendous job every night. The bench, we’ve got to be there, not just [last night] but every night. I think that if we continue to do that I think we’ll be a hell of a team.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “More than the points, it was Erden’s energy that Celtics coach Doc Rivers was pleased with seeing. ‘He was great,’ Rivers said. ‘You know, we needed his energy.’ But as Erden’s minutes played steadily increased – he played 33 minutes on Wednesday after playing just 31 in the previous 12 games combined – it was clear that he was, well, how did Doc put it? . . . ‘He ran out of gas,’ Rivers said. ‘There’s no doubt about that.’ But you won’t find Rivers complaining about his contributions, especially with the uncertain status of O’Neal who continues to have left knee issues. Rivers said the knee had swollen up earlier in the day, but he did not know until about an hour before tip-off that O’Neal could not play. ‘[Erden] was ready, which is the most important thing, and the other thing – it’s tough for him, because he didn’t know [he would play],’ Rivers said. ‘Hell, I didn’t know. So it’s a good job by him, especially a young player. Because most young players, they would think, ‘I’m not playing today’ and not come with the right mental approach.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “That’s exactly what Rivers wanted to see from his rookie — the 60th and final pick in the 2008 draft — and said as much before the game. ‘Energy,’ Rivers answered when asked what Erden’s game had lacked thus far. ‘He’s a good player, a young player. What he’s learning from us is that there’s a level of intensity that you have to play with on every possession, every night. He’s going to make mistakes, I don’t care about when young guys make mistakes. I care more about focus.’”

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 Celtics pushed Perk's first full practice back by one week.

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 – “Kendrick Perkins suffered a scheduling setback of sorts. He was held out of the heavy parts of yesterday’s practice, and it now appears he won’t get to truly test his surgically repaired right knee until next week. ‘He didn’t do anything live,’ said Rivers. ‘We went pretty hard, so I didn’t want him out there in that. We did a lot of contact stuff, and I didn’t want him to be a part of that.’ But the center doesn’t believe he’ll be prevented from playing in the real games before the All-Star break. ‘I thought I was going to be able to go contact, but they pushed me back another week,’ he said. ‘I don’t know why. I just went hard. I was able to go full speed. I’m just anxious to get back out there.’ Perkins said he was ‘a little bit’ frustrated, ‘but at the same time I know it’s for my best interests. I only need like two weeks of practice, so I think I’ll be all right.’”

Greg Payne, ESPN Boston – “One day after resuming on-court basketball activities, Delonte West on Tuesday detailed his somewhat peculiar off-court rehabilitation activities for a fractured right wrist: Karate videos on YouTube and buckets of rice. ‘I’ve been looking at like Karate masters and stuff on YouTube and honestly they teach learning how to fall — tuck and roll and all that, and jump up and Judo kick,’ West enthusiastically told reporters. ‘So I don’t plan on breaking anything anytime soon, so cameramen on the baseline, watch out for the Judo kick.’ … ‘I’m able to support the basketball, but I’m not allowed to catch the basketball or dribble it just yet,’ said West. ‘It’s getting there. Every day it feels better. Obviously I’m able to get some work in, so that’s positive. So I’m expected to get back soon. That’s what I want to do, that’s what’s going to happen. I’m still waiting for confirmation to be able to dribble the basketball, lift things. [The brace] can be deceiving right here because I’m dominant left when I shoot anyway. I’m just supporting the basketball and I’ve got a pretty sturdy brace on. But once I take [the brace] off the wrist is still weak and sore. But it’s getting there. Every day feels better.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers held Kevin Garnett out of Tuesday’s contact-filled practice session and said Garnett is doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. ‘I doubt he’ll play tomorrow,’ said Rivers. ‘Again, there’s a chance, but I doubt it. [Garnett] did some running on the treadmill and all the stuff in the weight room. We were on the floor, we went full-court, so he couldn’t [participate]. He did do some sliding up and down, I just don’t think he’s ready yet.’ … ‘He’s just not ready yet,’ said Rivers. ‘He’s close, very close. But you know how I am with that. I think he wants to play, I’ll put it that way. I just don’t think he should play yet.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “Celtics president Danny Ainge doesn’t like to give timelines on when injured players will return to the court and there’s a good reason for that: Things change. Take Kevin Garnett, for example. Late last week Doc Rivers suggested that Garnett would be back Monday or maybe Wednesday. That forecast no longer appears likely to materialize after the Celtics went through practice without Garnett on Tuesday. ‘He’s just not ready yet,’ Rivers said. ‘He’s close, very close. I think he wants to play, but I just don’t think he should play yet.’ That was probably the right call. Why take a chance in mid-January if you’re not 100 percent certain? But if he doesn’t play by Friday, expect a whole host of questions about the nature of Garnett’s injury, which has been described as a calf strain. Without the timeline, this is just a common-sense delay.”

