The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

Pierce: "Hey Ray, that dude just threw a beer at me." Ray: "Nah, that beer was aimed for Mo Williams."

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com – “Compare that to Boston coach Glenn (Doc) Rivers, who said that his players “adjusted” by simply doing what they should have done from the series’ start. ‘We didn’t make any. Honestly,’ Rivers said. ‘We felt that we just didn’t do our jobs in the first game. We didn’t do our defense. We weren’t in the spots we should have been in, and all we talked about was, ‘Let’s see if we can do that first. Then if they score, we can make an adjustment.’ The only adjustment we really made was doing it the way we should do it.’ B-b-b-b-b-but the results were so different: Fifteen points shaved off Cleveland’s total. Re-newly crowned MVP LeBron James was held to 24, almost six points below his season scoring average and more than eight off his mark (32.3 ppg) through the Cavs’ first six postseason games. Four points from Mo Williams rather than 20. Defensive shooting percentage that bumped to 40 percent only when it was too late for Cleveland, compared to 48.7 percent in Game 1. This time, Boston looked like Boston rather than the defensive impostors who showed up Saturday. ‘Our whole team defense is the same all the time,’ Rivers said. ‘We always talk about shrinking the floor and letting everybody see five guys in the paint. In Game 1, there were so many gaps when we watched the film. Everybody was hugging up on their guys. I thought [this time] we did a great job in the paint and then on drive-and-kicks, in recovering back out.’”

Sam D’Amico, NBA.com – “This one wasn’t much different than the first one, with the Celtics clearly outplaying the Cavaliers in the first two quarters. The Celtics beat the Cavs to loose balls and rebounds, and kept them from getting many good looks at the basket. Just like Game 1, the Celtics had to deal with a massive Cavs rally in the second half. This time, though, they didn’t act surprised. This time, the Celtics kept scratching, clawing and battling, and this time, they finished the job. And while Rondo (13 points, career-high 19 assists) was again remarkable, chalk this one up to a team effort in the truest sense. ‘We have a good team, but we’re not gonna beat anybody individually as we are,’ said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. ‘But if we do it together, we have a shot.’ While not even league MVP LeBron James could get anything going for the Cavs, the Celtics were as balanced as they’ve been all season.”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “The Celtics spent the past three days in Northeast Ohio obliterating the mystique of the Cavaliers. Cleveland spent all season treating itself like an NBA champion, adoring itself with pregame charades and finally crowning LeBron James with his second Most Valuable Player award Sunday in Akron as if it was a precursor to more glittering hardware. Now the Cavaliers head to Boston for Friday night’s Game 3 with major concerns following the Celtics’ 104-86 whitewashing last night, which included a 31-12 third-quarter surge. The Celtics then withstood a 5-minute-40-second scoring drought in the fourth quarter and ended Game 2 not sagging on the ropes, but punching back with a late flurry and extinguishing any Cleveland momentum heading into a three-day break. The Celtics entered this series as decided underdogs. Many NBA pundits said the Cavaliers would win in four or five. Cleveland is one of the tougher road venues in the NBA and the crowd made a difference in the third quarter of Game 1, when Mo Williams scored 10 consecutive points and the Cavaliers played themselves back into the game. Last night, the Celtics again started strong and reduced the crowd effect. And a team that has been mostly dreadful this season in the third quarter reacted with a 21-4 run to quiet not only the crowd but the supremely confident Cavaliers, who had not lost a home game with LeBron James in the lineup since Feb. 18.”

Chris Broussard, ESPN – “It started out as the celebration of a young phenom, with David Stern handing LeBron James the Maurice Podoloff Trophy and thousands of adoring fans raising “MVP X2″ placards. But after all the hoopla and fanfare, it quickly became a reminder that old champions don’t die easily, that contrary to popular belief the glory days may not be over for Boston’s group of proud and feisty veterans. Oh, and they have a young phenom too. Don’t count Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce out just yet. They’ve got warriors’ hearts and, just as importantly, Rajon Rondo, a slick point guard who’s at his best when the stakes are sky-high. Though some, including me, penned their epitaph in March, the Celtics appear more poised to seize the moment than do the ballyhooed Cleveland Cavaliers, whom the Celtics demolished 104-86 Monday night to even the series at 1-1 and steal away the home-court advantage.”

Rich Levine, CSNNE – “‘He just had a great floor game,’ Rivers said. ‘That’s the second one in the playoffs where I’d call him [Jason] Varitek. I just thought that he called great balls and strikes, if you want to put it that way. He felt the game, through the coach, and when you get that, with a point guard.’ To which Rondo responded: ‘That helps my confidence a lot. Doc and I have been in the same system for four years now. I’m starting to know exactly what he wants me to call at certain times in the game. And we just have a great relationship right now to where we know exactly what we want to call.’ There are many places around the NBA where this public display of respect and understanding wouldn’t be cause for this story. But in Boston, it’s important. It’s a testament to how far these two have come in their relationship off the court, and confirmation of the strides Rondo’s made as a leader and player on it. Sure, there are still fleeting moments when the focus might be lacking; where you still wish he’d be more assertive or aggressive around the hoop. But those are now far out-weighed by the times where you sit back and think to yourself, ‘Wow, this guy’s an absolute star.’ And on Monday night, that’s exactly what he was.”

