Was that Nate Robinson, jumping off the Celtics’ bench before Rajon Rondo even passed the ball to Ray Allen? Robinson had seen the play plenty of times. Rondo runs the fast break, and the defense backpedaling in transition fails to mark Ray Allen. Allen sprints straight to the arc, where Rondo hits him in stride. A quick bend of the knees later, a flick of the wrist later, a sight of beauty later, the Celtics are three points wealthier.

It had happened 2,560 times before in Ray Allen’s career, the snapping of the nets as the Spalding ball aimed from behind the arc splashed through. But the 2,561st was different. You could tell by the way Allen, normally stoic on the court, erupted with a roar. You could tell by the way the crowd raised its arms, like Johnny Drama’s “Victory” sign. You could tell by the way Flo Allen, always excitable, closed her eyes and threw her head back in joy. You could tell by the way Robinson bolted off the bench, even before Allen had caught the pass. You could tell by the way Reggie Miller, the once and former king, offered Allen a hug.

History was made. Ray Allen has now made 2,562 three-pointers in his career, and he hopes many more are still to come. He’s already made more threes than anyone else in the NBA’s history, and feels he can play at a high level for at least a few more years.

The king is dead. Long live the king.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

Every once in a while, I link to a few articles from other writers around the internet. You know, I throw some dimes.

1. Carmelo Anthony’s career compared to Paul Pierce’s

A fantastic write-up from Denver Stiffs about the similarities between the career trajectory of Paul Pierce and that of Carmelo Anthony. The list is actually pretty stunning. Both grew up in the public eye, had early offensive explosions, possess games that mature while their personalities have, never got past the conference finals (before Pierce became the Big Three), asked for a trade (or thought about leaving, like Melo), yada yada yada.

The piece ends with a line that I thought was great: “Memo to Melo: LeBron James doesn’t know the first thing about winning.  Paul Pierce does, and that’s who you should be comparing yourself to.”

Melo says he’s all about winning, and nothing else. But at some point loyalty has to mean something, right? As Pierce can attest to, there’s nothing like winning a championship in the same city where you’ve failed many times.

2. A slight decline for Boston’s defense?

Celtics Hub points out that Boston’s defense is now in sixth place in regards to defensive efficiency. They are also in 15th place (weak sauce) in opponent’s field goal percentage, and have declined in opponent’s field goal percentage every season since the Big Three was formed. Last season, the C’s gave up 45.1% shooting, a number that was inflated largely because the Celtics clearly didn’t give a damn during the final two-thirds of the season. This year, they are giving up 45.6% shooting, even worse.

So what gives? As well as the Celtics played offensively on the road trip, three of their four opponents on the trip shot at least 50%. Don’t expect that trend to continue. Doc Rivers admitted defensive slippage, saying that limited practice time during the road trip contributed to the poor defense. They’ve had some time to practice since the last game. Expect a better defensive effort tonight.

That doesn’t mean the C’s defense will ever be back to 2008 form. That might have been the best defense in NBA history. No exaggeration.

3. A Celtics overload

Jay from Red’s Army takes a look at a particular set the Celtics have utilized quite a few times this season. Rondo handles the ball on one side, and the other four players run to the other side of the court and stack. Usually, Kevin Garnett sets a ball screen for Rondo, then the other players in the stack break in different directions. Great analysis by Jay.

4. Reggie Miller speaks about Ray Allen’s game and work ethic

Miller appreciates the hard work it has taken for Ray to continue putting in work as a 35-year old.

“”I can speak for myself and a little bit for Ray, because he kind of follows the same pattern as I did, which I sort of emulated from Larry Bird,” Miller told CSNNE. “And that’s showing up three, three-and-a-half hours early for a game; putting the time and work in to become a great player. At the end of the day, people respect that. They see the fruits of our labor; guys that are knocking down tough shots or big shots, under pressure or duress.”

Some NBA stars told Miller that he had to develop other parts of his game, besides shooting.

“Getting tutored by the Lakers and Magic Johnson and Byron Scott and Michael Cooper,” Miller said, “they understood that I was a great shooter, but they kept telling me, ‘you’re going to have to work on other aspects of your game, especially when you go to the next level.’”