Peter May, ESPN Boston – “Part of the agita surrounding Garnett’s potential return date is the man himself, who chooses to make himself invisible while not playing. We were told Tuesday that Garnett was at practice, running on a treadmill, doing defensive slides, lifting weights. We never saw any of it. We are told Garnett is at all the games. He is there before, during and after the game, talking to his teammates. We see none of that. ‘He’s around,’ Rivers said. ‘He just doesn’t like to be seen.’ Garnett sustained his latest injury Dec. 29 against the Pistons. A day later, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said Garnett would be out for possibly two weeks but said that was a conservative estimate. Two weeks from Dec. 29 is Wednesday. Rivers said Garnett did not participate in a rather physical practice Tuesday. He said Garnett will not participate in any shootaround Wednesday because there will be no shootaround.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Now having lost two straight, the C’s are finding themselves having to deal with the kind of questions that championship-caliber teams don’t usually have to address. Specifically, their mental toughness. No, it’s not being questioned so much by the media. Instead, it’s their head coach, Doc Rivers. ‘You look at some of our losses, record-wise, you know it’s mental,’ he said. ‘That’s a mental mindset and it starts with me. I’ve got to somehow figure out a way of getting them to see the urgency of the whole season and not the single game.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “The Celtics are 4-4 since Garnett’s injury. They’ve lost two straight, after the Rockets handed them a 108-102 loss Monday night. Houston was the fourth team to hang 100 points on the Celtics in Garnett’s absence. But Rivers doesn’t think the team’s struggles come from waiting for Garnett’s return. ‘They may be, but I don’t sense that,’ Rivers said. ‘This is just a low-focus stretch. It happens, but we’ve got to stay on top of it, that it doesn’t happen. It’s that time of year. Almost the All-Star break. After the holidays. But this is the time, that mental toughness that I’m talking about that we have to lean on.’”

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.

The most important Celtic?

Kevin Garnett, Anta – “When I’m not playing, I hate talking hoops, so sorry for not blogging. You know how when you ain’t a part of something, it hurts to talk about it. That’s how I feel. Know what I mean? Don’t get it messed up, just cause I ain’t playing don’t mean I’m not working out. I’m working super hard and feeling good. Didn’t get to tell you about the tough game against San Antonio we had on Wed. Game was CRAZY. We were up 9 with 57 seconds and we somehow almost blew it. They had the ball down by 2 with 7 seconds left. It was crazy how it happened. P2 got the block to save the win and Rondo had a triple double. Big game by him. He was doing amazing stuff. Friday we had Toronto and young fella Luke played great. He stepped up and had a double double (17pts and 11 rebounds). He’s hard working and knows how to play. If he keeps working hard, he’ll be good. It was nice to get the starters some rest and let the young guys play. We won by a bunch, so it was nice. After the game, Dr. looked at my leg and we’re close. Real close to getting back. Took the flight to Chicago and got in at 2am, so watch a movie and then shut it down. Chicago is a city I lived in, so always have a special place for Chi-town. Pre game, I worked out at the arena in the Bull’s workout room. Anytime I get to workout around another team, my gas gets going. I was killing the weights and wanted to play. When I was in there, Scal (Scalabrine old teammate) came in and got me going even more. Good to see him. I don’t know how to describe the game as the guys energy was low, the ball was ‘sticking’ and not popping around. Guys were not doing their jobs. Frustrating watching and not being able to help. We played 6games in 9 days, so the guys need a break. Off day tomorrow for them, but I’ll be getting my stuff in. The loss just makes me more motivated to get back and help my guys.”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘He’s human,’ Rondo said of Davis. ‘It’s going to be a tough challenge every night. It’s never easy, and he has to continue to grow. He has to accept that he won’t play well every night. Maybe it will be the next night,’ he said. ‘But he’s taking that next step to where people are looking at him as a challenge. I just told him to keep working hard, stay humble, and play every night as if it’s your last.’ That, and to also keep these performances in perspective. Davis took more shots than any Celtic Saturday night and also missed more, as evidenced by his 4-for-17 performance. But last Wednesday against a far better San Antonio team, Davis had one of his finest shooting nights of the season with a 23-point, 10-for-18 display. But Saturday’s matchup carried an extra sting because Davis was matched against one of the stars of his position. Boozer, from going right at Davis with nine straight points in the second quarter to banging him with impunity, easily established turf. ‘It didn’t affect me. Just a learning experience for me, especially if I ever want to be on the same type of level as the KGs and the Carlos Boozers,’ said Davis. ‘You guys have seen me grow a lot, and now it’s time to hit a different level, a different notch. Carlos Boozer got the best of it today,’ he said. ‘But at the same time, I want that success. I want all that, being that guy. So I take things in stride, get better each day and keep working. I have to get the credentials to play in this league — to play against the Carlos Boozers and Kevin Loves of this league.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “The class of the NBA field has separated itself approaching the halfway point of the season. And as much as teams choose not to acknowledge closely following the progress of their peers, that cannot be denied this season, especially with the Celtics. Boston is skittish after last season, when a fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs meant losing home-court advantage for the final three series of the postseason, especially the NBA Finals. A five-horse race for the top seed in the East appears to be brewing and losses such as Saturday night’s 90-79 drubbing by the Chicago Bulls damage the Celtics’ quest for No. 1. Just five games separate the top five teams in the East, and the conference-leading Celtics (28-8, .778) have been caught by the Heat (30-9, .769), despite Miami’s well-chronicled dismal start. The Orlando Magic, who beat the Celtics on Christmas Day, are winners of nine straight, and the Atlanta Hawks are 8-2 in their past 10. There is an increased emphasis on the regular season, and scoreboard-watching has begun in earnest. Each time one of the other four teams drops a game, Boston realizes it has a chance to create more distance. That’s why the Celtics can’t afford to waste opportunities, such as Saturday night’s.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “A year ago, losses got the same treatment as losing a couple of pennies. It happens. Not that big a deal. But as we near the halfway point of this season, finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference isn’t just lip service. Look no further than Saturday’s 90-79 loss at Chicago. You would have thought the C’s lost Game Three or Four of a playoff series by their glum expressions. ‘We find ways to win these type of games,’ said Paul Pierce, easily bothered more than most by the loss. ‘We don’t concede anything. We don’t say, ‘Six games in nine nights. The last game we don’t give a damn about.’ We’re trying to win them all.’ And it is that desire to not just finish well, but finish atop the Eastern Conference standings, that makes this team unlike the previous units since the C’s Big Three joined forces in 2007.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Screens lead to open looks, which leads to easy baskets. Allen leads the NBA in plays off screens this season, running off screens on 33.7 percent of his touches. Only two players in the NBA use screens for more than 25 percent of their offensive plays — Allen and Chicago’s Kyle Korver. Considering that 17.4 percent of Allen’s touches come in transition and another 20.2 percent are spot-up jumpers, it’s amazing that so many of his offensive looks require his teammates’ grunt work. And on Saturday, his teammates didn’t create space for him, which is why Rivers might again have to stress the importance of screens. ‘It’s a film thing,’ Rivers said. ‘It’s better to reinforce in practice, but when you don’t have practice time, you reinforce it by film — by showing the ones they’re not setting. It’s not the most positive way of doing it, and I’d rather work it out on the floor than using film, because it’s always a negative weapon, but sometimes you do it.’ Saturday’s loss was a reminder of the perils of not putting in that effort. ‘Offensively, from the start of the game, we didn’t create any rhythm,’ Allen said. ‘It is [surprising] because [the offense] has been pretty good. [Saturday] was definitely a break from the normal, from what we were doing offensively. For whatever reason, this was an example of why we lose games. Statistically, it’s so glaring.’ Zero shots for Allen in a fourth quarter that opened as a one-possession game. Credit the Bulls for their ability to chase Allen around the court, but don’t let it screen the truth: Boston sputtered because it didn’t do enough to get Allen and its other shooters open.”

