Ray Allen returned to the starting lineup last night for the first time since losing his spot, but again struggled.

Afterward, I wrote far too many words at SB Nation about Allen’s battle with time, injury and his new role on a team that’s evolving without him. A brief excerpt follows, or read the whole thing. (SB Nation)

Ray Allen sat in the same seat he had used in pregame introductions for most of his five years in Boston, his perfectly smooth bald head lowered, his leg bouncing slightly up and down, likely with anticipation, as he waited for the TD Garden PA announcer to shout his name.

“Raayyy Allllennnn” came the call through the Garden speakers. The most prolific three-point maker in NBA history rose from his seat to chest bump Paul Pierce, and ran through the two lines of teammates which had formed as part of a long-standing pregame tradition shared by almost every basketball team, at any level. After slapping high fives with most of his teammates, Allen hopped on one leg and pretended to shoot a jumper, always his signature in pregame introductions.

This is what he did prior to every home game he played with the Celtics before April 4. This is what he had not done since then, until Monday.

After scoring five points on 2-7 shooting in the Celtics’ 101-85 Game 5 victory, Allen was asked whether his first start in more than a month felt different than any other. He normally responds to even the dumbest questions with a thoroughly-contemplated and articulate answer, but he was uncharacteristically short this time.

“Nope,” he replied.

Maybe he was telling the truth. But never before had he begun a game as an outsider within his own starting five.

Read the rest if you love me.

Sometimes when the Boston Celtics flirt with danger, it finds them, smacks them and attempts to teach them that danger is nothing desirable. Other times when the Celtics flirt with danger, Brandon Bass scores 18 points in a single quarter to deliver them from evil and into a commanding 3-2 series lead.

Little Bass had done before Monday night foreshadowed his eruption. He had played 69 games with the Celtics, including both regular season and the playoffs, and scored 18 or more points in a full game just 11 times. His season high of 22 points, which he accomplished twice, came against the Golden St. Warriors and the Charlotte Bobcats, two of the league’s worst defenses. He had not scored more than 15 points in any playoff game, and he had struggled with his shot, including a 5-for-15 showing in Game 2 against Philadelphia that featured an impressive nine straight misses.

Asked what the difference was Monday, when Bass finished with a postseason career-high 27 points, including 18 in the third quarter (two more than the Sixers mustered), Doc Rivers began, “Well, the ball went in. That was one.”

That was one ingredient of the recipe, but the story was far more complicated than that. It included a point guard, Rajon Rondo, who found Bass when he opened and hit him in stride. It included a Philadelphia 76ers defense designed to limit Paul Pierce and force the ball to Boston’s big men. It included Bass reading and reacting intelligently to Philadelphia’s coverage.

As Rivers explained, “One of the things we keep trying to get Brandon to do is get to the second pick. He’s open on the first one, but they recover out. But then when he swings it and gets to the second one, we keep telling him, ‘How many bigs want to show twice on the same pick and roll, and then recover back out to you? And if they recover back out to you, they’re out of control and you can shoot or drive.’ And I just thought he kept the game simple in the second half.”

Added Ray Allen, “I guarantee he will tell you it was one of the more difficult games he had to play. He was in great position all night, he read the defense, and made the right plays offensively the whole time.”

None of Bass’ contributions were more important than those at the end of the third quarter. Kevin Garnett was subbed out of the lineup with five minutes left in the frame, and the Sixers quickly cut a 63-57 deficit to 63-62. At that point, the Sixers felt they had quelled the momentum.

“I thought okay guys, we’re back in it,” said Collins.

But Bass had other plans. He drilled a 15-footer on Boston’s next possession, dunked on the following one, and finished with eight points in the final 3:33 of the third. By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the Celtics held a comfortable lead, 75-66. Not only had they fended off their normal lapse when Garnett hits the bench, they even boosted the lead without him on the floor.

After paving the way as Boston avoided what might have been a lethal loss, Bass sat at the press conference podium and pointed out the beads of sweat on his forehead.

“Because I’m nervous,” he explained. This was his first time ever sitting at a podium. “But I’m grateful.”

The Celtics were grateful, too. Without Bass’ third-quarter explosion, they might be staring at potential elimination Wednesday night. Instead, they’re one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals.

