Eddie F. Rush, the man who called two phantom technicals on Kendrick Perkins in Game 5 of the Orlando series, has been assigned to ref Game 4 tonight. In case you don’t remember, one of the techs was called when Perkins’ elbow accidentally came into contact with Marcin Gortat. The other one was called when Perkins argued a borderline foul call by running away from the official.

Well, Donald Sterns, I mean David Stern, seems to have outdone himself again. I don’t know why, every game this series, Stern has assigned refs who have beef with the Celtics and Lakers and I can’t even begin to tell you why Stern has continued to help the officiating become as big a story as possible. With every sheisty assignment he makes, all it does is draw attention to the poor reffing we’ve had so far. That doesn’t make sense, does it? If you were Stern, you’d select no-name refs who have no history with either team — right? I have no idea why he’s adding fuel to the fire with every miserable choice he assigns.

All I know is this: Don’t be surprised if Perkins picks up a tech and gets suspended for Game 5, or if there’s another round of complaints about officiating after Game 4.

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.

Woj sure does know how to rub losses in. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

Ron Borges, Boston Herald – “Sitting in a near-silent Amway Arena yesterday morning, Paul Pierce spoke about one of his favorite things – hearing once raucous fans in opposing arenas grow silent and then slink away after the final buzzer. Last night, he made that a stunning reality. ‘See you next year,’ Pierce snarled in the direction of several sad-faced Orlando fans as he walked off the Amway floor following a 95-92 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.”

Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel – “‘They brought the fight to us in a lot of ways. I thought we withstood the hits,’ Rivers said. Pierce led the Celtics with 28 points, hitting three 3-pointers, scored 22 in Game 1. He was asked what has been the difference since his poor offensive output against the Cleveland Cavaliers. ‘I didn’t have to guard LeBron James,” cracked Pierce, who quickly added, ‘Nothing against Vince [Carter].’”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe – “This is, as Doc says, the Paul Pierce the Celtics must have if they are to keep advancing. He is by far their best one-on-one player, the best, in fact, in the history of the franchise. (Some day, perhaps, stubborn old-timers will finally admit this obvious truth). He can get something at all times. It may not be pretty always, but he gets it, and many of those ugly maneuvers result in a trip to the free throw line. He long ago realized that there are no style points in this game. The only question for the guy throwing the ball toward the basket is, ‘Did it go in, or didn’t it?’ That, or ‘Did you get the friendly toot?’ Pierce is a truly a combination of the best the 21st century has to offer, combined with the best tricks of the old school. A defender never knows exactly what he’s going to do, because just when you think he’s setting you up for the step-back, he can spin a foot or two farther and take a face-up jumper. Or he can fake one way or the other, put the ball on the floor and go to the basket. Or he can torture his man with an up-fake, or two, or three, perhaps capped off by a lean-in that draws contact. And at the end of it, he hits the floor as if run over by the entire field of the Kentucky Derby, just in case the referee hasn’t already gotten the message. All this chicanery is making him one of the most despised players in the league. I’m not talking about the players, who appreciate what he can do, but the fans, many of whom have never before seen someone with a playing style that seems to have been superimposed from 1959. What he’s doing would be nothing special at Convention Hall, Cobo Arena, the old Madison Square Garden, or Chicago Stadium.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “Put it this way: If the Bruins played hockey as well as the Celtics did last night, they’d still be playing. ‘Ooh, real tough,’ Glen Davis said of the 95-92 victory against the Magic in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. ‘Man it was a fight. We don’t worry about how pretty the game is. We leave that to the pretty boys. We just go out and play the game like it’s supposed to be played.’ It is supposed to be played like this in the postseason. Fifty-four fouls that were called and 54 more that were missed. ‘It was a great game intensity-wise,’ coach Doc Rivers said. ‘It was a game of runs, very physical. They got the better of us in that, I thought. They brought the fight to us in a lot of ways. I thought we withstood the hits, and that’s something you’ve got to keep doing.’”

John Hollinger, ESPN – “You can’t just turn it on for the playoffs … um, right? Maybe you can, after all; at least if you’ve done it before. The Boston Celtics, champions in 2008, limped through the final two-thirds of the regular season and were mostly counted out heading into the playoffs. Magically, all that changed once the postseason started. Boston blew past Miami in five games, shocked Cleveland by winning the final three games — including a 32-point rout in Game 5 — and continued its stunning run by beating Orlando 95-92 on Tuesday to take a 2-0 series lead in their best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Saturday in Boston. The Celtics have won five straight games against the East’s two regular-season heavyweights — Boston’s first five-game winning streak in more than half a year — and as a result has one foot in the NBA Finals and is six wins away from claiming a second championship in three years. So … did they just turn it on for the playoffs? ‘I know it’s starting to look that way,’ said Paul Pierce, who scored a team-high 28 points and shook off a second-quarter chop to the face from Dwight Howard that resulted in a flagrant foul. But he insisted that the Celtics’ charge really began in the final 10 games of the regular season. The results weren’t there yet — they lost three times to lottery teams — but the spirit was.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “Here’s how it unfolded: Garnett missed a 20-foot jumper with little less than eight seconds to play in a three-point game. J.J. Redick came down with the rebound, but waited an extra moment or two before signaling for a timeout. It might have cost his team a true opportunity for a tying shot. ‘I think he was just trying to call timeout to one of the refs, but the ref really couldn’t see him,’ explained Howard. ‘But Coach says, as soon as we got the rebound to call a timeout. So, you know, when you’re playing in a big game like this, it’s the little things that get you wins. Boston, they did all the little things to get the win tonight.’ Van Gundy was far more pointed in his assessment than Howard. ‘It would have made a big difference [calling timeout quicker], because if you watch the last play, Rashard [Lewis] got open,’ said Van Gundy. ‘But because we were inbounding in the backcourt, [Michael] Finley was back in the passing lane and we could not make the pass.’”

