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.

Watch that drool, Big Fella.

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! – “Davis had the time of his life in Game 4, grabbing another lost soul with him to deliver this 96-89 victory. He found tiny Nate Robinson and together they made it impossible for Rivers to take them out of the game’s final minutes. Rivers let them loose on the Lakers, and they turned a two-point deficit into an 11-point lead. Davis flexed and preened, playing part Barkley, part Vince McMahon. The Celtics’ championship chase is still alive, because Big Baby Davis had 18 points, five rebounds – four of them offensive – and two steals, because Glen Davis turned those October tears into June hellfire. ‘I felt like a beast,’ he declared.”

Ron Borges, Boston Herald – “Kobe Bryant was again the best player on the floor, but the Celtics were the better team. They were the grittier team, the more resilient team and the stone tougher team – and all those attributes were best exemplified by the crew that won the game. It was not the Big Three or the Little One. This time it was the masons and the truck drivers, the ditch diggers, the fruit pickers. Glen Davis, Tony Allen, Rasheed Wallace and Nate Robinson did the heavy lifting. Even the last nail that was delivered into the Lakers’ coffin came not from some sweet jump shot, but a Rajon Rondo steal and flashing drive to the basket with 22.2 seconds left. Bryant had cut the C’s lead to six by drilling three free throws. He poured home 33 points, and still come up short. Yet this was not a night for Rondo or Ray or The Truth or KG. This was a night that belonged to the bench – or, more deservingly, The Bench. Over nine frenetic fourth-quarter minutes, the four of them turned a two-point deficit into a nine-point lead – because that’s what they decided they would do. ‘We did our job,’ Robinson said. ‘We went in, played hard, played smart, played together. Then the starting five go in and bring us home. That’s the beauty about a team.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Celtics forward Glen Davis stood barking at midcourt, spewing drool in every direction like some sort of rabid dog — or maybe the teething version of his popular monicker — and whipping the crowd into a frenzy after initiating an and-one sequence with a putback that gave the Celtics a six-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Guard Nate Robinson came running from behind Davis and vaulted onto his back as Big Baby flexed toward the crowd. ‘You were on my back?’ Davis asked Robinson as they sat next to each other at their joint postgame press conference. ‘You didn’t even notice,’ replied Robinson. ‘We’re like Shrek and Donkey. You can’t separate us.’ Davis smiled broadly and added, ‘You shouldn’t have let us two get up here.’”

Robert Mays, Boston Globe – “After Fisher hit several shots down the stretch of Game 3 to help give the Lakers a one-game edge over the Celtics, the 35-year-old point guard reacted with a flurry of emotions. No one could blame him. Questions about Fisher’s value to the Lakers cropped up during the first-round series against Oklahoma City and had persisted ever since. Tuesday was a tiny bit of redemption. Early in Bryant’s news conference Wednesday, a reporter asked if he understood the emotional display of his longtime teammate. ‘No, I’m not an emotional person,’ Bryant said. ‘I can’t understand.’ The response was cool, quick, and typical.”

Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe – “Ray had a lot of company when he came out to shoot yesterday afternoon at 5:45. Several television cameras recorded his workout. Ray started with some post-up shots, right under the basket. Then he took 10 free throws (he made them all, but I think two drew iron). Then he took five middle-range jumpers from five spots around the perimeter. Left to right. Five from the corner, five from the left of the key, five from the top of the key, five from the right of the key, then five from the right corner. Then it was back to the free throw line. Then he went beyond the 3-point arc and repeated the previous drill. Then he ran up and down the left sideline. Then he started taking jumpers in motion. The Celtic Dancers were on the court for the entire routine. They always are. The Dancers move only when Ray needs the space where they are practicing. ‘We get out there three hours before the game,’ said Marina Ortega, director of the Dancers. ‘We share the court with Ray. We move when he goes beyond the 3-point line. It’s just something where we need to pay attention. That’s the reason we don’t have problems.’ There is zero interaction between Ray and the Celtic Dancers. Not a word. Not a glance. It’s an amazing demonstration of professionalism. By all parties. Ray finished his routine last night at 6:13. Twenty-eight minutes.”