Ron Borges, Boston Herald – “Call it the Sheedshank Redemption if you want. Call it a miracle if you must. Call it whatever you’d like, but in the end the smart thing is to call it what it was last night at Quicken Loans Arena. It was a warning. The Cavs may have the league’s MVP. They may have the best record in basketball. They may have youth and the NBA hierarchy on their side, the latter rooting for a LeBron vs. Kobe NBA Finals. But they don’t have the Celtics convinced of anything except that they are not going quietly to an early summer vacation.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “According to the wizards at ESPN Stats and Information, Rondo single-handedly accounted for 59 of Boston’s 104 points, his 19 assists leading to 46 points. LeBron James, who accepted his second consecutive MVP award Tuesday night, and Mo Williams, who took over Game 1 with a furious third-quarter outburst, combined to account for 53 points for the Cavaliers. James heaped praise on Rondo, even after Cleveland’s Game 1 victory Saturday, but only foreshadowed Monday’s outburst when he noted, ‘He poses a threat to our interior because he’s so fast and gets into our interior. He breaks our interior down where he’s able to get a layup or kick out for a 3-pointer. We have to do a better job of trying to keep him out of the paint.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “‘We knew they were going to make a run because they’re at home and they’re a good team,’’ said Garnett. “But I thought we withstood that and made a run of our own and shut the game down after that.’ When the focus withered and the Celtics looked as if they’d give back a lead they spent three quarters building, a light bulb went on. ‘When we went up, we kind of relaxed like we were surprised that we were up,’ said Glen Davis, who scored 6 points in 13 minutes. ‘We’ve got to know that we’re a great team. We’ve got to know that we’re a team that can play with this team, the Cavaliers. We can’t give them any hope. We can’t give them any sunlight. We’ve got to let them know we’re going to beat them.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘Not only outside but the drives, as well,’ said Rivers. ‘I thought establishing Kevin (Garnett) . . . you know, Kevin was going way too fast in the first half. But he still was a concern on the post, and I kept telling our coaches, ‘I don’t care that he’s not converting right now. They’re trapping. They’re worried about him down there, and if we keep hammering down there, eventually the outside would open.’ And that’s what happened for us.’ Garnett’s first seven field goals were paint products. (His last was an open 19-footer with 1:14 remaining and the Cavaliers crawling toward their dressing room.) Hey, the fact KG took 21 shots was huge. By continuing to go into the post to wrestle with Antawn Jamison, it gave the Celtics a consistent presence that changed the game for others. Garnett was much more pleased with his 6-for-12, 14-point second half, and was lamenting his missed opportunities. ‘I’ve got to be a lot more patient on the post,’Garnett said. ‘I know they’re starting to double now, and I’m a decent passer so I’ve just got to wait. But at the same time, when they’re not (double-teaming), I’ve just got to be aggressive and stay aggressive. I thought Sheed (Rasheed Wallace) and everybody who was in the post was aggressive tonight. We got Paul being aggressive, Ray, everybody who played tonight was pretty much aggressive. And that’s how you’ve got to do this team. They’re a very good defensive team, and you’ve got to continue to attack.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “When Boston’s Rasheed Wallace bricked a 3-pointer at the conclusion of the third quarter in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, he stomped back to the bench in mock frustration, a big smile across his face. It was a familiar moment for Wallace, who has misfired on a passel of trifectas since coming to Boston this season — 208 of the 290 he hoisted during the regular season, and all three he had previously attempted in the postseason coming into Monday night. Those misses — and other transgressions — have left Celtics fans stomping mad in genuine frustration with a player who was brought in to lift the Green over the second-round hump they got stuck on last year in the playoffs. Rasheed Wallace, who answered coach Doc Rivers’ challenge with 17 points and solid defense, finally had reason to smile Monday. On Monday night, both Wallace and the fans who want to love him could both smile. In what amounted to a must-win for Boston, that 3-pointer was the only shot Wallace missed.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “Wallace knocked down his first five shots last night, and when the ball went long off the back iron after he pulled his sixth, he kicked at the hardwood, hopping mad as he went back the other way. He was expecting perfection, even if the outside world had written him off as a bust. Wallace finished with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, going 3 of 4 from the 3-point line, a shot that abandoned him most of a the regular season. He said nothing after the game, letting the numbers — and his teammates — talk for him. ‘That was the difference in the game,’ Davis said. ‘Rasheed Wallace came and he did some huge things for us tonight and each night it’s going to be somebody different.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “Rajon Rondo, the Celtics’ first-half hero of Game 1, followed up a career-playoff-high-tying 12-assist performance with a new personal best. He outdished the entire Cleveland lineup, 19 assists to their 17. ‘His role is just to play with speed and that’s why we get the ball to him as much as possible, because he causes havoc,’ said Celtics forward Paul Pierce. ‘He’s one of the quicker point guards in the league, if not the fastest, and we want to play him to his strengths. That’s what we do when we get the ball to him early in transition.’ An openly upset Cleveland coach Mike Brown scolded his Cavs for a lack of urgency. ‘They kicked our behind from the beginning,’ he said. James, the calmer of the two, shrugged off the result, including a third quarter the Cavs forward called, ‘One of the worst we have had this year on offense and defense.’”

Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe – “The Cavaliers won more games than any team in basketball this season. They are supposed to bring Cleveland its first championship of any kind since 1964 (Browns). They are 74-8 at the Quicken Loans Arena the last two regular seasons. And the Celtics beat them, 104-86, last night. Impressive. ‘They kicked our behinds from the beginning,’ said perturbed Cleveland coach Mike Brown. ‘We did not fight back until late. We’ve got to decide if we’re going to take the fight to them. There ain’t a thing that is going to be given to us in this series. Coming from behind in the first game, coming from behind in the second game, that’s not good enough. We’ve got to bring a greater sense of urgency than we did tonight.’”

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