Doc Rivers just called Avery Bradley "50/50" to play tomorrow night. @celtics @weei

about 18 hours ago via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@MutWEEI

Mike Mutnansky

Here’s what Rivers had to say about Bradley yesterday night prior to Game 5:

“It’s not just the one — it’s actually both shoulders. And that’s probably trying to protect the other one. It’s pretty bad. We have to keep winning, obviously, and hope he can still play games that day. But I think this is probably how it’s going to be from this point on. I think he’ll play a game and miss a couple, and play a game,” said Doc Rivers. …

“We lose our defensive captain,” Rivers said, also mentioning Kevin Garnett’s name to reference Boston’s other clear defensive leader. “When Avery’s [not playing], it takes away the ability to put Rondo on different guys to give him a rest at times. I think ball pressure against Philly is really important, and to ask Rondo to do that and run the team is very difficult. So he clearly takes something out of our lineup.”

Mike Petraglia of WEEI reported that Bradley is “highly unlikely” to play again this series. If so, it wouldn’t be the first time the Celtics have shielded us from the complete truth.

Kevin Garnett had no recollection whatsoever of the play that helped kick-start the Boston Celtics’ comeback Game 5 victory. He has claimed in the past that he listens to fans rather than checking the scoreboard to see how the Celtics are doing. But in this case, Garnett had no memory of the TD Garden spectators erupting as loudly as they had all night, chanting, “Bull-shit, bull-shit” after he was called for an offensive foul while attempting to finish over Spencer Hawes.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Garnett replied to the reporter who asked about the play. ”I can’t see the difference [in the crowd] between minute and minute. I feel like every minute I look up, I see my family, I hear people yelling, I see the drunk fat guy.”

The 76ers’ collapse had actually started a possession before The Big Ticket’s offensive foul, when Philadelphia botched a major opportunity to extend a 57-53 lead. Andre Iguodala missed a pair of free throws that resulted from a clear-path foul, and the Sixers committed a turnover on their following possession. But the Celtics’ run did not begin until after the questionable foul call on Garnett awakened a crowd that had previously been dormant.

With the 20,000-plus in attendance screaming for the referees’ heads, the Celtics pieced together a perfect defensive stand, ultimately resulting in a three-second violation on Philadelphia. Garnett canned a jumper to bring the Celtics within 57-55, spurring a 48-28 game-ending Celtics run that lasted 17 minutes.

“I thought we had a good grip of the game,” said Doug Collins, “and it went downhill quickly.”

It went downhill surrounded by a landscape of Brandon Bass buckets and Rajon Rondo dominance. It went so very downhill for Philadelphia that Gino snapped out of a long nap to perform on the Jumbotron in the fourth quarter, and the most exciting part of the final minutes was a “Scal-a-breen-ee” chant for CSNNE’s newest analyst. Philadelphia, after controlling the entire first half and coming within 20 minutes of heading home with a 3-2 series lead, now faces elimination on Wednesday.

Doc Rivers wasn’t 100 percent sure whether Garnett’s foul was the spark for Boston’s run, but he had a better memory than his starting center.

“You could say the foul called on Kevin (Garnett) – I thought from that point on we exploded,” Rivers said. “You know, like I said, it was one of those games, we needed something to ignite us together. And I don’t know if that didn’t do it, I don’t know what did it, but something did it, and once we started playing right then we played very well.”

Garnett was his typically descriptive self when explaining the impact the crowd can have on his play.

“It’s like taking a cold shower and stepping into a freezer that’s below-60 [degrees],” he said. Because everyone knows that feeling.

The Celtics weren’t expected to need a boost from the crowd on Monday, not in a critical Game 5 with the season perhaps hanging in the balance. But after the Celtics (and the crowd, for that matter) struggled with energy for the opening half, an extra surge of motivation was required. A questionable call catalyzed the crowd, which catalyzed Garnett, who catalyzed Bass and the rest of his teammates, who all worked together as the Celtics forcefully prevailed.

The whole sequence of events could be traced back to Garnett’s offensive foul. He just doesn’t remember.

That was simply Basstacular, no?