Kelly Dwyer, Yahoo! – “Happy with his team’s defense with the reserves out there, Rivers promised himself that he wouldn’t bring his benched starters in until he had ridden out the wave. ‘I told my coaches, I said ‘At the six-minute mark, six points is the number.’ If they get it to a two-possession game, we’ve got to [return] one scorer at a time.’ ‘I want to give Doc a hug,’ Glen Davis said following the win. ‘I was really looking at the clock, like, when is he going to come get me?’ Were Rivers’ veteran starters upset at their bench demotion? ‘They were fine. I don’t think guys really care. Hell, [Rajon] Rondo and all of them, they were begging me to keep guys in. It was great. That was the loudest I’ve seen our bench, and it was our starters cheering from the bench. I thought it was terrific.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Bryant nearly found a way to carry the Lakers to victory last night, using long, contested 3-pointers as his weapon, but it wasn’t his preferred weapon. Bryant, of course, would rather dash to the basket for acrobatic layups, or drive, stop, and lean back for fadeaways. The Celtics have to allow Kobe to score; they have no choice because he remains unstoppable. But they are using stifling defense to force Bryant into an uncomfortable zone. He looks irritated. He looks frustrated, just as he was when Artest missed his pass two consecutive times. Bryant scored 33 points in the Celtics’ 96-89 Game 4 victory, but 18 came on 3-pointers. Bryant converted no layups; his closest field goal was from 9 feet. He is not creating baskets with his quickness and array of moves. The Celtics are sending two defenders at him and he is attempting shots in those small windows, such as the ones Artest missed in the second half. Containing Bryant has been critical to the Celtics’ success. He is averaging 28.2 points for the series, but also 23.2 shots. A veteran whose dominance could be waning having to work feverishly to score. [...] ‘They’re a great scheming team,’ said Bryant, who is shooting 40.8 percent overall this series. ‘They have a strategy in place, and they execute extremely well. I feel pretty comfortable. Wasn’t pleased with the way I took care of the ball tonight. I thought I did a horrible job of that. But it’s a great defense.’”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe – “Understand this about Glen Davis: He is a basketball player. He may look like a football player and he may harbor a secret desire to be a movie star, talk-show host or a contestant on ‘Dancing With The Stars,’’ but he is a pure basketball player. He is 6 feet 8 inches (maybe), and he often has a lot of trouble finishing underneath among the NBA redwoods, but he usually finds a way to make an impact on a basketball game, and last night he made one of his biggest. He was at his slashing, marauding, kamikaze best in the fourth quarter, leading the Celtics with his amazing range of skill and inspiring them with his emotion and desire, spearheading a bench brigade whose fourth-quarter effort gave the Celtics a 96-89 triumph that evened the NBA Finals at two games apiece. When this man has it going, he just about takes your breath away. He has amazingly quick feet, and is a far better individual defender than you’d ever imagine. He is smart, and has never had any trouble figuring out the Tom Thibodeau defensive schemes. He has truly great hands and is ambidextrous in close. He also has astonishing body control. He angles in up and through people. It kind of goes without saying he is strong. Put the entire package together and what you have is a basketball player.”

Bill Plaschke, LA Times – “Geez, they’ve done it now. A dozen minutes from taking a historically insurmountable lead in the NBA Finals on Thursday, the Lakers lost their legs, misplaced their brains, abandoned their guts, and gave the aging, inferior Boston Celtics the one thing they should not have given them. The Lakers gave them hope. Goodness, they’ve messed up now. Paul Pierce is bobbing his head and yakking again. Glen Davis is shaking his butt and clowning again. Kevin Garnett is bending at the knees and barking again. The TD Garden is rocking again. The Celtics’ cheerleading routine is being drowned out by ‘Beat L.A.’ chants again. The Celtics are improbably, but undoubtedly, championship contenders again. A series that felt finished two nights ago is now alive and tied at two games apiece after Boston outscored the Lakers by nine in the final period and stole a 96-89 victory that felt like a doubleheader sweep.”

Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! – “‘I’m not going to put it on my shoulders to win or lose the game,’ Odom said. ‘We have to play together as a team.’ This is Lamar Odom in full. The personality that happily allows him to defer to others and at times makes him the ultimate third or fourth option is the same one that prevents him from assuming the pressure of stepping into an expanded set of responsibilities. He’s always had the talent to be one of the elite players in the game. He just never had the desire to take the job. ‘We have to make up for his size and shot-blocking ability and the way he protects the rim,’ Odom said of Bynum. ‘We have to realize as a team what he gives us and what Lamar gives us. As a team we have to rebound better. We gave [rebounds] up as a team. We have to box out as a team.’ Wait, there’s more. ‘It’s always team defense … we have to move the ball as a team … we do everything as a team … as a team we have to figure out what Andrew gave us and what we’re going to miss.’ Odom isn’t wrong. The game is won as a team. But the fact he wasn’t vocalizing an aggressive, ready-for-the-challenge mentality is worrisome. Someone needs to make something happen inside. Someone has to stop Glen Davis from pouring in 18 points. Someone has to play bigger than usual.”