“They told me come playoff time, your favorite three moves are probably going to be taken away from you,” Miller continued. “You have to have counters, and I learned that at a very early age. And Ray is the same way. You can play him to come off screens and have two guys jump out, but he’s excellent in handling the ball in pick-and-roll situations. He can kill you if you go under [picks], or don’t show enough. He can knock down threes. It’s a lost art with a lot of things he does, because he’s so multi-dimensional.”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

I just watched Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, a 30 for 30 production shown on ABC last night. I couldn’t get enough of the Miller/ Spike Lee rivalry, but the best part of the documentary was a John Starks quote.

Starks, when talking about Reggie tying up game 1 with two threes in about 3 seconds, said, “I was thinking,’did that dude just did that?’” Starks proceeded to clang two free throws, before Reggie made two free throws to seal the game. In Reggie’s post-game interview he said, “John Starks choked. We came up big.” Man, rivalries used to be truly intense before the Ron Artest Palace brawl.

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.

The Rottweiler Celtics are back.

Ramona Shelbourne, ESPN Los Angeles – “But as far as the Celtics are concerned, this series will come down to the same dynamic as the last time they played: ‘They play one way and we play a different way,’ Allen said. ‘That’s what’s beautiful about the Finals because you get a contrast of the two styles. It’s about who can take away that team’s strengths and force that team to play the way you want them to play.’ So yes, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins have grown and matured as players. Ron Artest has given the Lakers a more formidable perimeter defender than the last time they played, Andrew Bynum is healthier, and Pau Gasol has added 15 pounds of muscle. But the Celtics aren’t planning on changing their style of play or their playbook for beating the Lakers much from what worked two years ago. ‘No, we have our game plan,’ Allen said. ‘As players, we’ve got some tough guys on this team and you just play how you play.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “And yet all we hear from Laker Land is how they are going to avenge the ’08 loss to the C’s with more physical play, more toughness, more … of everything they are not. Don’t get it twisted. The Lakers are by no means a soft team. Far from it. But are they this gritty, grimy, beat-you-up-in-a-back-alley type of squad that’s going to overwhelm the Celtics with their increased Pau-wer? Uh, no. Ron Artest’s presence makes you a better team at bullying opponents. And when healthy, and that’s a big if, Lakers center Andrew Bynum can be the type of in-the-paint physical enforcer the Lakers want. But here’s the thing. Physical teams aren’t physical because they have a couple of tough guys. Physical teams smack you around from top to bottom, from superstar to seldom-used backup. And the Lakers, for all the talent they have, are not that kind of team.”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “As much as the Lakers tried to brush aside questions about their fortitude, there is little doubt that the Celtics are the more physical team in this matchup. Jackson compared the C’s to ‘roughhouse’ teams of the past, like the Detroit Pistons of the 1980s and the New York Knicks of the ’90s. ‘You’re not going to be able to counterpunch as much as use your speed and quickness and basketball skills. And you can do that,’ Jackson said. ‘Otherwise you’re going to have a guy riding you all the time and you feel like you’re playing with an extra 150 pounds.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “‘We’re going to be us,’ [Doc Rivers] said. ‘That’s physical and that’s what were going to do.’ Subtlety has a way of going over the cliff once we reach this point — and that was about as subtle as a Kendrick Perkins forearm. But why hide it? There’s a method to all that, mainly to alert the refs about what they’re going to see, but it also has a way of simplifying for his team what can become a shifting set of adjustments and concerns. This is where Rivers has truly excelled, by making big-picture tactical decisions and sticking with them. Against the Cavs, he locked in on Kevin Garnett and practically demanded that Garnett run the game from the low post. Against the Magic, it was Pierce and Ray Allen. Defensively, he and Tom Thibodeau have put his players on an island against the best in the game and not allowed the complimentary players to beat them. There’s a whole bunch of other things that go into that, but the rough outline of the gameplan doesn’t need a three-ring binder. The capital-A “Adjustments” have all come from the other side. Whether it was Mike Brown grasping at rotation straws or Stan Van Gundy preemptively flopping Matt Barnes and Vince Carter, Rivers has stayed constant and consistent which is exactly what his team needs.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “He sees the Celtics as an improved team this year and even from ’08. ‘We’re better because of Kevin (Garnett),’ Rivers said. ‘Last year we didn’t have Kevin playing and (Leon) Powe, so we didn’t get here. The Lakers did and they won the title. And from two years ago, we’re better because Rondo’s better. (Kendrick Perkins [stats]) is better. Rasheed Wallace is a great addition to our basketball team. Glen Davis is better. We didn’t make changes a lot. We just got better with the young guys. That’s what we decided to do as an organization is develop our own guys.’”