Ken Berger, CBS Sports – “Carmelo Anthony “does not need to be convinced” to sign a contact extension as part of a blockbuster, three-team trade that would send the three-time All-Star to New Jersey, league sources told CBSSports.com Sunday night. One executive involved in the trade talks called Anthony’s stance on an extension with the Nets “a non-factor,” because the teams involved “already know it won’t hold up the deal.” The tipping point in moving Melo toward giving up his preference to wind up with the Knicks was the involvement of the Pistons, who would send Richard Hamilton to the Nets to help Anthony with his reclamation project in Newark, N.J., for the next year-and-a-half. That key component was close to agreement Sunday night, with the Pistons poised to send Hamilton to New Jersey in exchange for Troy Murphy’s expiring contract and Johan Petro — who may go to the Pistons or somewhere else, sources said. Hamilton, who has two years and $25 million left on his deal, was the key cog in a broader plan to entice Anthony to give up his resistance to extending with the Nets instead of insisting on a deal to his preferred destination. The other part of that equation involves Chauncey Billups joining Anthony and reuniting with Hamilton in New Jersey, sources said. The principle pieces New Jersey has offered to the Nuggets all along — Derrick Favors and multiple first-round picks — would still go to Denver in this three-team scenario. The involvement of Billups, who has stated that he wants to retire with the Nuggets, necessitates the Nets sending Devin Harris to the Nuggets. Though Billups would prefer to stay in Denver, a person with direct knowledge of his thinking rejected the notion of the Nets buying him out this season if he is sent to New Jersey in this trade. “Highly unlikely,” the person said. … Despite repeated assurances from Anthony’s camp, the Nets did not yet have approval from Anthony’s mouth as of Sunday night, according to one person familiar with the situation. Last month, a person directly involved in Anthony’s decision told CBSSports.com that the only team he’d agree to an extension with via a trade was the Knicks. There have been no indications from Anthony himself that he has changed his stance. However, given the perceived risk of leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table with a punitive new collective bargaining agreement looming — and with the addition of Hamilton and Billups meaning Anthony wouldn’t have to go it alone in Newark — the Nets and Nuggets are convinced the contractual issue won’t blow up the deal.”