Rich Levine, CSNNE – “But on Thursday night, with an entire season riding on a mere 12 minutes of basketball, Doc Rivers threw emotional caution to the wind, and the result was one of the most unlikely fourth quarters in Celtics Finals history — one that vaulted Boston back into contention for Banner 18. The C’s were down 62-60 heading into the final quarter, and with the majority of Boston’s starters in need of a much-deserved rest, Rivers turned to Ray Allen and four Celtics subs to spell the stars. But in terms of emotional stability, you might as well have called it Ray Allen and four wild cards. Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, Tony Allen and Rasheed Wallace. Each contributes to the Celtics in his own way. Davis with grit, tenacity and hustle. Allen with lockdown defense and slashing offense. Wallace with his big body on the block, Jedi mind games on defense, and ability to stretch the opposition from three. Robinson with instant energy and more instant offense. But that’s at their best. At their worst, each is an emotional time bomb — capable of self-destruction at the drop of hat, or blow of a whistle. And as the five took the court for the fourth, that fear was running — faster than Robinson in transition — through Celtics Nation’s collective psyche. How long can they keep it together? Long enough to keep the game close? Long enough to get the starter rested? Long enough to keep the season alive? How long before one, two or more self-destruct? Only it never happened.”

Monique Walker, Boston Globe – “Bynum logged just 12 minutes, by far his fewest of the NBA Finals, leaving a void in the paint the Celtics were able to exploit in their 96-89 victory. The Lakers were beaten on the boards, 41-34; outmatched in the paint, 54-34; and stumped on second-chance points, 20-10. ‘Obviously we miss Andrew when he’s not out there because he’s been so effective just blocking shots and rebounding,’ forward Pau Gasol said. ‘Those two things alone are a big plus when he’s out there for us and it’s something that we’re going to need to continue to work on the next game.’ Now the Lakers may have to face the possibility Bynum may not be available Sunday. Bynum said a combination of pain and an inability to move effectively caused him to sit out a majority of the second half. He did not start the third quarter and played just 1:50 before sitting the rest of the game. ‘It bothered us in the second half not having Andrew be able to come out and play,’ Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ‘He tried a couple of minutes, but it just wasn’t there for him. We’re glad we have a couple days off and we can kind of get him back hopefully in position where he can help us out again.’”

Robert Mays, Boston Globe – “As the second half began, Bynum wasn’t included in the lineup. As a result, rather than matching up with Kevin Garnett, Gasol was checked by Kendrick Perkins. Perkins, who has about 30 pounds on Garnett, established an obstacle right from the start of the half. There was plenty of contact under the rim throughout the quarter, and Gasol’s repeated appeals to the referees went unheeded. The situation escalated to the point that Celtics coach Doc Rivers feared his center might be in danger of picking up a technical. ‘That was actually one of the reasons I said, ‘We’ve got to get [Perkins] out,’ ’ Rivers said, ‘because you could see it, the double technicals, it was about to come.’ With Perkins out, Rasheed Wallace (6 feet 10 inches tall) stepped in to guard the Gasol (7-0). And although the mass Perkins brings to the lane can slow Gasol, it’s Wallace’s extra reach that the Celtics’ coach sees as an advantage. Against the varied defenders, Gasol only had 8 points in the second half. ‘He’s got size and length,’’ Rivers said of Wallace. ‘Pau is a great offensive player, and it’s rare that he has to shoot over length. And he’s physical, Rasheed is physical. So if we can keep that body on him, that’s great.’”

Monique Walker, Boston Globe – “Derek Fisher gave the Lakers a magical performance in the fourth quarter of Game 3 Tuesday, posting 16 points in the victory. But last night Fisher fell into foul trouble and was limited in his contributions. He picked up his fourth foul with 5:17 left in the third quarter. Fisher left the game with the Lakers down, 53-52. His absence freed up Celtics guard Ray Allen, who scored 4 of the Celtics’ 8 points to end the quarter. ‘It affects us drastically on the defensive end of the floor as well as offensive end of the floor because [Fisher] does the majority of the ball handling, making sure we get into our offense and things flow,’ Bryant said.”

John Hollinger, ESPN – “Kevin Garnett clapped his hands and barked and screamed at Lamar Odom … while defending him off the dribble. Nate Robinson hollered in Odom’s face after a hard foul. Glen Davis showboated after baskets, making faces previously seen only on Maori warriors dancing the Haka and spewing enough drool to warp the court. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was as raw a display of emotion as you’ll see on a basketball court, by a club that was in desperation mode heading into Game 4. Boston rode that emotional wave in front of a raucous home crowd to beat the Lakers 96-89, evening the NBA Finals at two games apiece.”