Baxter Holmes, LA Times – “Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday he won’t tell Perkins to tone it down, and he more or less expects the center to get suspended in the NBA Finals against the Lakers. ‘Unfortunately, I hope it doesn’t, but you know it’s going to happen,’ Rivers said. ‘Perk is physical, the Lakers are saying they want to be physical now, so the refs are going to react to that, and what’s going to happen is it’ll be a double-technical [foul] that Perk doesn’t deserve and we’re going to have to deal with it. It’s unfair, but that’s the way it is.’”

Broderick Turner, LA Times – “Artest, an 11-year veteran, is playing in his first NBA Finals. ‘I’ve been excited since I was like 8 years old,’ he said. ‘It’s not more I need.’ It was partly because of small forwards such as Denver’s Carmelo Anthony, Cleveland’s LeBron James and Pierce, that the Lakers signed Artest. Maybe Artest will get excited to play against Pierce, who tore the Lakers apart in the 2008 NBA Finals on his way to being named most valuable player? ‘He’s [Pierce] in the championship,’ Artest said. ‘Those other small forwards are not. He’s been there a couple of years already. He’s been in big games and he’s hit a lot of big shots.’”

Shira Springer, Boston Globe – “The well-documented risks that come with Artest date to his days with the Pacers. There was the brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills, the rumored flirtation with retirement, the foray into music promotion, and the trade request. Artest called his behavior with Indiana his biggest regret. ‘We had a chance to go to the championship when I was with Indiana,’ he said. ‘But I wasn’t able to think the game. I was more egotistical, thinking about myself. When we lost Game 6 [of the Eastern finals] and I get a flagrant foul with like two minutes left in the game, what are you thinking about? What are you thinking about when you have a chance to go to the championship and Game 7 is back in Indiana? What could be more important than the game? That hurts a lot, to do that to Reggie Miller. What are you thinking when you’ve got a chance to win one, two, three rings? How do you do that to a team? I never thought I deserved to be in a situation like this. But I knew if I was ever in this situation, I wouldn’t take it for granted.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘I’m feeling better,’ said Daniels, who suffered a concussion in Game 5 vs. Orlando. ‘Hopefully I can play in Game 1. I was a little dizzy, and the noise was bothering me a little bit, but I’m getting better.’ Earlier, coach Doc Rivers had said of Daniels’ condition, ‘It’s just not good yet. It’s a tough one. It’s funny. I talked to him before Game 2 or 3 in the Orlando series and we were assuming it would be the Lakers, and we said, ‘You’re going to be big defensively in that series. We need you to get ready.’ And it was just a freak accident.’ The Celts had Bryant in mind partially when they went after Daniels as a free agent last summer.”