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports – “The Nets and Detroit Pistons believed they had an arrangement in place Sunday that would’ve sent Anthony, Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups(notes) and Pistons guard Richard Hamilton(notes) to the Nets as part of the blockbuster deal. Once the Nets and Pistons worked out the details of a side component to the 13-player deal on Sunday afternoon, the two teams were surprised to find Denver general manager Masai Ujiri wanting to replace players in the framework of the overall trade, sources said. Nevertheless, Nuggets officials were angry with the insinuation they had backed away, insisting they never agreed to a scenario where they would complete the deal. As one Denver official told Yahoo! Sports late Sunday, “People are trying to pressure us.” Still, everyone involved in the trade believed the Nuggets had come too far to walk away, and talks continued between Denver’s Ujiri and New Jersey GM Billy King late Sunday.”‘

David Aldridge, NBA.com – “Anthony refused to discuss a potential deal before the Nuggets played New Orleans in Denver on Sunday night. He said afterward he didn’t think a 96-87 loss was his last game in a Nuggets uniform. ‘Uh-uh, not at all,’ he said, repeating the phrase ‘not at all’ four times. Asked if that was an indication he wouldn’t sign the extension so the trade with the Nets could be consummated, Anthony demurred, saying: ‘I haven’t heard anything. Only, that it’s just been speculation as of right now.’ Anthony noted that team executive Josh Kroenke and general manager Masai Ujiri “are not even here, so I don’t see that happening.’ In what time frame was he referring to? ‘I’m just saying I don’t see it happening right now,’ Anthony said. This week sometime? ‘No.’”

Chris Broussard and Marc Stein, ESPN – “Denver, however, elected to play Anthony and Billups in its home game against New Orleans on Sunday night, suggesting that the Nuggets might not be ready to sign off on the trade and, according to sources, frustrating both the Nets and the Pistons at the end of a chaotic 72 hours. A similar scenario played out in the September deal, when the Nets and Nuggets hammered out the framework of a four-team swap with Charlotte and Utah, only for the Nuggets to decide that they weren’t ready to end their relationship with Anthony and back out of the deal. … Denver’s decision to play Anthony and Billups against New Orleans and a Bergen Record report Sunday night that the Nuggets want to make unspecified changes to the latest trade layout clearly rankled the Nets. The Record of New Jersey quoted an unnamed team official within the league as saying: ‘The deal is close. But Denver is looking to hit a home run.’ Earlier Sunday, one source close to the talks told ESPN.com that Sunday’s proposed trade was ‘on the 10-yard-line.’ Said another source with knowledge of the state of negotiations: ‘Almost there.’”

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 – “But the reason Jermaine O’Neal sat out had nothing to do with the scoreboard, and everything to do with that still-troublesome left knee. Prior to Friday’s game, Rivers said O’Neal’s left knee was sore and it only got progressively worse in the first half. ‘So I knew in the second half I wasn’t going to go with him,’ Rivers said. ‘And we had a lead, so we just looked at it, and if we could get him through this game and maybe play him tomorrow (against Chicago), it would be great.’”