With 7:41 remaining in the third quarter, Kevin Garnett was called for a questionable offensive foul while trying to finish over Spencer Hawes. The crowd, showing vital signs which had not been present the entire night, erupted in chants of “bullshit.” Boston responded with a great defensive possession, Philadelphia was called for a three-second violation, Kevin Garnett drilled a jumper, Boston won the game of hide-and-seek with its defense, Brandon Bass spectacularly rose from the ashes, Rondo dominated the fourth quarter, and the Philadelphia 76ers will now host an elimination game Wednesday night. When the fourth-quarter bell mercilessly ended this fight, the weary Sixers had been outscored 48-28 since Garnett’s foul.

Plenty more to come later on Boston’s series-momentum-altering victory, but for now I’m at the TD Garden pretending to be a member of the media.

My understanding from a source is that it's "highly unlikely" Avery plays again this series. #Celtics

May 21, 2012 6:16 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@Trags

Mike Petraglia

Source with knowledge of situation says it's also probable Bradley is done for season but Doc did say 'He'll play games I think' #Celtics

May 21, 2012 6:24 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@Trags

Mike Petraglia

Avery Bradley will miss Game 5 due to not one, but two bothersome shoulders. (Glass full: at least Bradley doesn’t have three bothersome shoulders.) It’s not contagious, I don’t think, but Doc Rivers said the 21-year old might have injured his right shoulder trying to protect his injured left. Ray Allen will take Bradley’s spot in the lineup during the young buck’s absence.

This might not just be a tonight thing, either. Bradley is expected to be a day-to-day decision for the remainder of the playoffs.

“It’s not just the one — it’s actually both shoulders. And that’s probably trying to protect the other one. It’s pretty bad. We have to keep winning, obviously, and hope he can still play games that day. But I think this is probably how it’s going to be from this point on. I think he’ll play a game and miss a couple, and play a game,” said Doc Rivers.

The Celtics coach added that Bradley’s strength hasn’t returned since his shoulder temporarily dislocated in Game 4. With Bradley out, Allen regains his familiar spot in the starting five.

But it’s a testament to Allen’s health issues, and his off-and-on (and mostly off) play this postseason, that Rivers isn’t sure whether he or somebody else will step up in Bradley’s absence.

“One of the three — Keyon [Dooling], Ray or [Mickael Pietrus] — will take a bigger role without Avery. It’d be easy to tell you before the game who it would be — obviously you hope it’s Ray, but Ray’s limited with his health,” Rivers explained. “So it may end up having to be one of the other two guys.”

Despite cold shooting through most of the playoffs, Bradley is second on the Celtics behind Kevin Garnett in on-court/off-court numbers. Rivers understands that the loss is critical to Boston’s chances.

“We lose our defensive captain,” Rivers said, also mentioning Kevin Garnett’s name to reference Boston’s other clear defensive leader. “When Avery’s [not playing], it takes away the ability to put Rondo on different guys to give him a rest at times. I think ball pressure against Philly is really important, and to ask Rondo to do that and run the team is very difficult. So he clearly takes something out of our lineup.”

The Boston Celtics are accomplished and they are proud, and occasionally those traits morph them into cocky and disrespectful. Their performance in Game 4 — when they could have, and should have, opened up a 3-1 series lead — brought the latter traits into the forefront, but the former characteristics provide a basis to believe the Celtics will not be unraveled by their 18 minutes of dysfuntion.

The Big Three-era Celtics had never blown an 18-point postseason lead before Friday night. The Sixers, for 24 minutes, were everything that bothers the Celtics. They were athletic and long and attacking and they would not stop pounding the glass, nor would they stop forcing turnovers and getting easy looks in transition.  The Sixers spent the final two quarters of Friday’s game giving a clinic in how to beat the Celtics — limit Rondo’s transition opportunities, body the Celtics in the paint, be as physical as possible with Kevin Garnett, and use dribble penetration to break down one of the NBA’s fiercest defenses. The Sixers were much, much better than Boston during the latter portion of Game 4.