Lisa Dillman, LA Times – “Or, moving on to basketball, the next five people could be wearing Rajon Rondo jerseys. Those odds, on the eve of the NBA Finals, aren’t bad in Boston. ‘Rondo just fired up everything,’ said Collins Leugna, a concierge at a luxury condominium in the Back Bay. ‘He’s the story in town. He’s the guy in the town now. You can see the jerseys, just flying off the shelf. For the last 10 games, he’s been the MVP. He’s unbelievable.’ Leugna, a native of Cameroon, has been here for 14 years, and he thinks the appeal of this year’s Celtics team is the sheer nature of the unexpected, the arrival in the Finals after an injury-marred second half of the season and a fourth-place finish in the East. ‘That’s why the city is fired up,’ Leugna said. ‘Suddenly, the Celtics showed up. And Rondo. Boom!’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “When Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson talked about the C’s ‘smackdown’ style and mentioned Kevin Garnett’s chop on the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference finals clincher, Rivers believes he was simply trying to give the officials a road map to how this series should be called. Rivers smiled at the suggestion that his team is pushing the physical envelope. ‘Well, we just thank Phil for the compliment,” Rivers said. “That’s very nice of him to say. Whatever got us here. We’re not hiding from who we are and we’re going to be that. So that’s never going to change. We’ve said it from Day 1. We are who we are. If you like us, cheer for us. If you don’t, complain. But we’re not going to change.’ As for Jackson targeting Garnett, who will have a big matchup with the softer Pau Gasol, Rivers smiled at that one, too. ‘Well, I think it should be a compliment,’ Rivers said. ‘I think he picks the best player on the other teams or who he thinks is key, so I think Kevin should put that one right up there with his MVP trophy and everything else. I think Kevin should be excited about that. I think Paul (Pierce) and Ray (Allen) and (Rajon) Rondo, they’re going to be (upset) about it. They were hoping it would be them.’”

Mike Bresnahan, LA Times – “If Bryant’s knee hadn’t been drained, the Lakers might be talking about rejection instead of redemption. They were struggling badly a week into the playoffs, unable to ride the back of their leader because he was supported by one healthy leg. His right knee swelled to the point of extreme discomfort and his on-court ability shrunk accordingly. He then had 1 1/4 ounces of fluid drained from his knee, and the procedure worked wonders for his game. Bryant’s recovery has mirrored that of the Lakers, who are on the doorstep of the franchise’s 16th championship. They begin the NBA Finals on Thursday against the Boston Celtics, who humiliated them two years ago in the championship round. Retribution is now possible mainly because Bryant no longer looks like he’s on his last legs. ‘He’s like Superman,’ forward Lamar Odom said. ‘You can’t hold him down.’”

Andy Kamenetzky, ESPN Los Angeles – “Jackson talked about the matchups with Boston and predictably, Rajon Rondo’s name popped up quite a bit. Kobe, Fisher, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown were mentioned as candidates to check the rapidly improving point guard. (I personally wouldn’t be shocked if LO or Artest got the occasional crack.) But as the Kentucky product remained a topic of discussion, PJ downplayed the idea of any player as the “one” in need of stopping. ‘We look at them as a team. We don’t look at them as individuals. We gotta stop Rondo. We gotta stop [Kevin] Garnett or whatever. We look at the individuals and the strengths they have in how they’re used and say we have to limit whatever their strengths are in any way we can. If we turn the ball over or he gets rebounds, he’s gonna score in transition. It’s what he does. He’s great at that. If we make a lot of mistakes, he’s gonna score more. If he gets a lot of rebounds, you know… That’s kind of the things that happen in a ball game. It’s not about an individual that we’re gonna try to stop.’”

Ron Borges, Boston Herald – “The best player in the world with the money on the table and the clock ticking down is Bryant. He’s the best player when that is not the situation too, which is part of the reason he’s the best. It’s not important to him whether you’re playing for a dollar or a dowry. Either way the only thing that matters to him is winning. The Celtics accept this, just as they accepted the existence of James’ gifts and Howard’s intimidating style. It is important in life not to live in denial. The Celtics do not (except when playing defense against whoever the world claims is the best basketball player in the NBA). They simply say, ‘So what?’ The Lakers are the third straight team that has been told their destiny is to win the NBA title this year. So were the Cavs and so were the Magic. The Celtics were not, and said, ‘So what?’”

Brian Kamenetzky, ESPN Los Angeles – “Yesterday after practice, Phil Jackson was asked if he thought Kobe Bryant takes things — say a Finals loss capped by a humiliating Game 6 in ’08 — more personally than other players: ‘You know, he devotes so much of his life to this game. It really does take an inordinate amount of time in his daily life. It’s not a pastime to him. This is a devotion, not just an avocation. And when you do that, when you throw yourself into it as deeply as he does, all those things count a little bit more.’ So is it important for him to be recognized as the game’s best player? ‘I can’t answer that for him,’ Jackson said. ‘Personally, I think it is. From his own standpoint, I think he wants to be recognized as the best player in the game. I think he wants to show it. He knows it’s ephemeral, that [it doesn't] last.’”