Mike Petraglia, WEEI – “Using a flare for the dramatic, Doc Rivers explained why Jermaine O’Neal didn’t play in the second half of Friday’s 20-point blowout win over Toronto. Rivers pointed to Boston’s 67-45 halftime lead and O’Neal’s stiff left knee as reasons O’Neal played just nine minutes, allowing Luke Harangody to have his rookie breakout game. Rivers said the hope is that he’ll be ready for the Bulls in Chicago on Saturday night. ‘His knee was sore, so I knew in the second half I wasn’t going to go with him,’ Rivers said of O’Neal’s chronic left knee. ‘And we had a lead, so we just looked at it and if we could get him through this game and maybe play him [Saturday] it would be great. It was a little sore before the game, but it got – at halftime he came to me and said, ‘Man, my knee’s sore.’  So I think his knee’s sore for the rest of his life.  But there’s going to be different degrees of pain.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “He didn’t plan on being able to play for another three weeks, but before last night’s game against the Raptors, Kendrick Perkins was in a rush to get out of the locker room and get some shots up. ‘I’m already late,’ he said. That said, his recovery process from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee is ahead of schedule. After undergoing surgery in July and rehabbing vigorously, Perkins said he will be able to practice in a week and expects to return to the lineup by the end of the month. He hasn’t had to deal with any setbacks or swelling, and after sitting out the first three months of the season, he’s eager to put his rehab in warp speed. ‘It feels like these three weeks are not going by fast enough, but I guess the six months or whatever went by pretty fast,’ said Perkins. ‘Just trying to wait it out, see how it goes.’ In three-on-three workouts, Perkins has gone full tilt, finishing with dunks. … Pressed about whether he expected to start once he returned, Perkins said, ‘Yeah.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “While Rivers didn’t have any formal update on Garnett, he did suggest the Big Ticket could be back on the court as early as Monday’s visit from the Houston Rockets. ‘He’s shooting, doing everything,’ said Rivers. ‘I think he’ll be back early next week. What’s the date again?’ Informed by reporters that two weeks would have him back on Wednesday, Rivers smiled and added, ‘Thank you very much. I think he’ll be back Monday or Wednesday. I think he could play by then.’ Asked if Garnett might need a practice to shake any rust, Rivers smiled again and said: ‘We’re just going to throw him in. If he can’t remember the stuff, we’re in trouble.’”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “West initially hoped to be back by mid-January, but he said that date is overly optimistic. He’s currently undergoing treatment to relieve stiffness in his wrist. He has yet to be cleared for weight-lifting or full basketball activities. Reluctantly, West acknowledged that the All-Star break in mid-February is a more realistic target.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “West works out four times a day, soaking the wrist, going through different movements and stretches, and working out the scar tissue. ‘That’s all I can do is do the treatments that they gave me,’ he said. ‘My conditioning is there. My body is there. It’s just you can’t force it. You can try as much as you want to work out the stiffness, but it’s only time. It’s just a waiting game for me. Each day it’s loosening up more and more. But I’m still a few weeks away.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Going through most of his rehab with Perkins, a longtime teammate and good friend, has made some of the more mundane aspects of rehabilitation easier to cope with. ‘It’s tough when a team goes on a road trip and you are the only one left behind,’ West said. ‘You have to go in the gym everyday. It’s fun when you have company, someone else you can talk to. It’s not fun riding that treadmill by yourself.’ But West, as optimistic as ever, knows those days will be behind him soon. ‘Only time will tell,’ West said when asked about when he was returning to practice. ‘I’m in the right mainframe; doing as much as I can with the left hand and the basketball. But I can’t force the stiffness out there, the movement. I’m working out four times a day. Each day, it’s loosening up more and more.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “‘It probably does [give Boston a boost],’ Rivers said of Perkins’ impending return. ‘Right now, it gives us energy when anyone comes back on the floor. It’ll help him out, it’ll help our team. It’ll allow me to manage minutes better Shaq and Jermaine, so it’ll do a lot of things.’ But Rivers thinks West’s return might be the key moving forward. ‘It’ll mean a lot more for Nate and the second unit,’ said Rivers. ‘The tough part with Delonte is he was just starting to get our stuff again then — bam — he’s out. Now we have to re-do that. Even though he’s been here, there are different things and it’ll take some time. The sooner we can get him back, he may be even more important than Perk in some ways.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “‘The one thing he is not is shy; I think he was [shy] in all of a half a second and [then] he took a shot,’ joked Celtics coach Doc Rivers. ‘The whole bench started laughing because that’s who he is. And we want him to stay that way.’ Indeed, 10 seconds after checking in for Glen Davis, Harangody drilled a 20-foot jumper. He later added a pair of layups and a 14-foot baseline jumper before the end of the first quarter, doubling his previous career high for points (four) in a mere four minutes. Riding that momentum, Harangody canned his first NBA 3-pointer 30 seconds into the second half, the Garden faithful swooning over their new bench crush. They would serenade him with chants of ‘Ha-ran-go-dy!’ later in the night. … Even as he spent the better part of November and early December glued to the bench, Harangody never got discouraged. ‘On this team, you gotta look around this locker room and realize who’s around,’ Harangody said. ‘I just took it as an honor to be in this locker room with all the Hall of Famers in here.’ … So he’s making the most of his chances, and that means being his shot-happy self. ‘I think we should blame — or thank — [Notre Dame coach] Mike Brey for that,’ Rivers said. ‘I watched him a couple of times against Georgetown when my son was there and he shot it basically every time he touched it. He’s just keeping that tradition going.’ And if he keeps putting up these type of numbers, the Celtics won’t try to change him. ‘He’ll make mistakes because he’s young and he’ll make mistakes because he’s going fast, but he’ll never make a mistake because he’s not going hard,’ Rivers said. ‘To me, as a coach, as long as he doesn’t hurt the team too much with mistakes, you love him.’”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “But the Celts had friended Harangody long before the fans got into the act. ‘He’s going to fight,’ said Rivers. ‘He’s going to do whatever he needs to do for you. And the guys appreciate that honestly. They love effort. When you get guys that come off the bench and play with the effort and the intensity that he plays with, I really think the starters love that. That’s what gets them up and cheering, and that’s why they like him so much, because they see his effort every day.’”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “‘The good thing about us is we’re very unselfish and we move the ball well,’ [Shaq] O’Neal said. ‘Ray and Paul and those guys have been shooting the ball well and (Rajon) Rondo is the type that he knows who to get the ball to and he knows when to get it to them. With him back in there, everything is starting to click again.’”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “When Ray Allen missed two free throw late in Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, he proclaimed that he would take 100 free throws at practice. Well, he didn’t go to that extreme. But he got back into the zone with physical and mental preparation. ‘I was trying to fatigue myself and go back-and-forth to the free throw line and just get that rhythm because free throws are all rhythm too,’ he said. ‘You get to the free throw line, getting your comfort, knowing when you need to go mentally, how your body should feel when you’re at the free throw line, so I was trying to put myself in that situation of feeling fatigue being at the free throw line and still shooting the free throw.’”