But the Celtics are accomplished and they are proud, and if you think they lost any confidence as a result of the battering, you probably haven’t paid much attention. I won’t even describe past seasons, since only the nucleus remains from 2010. But this season brings plenty of evidence that when the Celtics get backed against the ropes, they respond with a series of haymakers. Injuries or heart issues ended the seasons of Jermaine O’Neal, Chris Wilcox and Jeff Green. Doc Rivers simply plugged the next guy into the rotation and his team kept improving. Ray Allen went down, so Avery Bradley stepped in (and up). The Celtics were 15-17 at the All-Star break, but Doc Rivers swore — both to the media and to Danny Ainge behind closed doors — that his team would turn its season around. They finished with the league’s best record after the break.

This team was so confident it chose not to reach for home court advantage. The Celtics approached the playoffs with a chance host the Hawks in the first round, but they decided to rest regulars down the stretch. Their reasoning, besides having a number of nagging injuries: We’re good enough to beat the Atlanta Hawks — anywhere, any time. Now the Celtics still have home court advantage against Philadelphia. It’s safe to assume they still believe they’ll beat the Sixers two times in the next three, no matter how many times Evan Turner dashed into the paint Friday night.

Celtic Pride, at least in the Big Three era, is both a gift and a curse. It enables the Celtics to predict sun even when everybody else in the world sees a wild rain storm approaching. It also enabled the Celtics to collapse and look indifferent during the second half of a game that would have all but put the Sixers away.

The Celtics believe they’re going to win two of the next three games. Now, they only have to do it.

St. Bonaventure's Andrew Nicholson works out for Boston and OKC this week. OKC's long been on him, but C's looking hard w/ 21st-22nd picks.

May 21, 2012 12:04 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@WojYahooNBA

Adrian Wojnarowski

We interrupt our regularly scheduled playoffs chatter to bring you this NBA Draft update. I don’t watch an incredible amount of college basketball, but I’ve seen enough to know the Celtics could do worse than Nicholson at the 21st or 22nd pick.

Big man? Check. Outside touch? Check. Led St. Bonaventure into the NCAA Tournament, which is akin to taking the Charlotte Bobcats to the NBA Playoffs? Check. Physics major who didn’t start playing basketball until his junior year of high school and might thus have more room to grow than the average college senior? Check. Too many turnovers and a middling rebounder? At least he’ll fit in?

Go read Draft Express’ Nicholson profile. It hasn’t been updated since January, so the scouting report might be slightly outdated, but the major points are that he’s an offensively talented big man with upside despite his age and lack of elite athleticism.

Avery Bradley is the only player not on the court for morning shootaround, but he's still considered a "game-time decision" for tonight.

May 21, 2012 11:04 am via Twitter for MacReplyRetweetFavorite

@celtics

Boston Celtics

This seems like a good time to mention that Bradley — despite postseason shooting that more closely resembles 2011 than it does his 2012 rebirth — is second on the Celtics behind Kevin Garnett in postseason on-court/off-court numbers. And third isn’t even close.

Avery Bradley is not practicing today because of the shoulder. Doc said a lot of guys wouldn't be playing with it.

May 20, 2012 12:25 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@Pflanns

Paul Flannery

Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce seem quite impressed with Bradley’s heart, though Rivers is concerned Bradley won’t be able to stay on the court for the remainder of the postseason. (WEEI and Boston Herald)

“It came out and went right back, which is crazy. It’s a tough thing what he’s going through. A lot of players would not be playing, I’ll say that,” Doc Rivers said. “He’s dealing with stuff. It’s just tough. It really is. I swear a lot of people would not be playing and the only reason he is, is because he wants to. I am concerned at some point that he may not be able to anymore. We don’t know what game that is, we don’t know what day he can finish it and we can keep going all the way and he can play and tomorrow could be his last game.” …

“It just says who he is,” said Celtics forward and captain Paul Pierce. “A guy who wants to be out there. A guy that wants to win and do anything he can to help this ball club. What more can I say? A lot of young players would probably sit down and worry about their futures or careers or contract situations, but at the end of the day Avery has to do what’s best for him and his family and possibly for the long run. Hopefully, he doesn’t have any longterm injuries due to the fact that he’s playing. I think it’s a fine line.”

The list of 21-year old NBAers tougher than Avery Bradley:

No, I didn’t write anything in white font. That’s the whole list.