Mark Kriegel, Fox Sports – “‘What we do is personal,’ said Derek Fisher, the closest thing Bryant has to a confidante among his teammates. ‘It’s our job. The time and the commitment it takes to win and play at this level … It’s very personal.’ Sure. But for Bryant, it’s more so. In Bryant’s case, victory seems an existential quest. No one has played this many minutes, this many games, this young. What’s more, he’s played these last few seasons with contemptuous disregard for his orthopedic condition, the state of his fingers, knees and ankle. ‘He works so hard,’ says Lamar Odom. ‘Whether it’s his game, or studying film. I’ve known him for a long time. I remember when I first met him about 15 years ago, at a top 100 camp in Princeton. You could just tell then how he carried himself, how focused he was, how decisive he was — even though he was only 16 years old.’ ‘How was he different than the rest of you?’ ‘His mindset,’ said Odom. ‘His willingness to compete to be the best.’ ‘You mean, him wanting to be seen as the best there is?’ ‘I think that’s a fair enough assessment.’ Later, Phil Jackson spoke of the upcoming series as a ‘a chance to avenge really an uncomfortable feeling that some of these team members went through in Boston.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “According to the record books, the Los Angeles Lakers are the defending NBA champions and the Boston Celtics are two years removed from being champs. You would think it was the other way around by the much of the attention heading into Game 1 has been on what the Lakers have to do against the Celtics, and not vice versa. ‘Everyone has to understand, L.A. is the champs,’ Garnett said. ‘We’re coming in here, and they’re the defending champs. That’s the motivation. It is the Finals. We’re back here playing the champs. It is what it is.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “There’s the part of Rasheed Wallace that’s unapologetically transparent. The frosty postgame beers sitting in his locker. The Flyers cap in the Bruins city. The unstrapped, unorthodox Air Force 1 sneakers he has worn for 11 straight years, unless you count those six minutes in the first half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals when he went without them. (Why? “No story,’’ Wallace said. “I just left them at home.’’) He is who he is. ‘There’s no hidden meaning or underlying philosophies with him,’ Celtics teammate Ray Allen said. ‘He’s just straightforward. Always.’ [...] ‘He’s a better person and he’s a great teammate, and I don’t think a lot of guys see that in him,’ Rivers said. ‘But everywhere you go, everywhere he’s played, that’s what they tell you. I don’t think you can get that sense until you coach him.’”

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

Once in a while, someone else’s article catches my eye. Sometimes, it’s because the article is so spot-on I wish I’d written it myself. Other times, it’s because the article enlightens me with something I never knew. Still other times, it’s because I disagree with whatever’s written. No matter what the reason, I dish it off to another writer to make his/her point. You know, throwing some dimes.

"Told you I was the best."

1. ESPNBoston – Practice Report: Doc Rivers said Kendrick Perkins was the C’s best player yesterday. He played well but… really, Doc?

“Perk’s been fantastic defensively, he’s doing a great job and a lot of it is 1-on1,” said Rivers. “You can’t use too many guys on [Jermaine] O’Neal with [Dwyane] Wade running around. I think what he’s doing is great, trying to fight [O'Neal] off the block, and he’s been pretty good at that.

“I thought Perk was the best player in the game [Tuesday]. I thought his passes is what got everybody shots. Most of [Glen Davis'] layups came off Perk passes. A couple of Ray’s shots and, again, the biggest play of the game, when [Miami] was up four, and I had gotten on them three or four times about making the next pass, Perkins threw that skip pass to Michael Finley for a 3-pointer. I think he played a great floor game and he was our point-center [Tuesday].”

2. Boston Globe – Ready to play the villain: Kevin Garnett is ready for some venomous boos from the Miami crowd.

“I don’t know if he can get more fired up in a game,” Rivers said. “That’s just who he is and we want him to stay that way. It’s important for him to play with that edge. And I think he’ll love being the villain because I think he enjoys that anyway on the road. Actually, I think most players enjoy that pretty much.”

Garnett hasn’t been winning popularity contests lately, with Joakim Noah being the most vocal hater. But he’s been Public Enemy No. 1 in a couple different arenas. Miami will be nothing new.