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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 – “Clog the paint. Block shots. Take charges. Help on pick-and-rolls. Roll to the basket. Switching from star duties to clean-up duties was even harder when O’Neal started the season in a shooting slump, since he wouldn’t be able to simply shoot his way out of it. Not with so many other offensive options sharing the floor. If O’Neal was going to be effective, he’d have to do it by going down that checklist. But when knee issues sidelined him for six weeks, it seemed as if O’Neal would have a way to go to live up to the mid-level exception deal the Celtics signed him to last summer. Since his return to the lineup on Christmas Day in Orlando, Fla., though, he’s embraced all the mop-and-bucket assignments. ‘It comes through time,’ O’Neal said. ‘I’m learning on the go, and I think you guys know it, and they’re trying to put me in a position to be successful.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “In the last seven games, O’Neal has scored just 46 points and pulled a mere 14 rebounds from the NBA sky. He hasn’t had an offensive rebound since Dec. 22 when Santa was carbo loading with the reindeer. It’s fair to say that 6.6 points and 2.0 rebounds is shadowy for a guy with career averages of 23.9 and 10.9, respectively. But this isn’t your father’s Shaq Daddy. … “I think he’s playing fine,” said general manager Danny Ainge. “We’re producing when he’s playing. That’s the big thing. It’s hard to look at an individual’s numbers. You have to look at the bigger picture. When a guy’s on the court, what is a team doing. And the team’s playing really well when he’s out there.’ With Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner running around, the Celts weren’t expecting Wednesday to be O’Neal’s night. ‘He’s always effective,’ said Doc Rivers. ‘It’s just that some games — like San Antonio — are going to be tough nights for him because they have two shooting bigs. The problem there is you want to keep him low, but both bigs are popping. It makes it tough for him, but he’s been great.’ … ‘No, he has a far greater impact,’ [Ray Allen] said. ‘It’s just like if I don’t score, I know I have an impact on the game because people don’t want to leave me. So there’s space. And between he and I, we both create space for Paul (Pierce) and (Rajon) Rondo to operate and Kevin (Garnett) to get open shots. You can’t measure that.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “‘We like our guys,’ Ainge said. ‘It’s tough. Guys like Von Wafer, Luke Harangody, Avery Bradley, we believe given an opportunity, those guys are going to be really good players.’ All have shown promise when given minutes this season. But those opportunities have been few and far between, which isn’t all that surprising when you consider the players ahead of them on the depth chart. ‘If I were with a different team, maybe I would be playing more,’ Harangody, a second-round pick in last June’s NBA draft, told CSNNE.com. ‘But every day, I get to play against guys like Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O’Neal, some of the best players to ever play the game. That can only help me down the road, to be a better NBA player.’ Bradley echoed similar sentiments to CSNNE.com. ‘These guys have been great for me,’ Bradley said. ‘The thing I love about all of my teammates, is how hard they work, everyday. My whole life, I was always better than everybody; faster, stronger. What Doc [Rivers] stresses with me, is that people at this level are going to be strong and fast, just like me. The veterans on this team do a great job of challenging me, encouraging me to just keep working, to just keep trying to get better.’”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “Erden began his professional basketball in Europe when he was a teenager. This summer he played for the Turkish National Team in the 2010 FIBA Tournament, including 18 minutes in the championship game against the United States. After starting four games this season in place of Shaquille O’Neal, Erden has not played since December 22. That isn’t stopping him, though, from enjoying his rookie season in the NBA. ‘I just keep working, that’s it,’ Erden said. ‘I have to work. I have to be ready. I’m patient and wait my turn. I take my time so I can show my best. That’s it. Just work, work, work . . . [I don’t get frustrated.] I’m good because we have a lot of experienced guys. I learn everything right now and I know everything because it’s [been] like four months. I’m watching and enjoying because we won the game and everybody played good and we are teammates . . . I have a good attitude because this is a chance but I’m happy. I’m happy to be here.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “Ainge called Rajon Rondo’s performance, ‘one of the best games Rondo’s ever played,’ but Ainge was more impressed by his defense against Tony Parker, than his triple-double stat line. ‘Not only did he control the game offensively — he had a lot of assists last night because Ray [Allen] was shooting the ball so well. His numbers can be deceiving. His defense against Tony Parker, he was fighting through the screens. I think the two games he played prior to that he was just out there. I don’t think he was playing 100 percent. I don’t think he could. He was just out there just to get us in our offense. It was helpful but he wasn’t playing the defense like he did.’ Ainge also noted Allen’s night, in which the veteran sharpshooter made 13-of-16 shots with many coming off the same play. ‘I don’t know who else in the league can do what Ray did last night. Just catching and shooting going away from the basket off down screens, other than guys like Reggie Miller and Dale Ellis, there really aren’t that many guys that are proficient at it.’”