Michael Vega, Boston Globe – “‘We’re going to have to win these next two games if we want to win this series,’ Redick said. ‘But we got to start by winning one. At this point in time, it’s going to take a supreme effort to win anywhere. We could play at a neutral site and it’s still going to take a supreme effort.’ Now, the Magic must cling to the belief that the road will be a kinder and gentler place than home in the first two games of this series. Orlando, after all, won twice during the regular season at TD Garden. ‘That was the regular season; this is the playoffs,’ Howard said. “We know we can win, but we have to put it together 48 minutes against a good Boston team. This series is not over. I won’t stop believing that. I won’t let my teammates stop believing that. We’re going to keep fighting. We’re going to do it.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “Forget “Ubuntu,” Boston has got its swagger back. And that may be far more important in deciding if the Celtics are ultimately able to win a world title than any humanist philosophy aimed at promoting team unity. These Celtics aren’t exactly the feel-good type. Boston wants to beat you up and then they’re going to take your lunch money, too. In an ultra-physical Game 2, the Celtics endured every haymaker Howard and Co. offered, and bounced back with two of their own. The Magic tried desperately to even this series with a late rally, and the Boston team of a month ago would have crumbled under the adversity. Not now. These Celtics have put together five consecutive postseason wins and are headed back to Boston with a commanding 2-0 series advantage. Also packed on their carry-on: an undeniable confidence.”

Frank Dell’Apa, Boston Globe – “‘I always say, when you’re bad, it takes just something small to turn you around, you’re not that far from being good,’ guard Ray Allen said before last night’s Eastern Conference playoff game against the Magic. ‘And vice versa — when you’re good, you can just tank it, immediately. You never have it figured out. And, as a team, you have to figure you get a break in the schedule somewhere, there’s so many different variables. So, you just try to take it one day at a time. As a coach, it’s like let’s hold on, you’ve got to keep cementing what everybody is doing.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Most of Vince Carter’s 16 points were empty and when he could have made the loudest statement of the night with two free throws, he missed them both, allowing the Celtics to retain their 95-92 lead. And when the Magic desperately needed a hoop when trailing, 93-90, Jameer Nelson launched a 3-pointer off a fastbreak that caromed off the rim and right into the waiting hands of Ray Allen. ‘We played a lot harder tonight,’ Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. ‘But we don’t sustain what works. We won’t stay with it. Our shot selection was terrible and we didn’t play smart enough. It’s not a matter of digging out of this. It’s a matter of going up there and you have to win a game. There’s no magic [when] you’re in a hole, 2-0. You have to go win a game.’”

Frank Dell’Apa, Boston Globe – “Rondo totaled 25 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds in a 45 1/2-minute stint. He also outdueled Orlando point guards Jameer Nelson (9 points) and Jason Williams (3 points). Rondo might have seemed to be carrying much of the Celtic load, but he did not consider it to be exceptionally heavy lifting. ‘I played 45 minutes but Paul [Pierce] had a lot of isos, he was very efficient,’ Rondo said. ‘So, on the offensive end of the floor I wasn’t always making the plays. Kevin [Garnett] made the plays, Ray [Allen] made the plays, as well. I don’t want to take my eye off the defensive end but on the offensive end I didn’t have to do as much as it may seem.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “Garnett shot 5 of 16 from the floor for 10 points and had nine rebounds. He hit a handful of big shots, including a pair of jumpers and a dunk in the third quarter to fuel a 9-1 Celtics’ burst. But his pinch defense on Howard was key. ‘Overall he did a great job with his length,’ Rivers said. ‘Kevin knows he’s not going to win a muscle contest with Dwight Howard, but he does have length, and he stretched him out and he made him change some shots.’ ‘We had a ton of foul trouble today. That’s what I’m happy about, obviously winning the game, but winning the game with different guys in different positions, and everybody pitching in.’ ‘Dwight had 30 points and still had trouble,’ said Marcin Gortat. ‘All those guys — [Kendrick] Perkins, KG, Rasheed [Wallace] — do a great job.’”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.