“I don’t expect any of us to get any cheers down there and I’m no different from that,” Garnett said. “I’m not saying I’m the villain or the hero. I could care less. I’ve played on the road before. Hell I played in San Antonio and I know they hate me there for whatever reasons. So this should be no different. I could care less.”

3. Slam Online – Q +A With Kendrick Perkins: Perk likes being the underdog.

SLAM: Do you feel this team has a target on your back after winning a championship two seasons ago?
KP: Yes and no. That was two years ago. Maybe last year they did, but this season I don’t think anyone really placed a target on our back. I don’t really feel anyone has picked us to win this. I think it is a great thing to have the ability to come in and surprise people and be the underdog.

SLAM: Do you feel this team likes being the underdog?
KP: For sure. I love the idea of being able to sneak up on people. Because a lot of people do not realize you always work a little harder when you are the underdog. People expect less and you give them more. It’s such a great process.

4. Real GM – Ray Allen: The NBA is softer now

“The league is a lot softer,” Allen said less than 72 hours after teammate Kevin Garnett elbowed Miami’s Quentin Richardson in the final moments of Game 1.

Garnett was suspended one game for his actions in Boston’s victory.

“The slightest little touch and you’re at the foul line,” Allen said of today’s game. “It’s like you have to be tricky.”

Allen then gave a perfect example of how the NBA has changed over the course of his career.

“Reggie [Miller] would grab my hands and throw them one way while going the other way,” he said, adding that he was expected by referees and coaches to defend such a move.

“That’s what made guys so great at what they did.”

5. Boston Herald – Wednesday Practice Notes: Ray Allen knows the C’s haven’t won anything yet.

Ray Allen said the C’s learned a lesson from the 2008 playoffs when they were dominant at home but struggled on the road in the early rounds.

“That’s all I think about,” Allen said of the team’s struggles with Atlanta in the first round of the 2008 playoffs. “It resonates so big with this team now because we’re flying high up two (games).”

6. Boston Globe – Celtics will need Wallace to step forward: As well as Glen Davis played, C’s need more out of Sheed.

The arrangement was fine for last night, but at some point in these playoffs Wallace has to be heard from on the court — and not just pleading his case to an official — or like him the Celtics will go out silently into the night. They cannot return to the NBA Finals if all they’re going to get out of Big Shot ‘Sheed is the combined 10 points and 6 rebounds they’ve gotten in the first two games of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

They need him to be the versatile, accomplished, clutch veteran presence off the bench he was billed as when he came to Boston, not the barely visible one he has been so far. As Mark Jackson would say, Rasheed Wallace you’re better than that.

Wallace said he and the Celtics would be ready when it was time for the “big-boy shots.” While the Celtics have turned up their game in the postseason, we’re still waiting on Wallace.

7. Celtics Hub – The Value of Ray: Zach Lowe describes how Ray Allen broke yesterday’s game wide open.

Ray’s value goes well beyond his three-point shooting percentage. And if you ever doubt that, you can do two things:

1) Look at Ray’s plus/minus stats, which have been by far the best of any Celtic over the last two seasons and show a consistent ability to elevate bench players; or

2) Much more fun: Watch the stretch between the 6:26 and 4:41 marks of the 3rd quarter from last night’s game.

The C’s scored 12 points in that 1:45—and Ray was responsible for all of them.

8. Ball Don’t Lie – Behind the Box Score: Kelly Dwyer predicts the Heat will win at least one game in Miami

It was a complete and utter blowout. Boston refuses to guard anyone but Dwyane Wade, they’ll essentially send two and a half defenders at the Heat’s All-Star every time he calls for a screen or attempts to drive, and the results aren’t pretty. A 76.5 points per game average for Miami in the series, and I don’t really need to normalize that for pace for you guys. It doesn’t get any better.

The only way Miami takes a game in Florida, and in this series, is if Boston relents. And because Boston has spent half its season relenting, I fully expect the Heat to take a game in Florida, perhaps two.

Wanna throw your own dime, and get someone’s article recognized? Email me at jayking@celticstown.com or follow me on Twitter.