Brandon Lawrence, WEEI – “Through the 22 assists and the triple-double, I think you can make a case that the most amazing thing was his block last night. [Doc Rivers replied,] ‘To me, not only the most amazing, but the most important thing was that he took shots down the stretch. I’ve said this before, as good as he’s playing and we’re playing right now at times, it’s a different game in the playoffs. The one area that Rondo has to improve in, and he’s really worked on, and you saw that improvement last night, is the elbow jump shot. We know, during the playoffs, that’s what everyone’s going to force him to do, and everyone’s going to help on Ray [Allen] to take those shots off of Rondo, and if Rondo can make those shots, then we’re really good.”

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.

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “Earlier in the game [Rondo] came to the conclusion that the Spurs were going to do whatever they could to take Paul Pierce out of the offense. That meant he could direct the flow of the offense toward Ray Allen. Rivers noticed it too. Rondo looked at Rivers. Rivers nodded and said, ‘Keep it simple.’ So they ran the same pindown, over and over again, and Allen made 13-of-16 shots and scored 31 points. When Rondo is being Rondo, the Celtics are not only a great basketball team, they are also a joy to behold. ‘I still don’t think he’s near 100 percent, but Rondo’s a warrior,” Marquis Daniels said. “He’s going to fight through whatever it is. He always wants to play regardless of the situation. You got to tip your hat to a guy like that who comes out every night and puts his work hat on.’”

Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe – “There was little reason to rip Jesus Shuttlesworth on this night, until the finish. For most of the night, Allen looked like he was throwing apples into an oil drum. Then came the curious two misses from the line at the end. ‘That just about never happens with Ray,’ said Danny Ainge. ‘I remember Kevin McHale did it at the end of that Laker game in the ’84 Finals. Right before Gerald Henderson stole the ball. We were laughing the next day because when we watched the film you could see Kevin’s knees shaking before the second free throw.’ ‘I will shoot 100 free throws tomorrow,’ pledged Allen.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “It was one of those can’t-miss nights for Ray Allen. He was 13 of 16 from the floor, and when he sprung free for a 3-pointer from in front of the Spurs’ bench with 1:37 remaining last night, he seemed to all but bury the team with the best record in the NBA. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sat amazed — if also aggravated — by Allen’s accuracy. ‘If it was practice and you did pindowns and you came off that, I don’t know if anyone in the league would hit 13 of 16,’ Popovich said.”

Mike Petraglia, WEEI – “Paul Pierce blocked Manu Ginobili‘s jumper as time expired to preserve a 105-103 win over the NBA-leading San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night at TD Garden. ‘We didn’t want to give up a three, that was kind of the only thing that could beat us, we sort of overplayed on the three point line,’ Pierce said. ‘They made a two-pointer and I had to go out, or it would go into overtime, but that was the main thing just to take away the three point shot.’ Rajon Rondo made team history with 22 assists as part of a triple-double, as the Celtics held off the Spurs in a match-up of teams with the two best records in the NBA. Rondo – who also finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds – became the first player in Celtics history with at least 19 assists in three games in a season. He fell just two shy of his season high of 24 on Oct. 29 vs. the Knicks. ‘He did it all, he rebounded, assisted, Doc’s kind of been on him about taking that shot there and he steps up when he needs to and knocks down those shots confidently,’ Pierce said.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Point guard Rajon Rondo thrives on his ability to see things before they happen. The 22 assists he handed out as part of his latest eyebrow-raising triple-double Wednesday night in the Boston Celtics’ 105-103 triumph over the San Antonio Spurs are evidence of that. But Rondo’s power of clairvoyance began long before he stepped onto the TD Garden court for a 43-minute shift. Rondo had fully anticipated another night of working against a sagging defense, players gleefully running under screens to prevent him from doing any damage by driving to the basket. So following the Celtics’ morning walkthrough, Rondo spent extra time working on his mid-range jumper, spraying shots over invisible Manu Ginoblis. ‘We watched film today while working out, but I was upstairs and I watched Rondo take shot after shot after shot after shot,’ Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. ‘You could see himself mentally getting ready for what he thought was going to happen, and it did. They went under [screens on the pick-and-roll] and he stepped up and made shots.’ … ‘We wanted him to take shots; that’s the next step for him,’ Rivers said after Monday’s game. ‘He can make those shots. That’s what’s so frustrating to our guys: [Rondo] passed up at least six of them today, maybe seven. Rondo can make those shots. We just have to get him to take them after a miss. Because the way [the Timberwolves] guarded him tonight is the way they’re going to guard him in the playoffs. I see him every day in practice make that shot. Two years ago, I didn’t say that. He’s an elbow shooter. He can make them all day. He will make them all day. We’ve just got to make him keep shooting.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘Maybe it was telling of a back-to-back that we caught them in,’ Pierce said of San Antonio’s loss in New York Tuesday night. ‘We are one of the best offensive teams in the league when we run our stuff and make our shots. When we get the ball in Rondo’s hands, we’re a great team offensively.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “After Paul Pierce swatted Manu Ginobili’s 3-point attempt away, Rondo gathered the loose ball and threw it in the air as time ran out. ‘It wasn’t like it was 0.0 on the clock,’ Rondo said. ‘But it’s a rebound, right?’ The play gave him his sixth career triple-double in the regular season, and he wasn’t arguing. ‘I didn’t expect a blocked shot, but I just tried to recover the ball,’ Rondo said. ‘I don’t know if it was a block or a steal for me, I just tried to recover the ball.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “‘At halftime, I decided to go small, which I thought helped us,’ said Rivers. ‘I thought, obviously, Ray [Allen] and Paul and [Rajon] Rondo were phenomenal. But I thought Jermaine O’Neal, honestly, was just absolutely huge for us. We left him out there, he defended Tim [Duncan] one-on-one for the most part and he got blocks, he gave us defensive energy. He was absolutely sensational.’ So why go small? ‘Because Bonner was killing us,’ said Rivers. ‘And I thought the way they were guarding Paul in the first half, with the overplays and using the other big, I thought if we put another small on the floor, especially a shooting small like Nate [Robinson], then they could no longer overplay Paul. And then, defensively, we could match up with Bonner and take his shots away. So that’s why we did it.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘[Glen Davis has] given us a big spark filling in for Kevin, especially,’ said Pierce. ‘The things he does coming off the bench being a great sixth man — probably the best sixth man in basketball right now if you ask me. ‘He’s doing a lovely job at that. I mean, we’re asking him to do so many things that Kevin does.’ Davis was good rolling to the hoop, and he also found the mid-range jumper to be quite available. ‘I just shot the ball,’ he said. ‘They were kind of like playing off me. I kind of was shocked. I was like, “Oh my gosh, they don’t want to check me.’ They just want to let me shoot. So I just kept shooting and got into a rhythm. I hit some good shots.’ Davis admitted he thinks about his financial future at times, ‘but you try to still stay within yourself and the team,’ he said. ‘You’ve just got to keep pushing and don’t worry about it.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “‘I’m always surprised whenever I get open,’ Allen said. ‘Especially from three.’ One of the reasons he has such freedom offensively is because of his tireless running from one side of the court to the other, usually bouncing off a screen set by a teammate. ‘One thing I learned about basketball a long time ago,’ Allen said. ‘If I can be in better shape than the guy guarding me, then the team will have problems.’ It also helps that Allen is on the floor with a number of high-powered scorers, such as Paul Pierce. ‘It really is pick your poison for teams when they play us,’ Daniels said. ‘Who you gonna help off of? Paul? You do that, we go to Ray. You help off Ray, we go to Paul. Either way you go, you’re going to have your hands full.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “Those who spend time around the Spurs invariably walk away talking about how coach Gregg Popovich is able to get on Duncan and the ancillary benefits that has down the roster. ‘Well, he certainly makes it easy on me,’ Popovich said before his team lost a 105-103 decision to the Celtics last night. ‘I think it’s just a logical thought that if the star of your team can handle criticism and is willing to be coached that that’s good for the whole group. You don’t have to be a genius to figure that out, and I’m fortunate that I’ve got a guy like that. There are times when I get on him pretty good.’ Celts coach Doc Rivers said it’s the same with him regarding Paul Pierce [stats], Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. ‘I remember when we were losing and I was talking to Pop one time,’ Rivers said. ‘One of the first things he said is, ‘First of all, if your best player is really good, that helps. But if your best player is really good and he allows you to coach him, it allows you to coach the team.’ I really believe that’s the key. Then obviously you hope what you’re doing is right. But the fact that the guy will follow, it allows you to coach the team and it allows everyone else — they almost have to fall into place. And the ones who don’t kind of stand out. Hey, listen,’ Rivers went on, ‘Kevin and Paul and Ray, when they got together, they clearly allowed me to coach them. They all changed what they were doing offensively. Paul and Ray really dedicated themselves defensively, and it made it easier to coach some of the young guys.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “The Celtics had until last night to waive guards Von Wafer and Delonte West, and instead let the deadline pass, guaranteeing the minimum contracts of both players for the rest of the season. Wafer, unaware that he had just dodged a major bullet, was understandably thrilled. ‘That’s definitely a relief,’ said Wafer, a skilled shooter who has won a job on this team thanks to his defense as well as his scoring. ‘I’m really happy, man, just blessed.’”

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