Bob Hohler, Boston Globe – “‘Doc had trust in us and he rode with us, and we definitely took advantage of that opportunity,’ said Tony Allen, who converted a 3-point play when he was fouled on a layup to give the Celtics an 8-point lead with less than eight minutes to play. ‘There is definitely more to be done,’ Allen continued. ‘We don’t want to get complacent. We know there are three more games and we’re definitely going to have to bring that same kind of energy to Game 5.’ Wallace, who sank a deep 3-pointer to stretch Boston’s lead to 9 points midway through the final quarter, understood why some so-called experts were surprised by the bench’s role in the victory. ‘It’s real unusual,’ Wallace said, ‘but everybody on the team knows that Doc has confidence in them, as far as the second unit goes.’ There was no mystery to explain their performance, Wallace said. ‘You got guys who are hungry,’ he said, ‘and that’s what happens.’”

Steve Weinman, D-League Digest – “The combination of Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’ for the Celtics-Lakers Finals montage video followed by the theme from Rocky for the Celtics’ entrance to the court to warm up still gives me chills. For the second time in three years, my heart rate takes a disproportionate jump merely watching the video vacillate from Larry Bird dunking to Ray Allen with his head bowed in the tunnel to Kevin McHale clotheslining Kurt Rambis back to the live shot, this time filled by Kevin Garnett stalking the tunnel. Just like in 2008, I can already barely breathe, and we’re going to follow this with 18,624 fans standing to loudly greet the Eastern Conference champs as they actually take the floor? I’m on green overload. And all of that pales in comparison to the highlight of the pregame: the Celtics’ introduction. I’ll never forget my dad’s startled laugh when Kendrick Perkins barrels into Nate Robinson, knocking him from the paint to the sideline. The lights are down, the music is blaring, Eddie Palladino is screaming into the mic, and we have to strain to hear him because this crowd of green faithful really is that frenzied. But we can just make out my favorite arena phrase – “the captain aaaaaaaaand the Truth” – as Paul Pierce dances his way to the middle of the floor. For at least one more night, we’re here to watch the defining Celtic of this generation play for all the marbles. I can’t explain why, but there are tears in my eyes.

Nate Taylor, Boston Globe – “If there was any adjustment Pierce made after the first three games, it came from Rivers. Before Game 4, Rivers showed Pierce how the Lakers were giving him room to drive. Even if Artest was crowding Pierce on the perimeter, Rivers told him to put his head down and go to the basket — which led to Pierce’s biggest basket of the game. ‘I told him, ‘Boy, there were some great driving lanes for you. You’ve got to take them,’ ‘ said Rivers. On the first play of the game, Rivers had Pierce drive to the hoop. That resulted in a foul, and the coach said he thought that helped Pierce get into the right mentality. In the first quarter, Pierce scored in a fury, at times grabbing the ball and going right at Artest. Of the Celtics’ first 14 points, Pierce scored 10, which gave the Celtics an early lead. ‘He attacked early in the first quarter,’ Perkins said. ‘He got us into a pretty good start.’”

Nate Taylor, Boston Globe – “Appearing in the playoffs for the first time in his career, the 26-year-old knows the importance of finding ways to help the Celtics win. That means he has to do anything, and everything, Rivers wants. And that’s fine with Robinson, because he knows this: The only players who see the floor in the Finals are the ones Rivers has faith in. And Robinson has become one of those guys. Against the Lakers, Rivers has used Robinson to give Rajon Rondo rest. And the results have been there. In limited playing time, Robinson has been mostly productive, as in the Celtics’ win in Game 2 in Los Angeles when he scored 7 points in just six minutes — a performance that was hard to imagine a month ago. ‘I’ve been given the opportunity,’ Robinson said before last night’s Game 4. ‘He’s put me on the biggest stage, and hopefully I can keep that confidence in my coach.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “Although Phil Jackson and Rivers have done their share of complaining about the officiating, the league hasn’t talked about fining either coach. ‘I haven’t seen what’s going on, but a little chirping is OK,’ said commissioner David Stern. ‘It shows that they’re human. It’s the howling that’s misdirected, and I haven’t heard them howling.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘I didn’t think it was ragged,’ countered Doc Rivers. ‘I just thought we missed shots.’ OK. ‘You know, (Rajon) Rondo’s got his head down at halftime,’ Rivers continued. ‘But we were getting point-blank layups. That’s a good thing. And I kept saying to guys, ‘There’s nothing negative about missed layups. It means that you’re getting layups.’ ‘ Doc paused. ‘That was my rationalization,’ he said.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “With Tony Allen, Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, and Rasheed Wallace setting the hardwood and the Lakers ablaze in the final period, the Celtics’ most effective lineup of the night also happened to be their most emotionally charged. So the moment the Celtics started to rally was the same moment the game seemed to fly off the hinges. The Celtics were in the middle of a 12-4 run, up, 74-66, with 7:46 left, when Wallace was hit with a tech for dancing halfway around the court after being whistled for a foul on Kobe Bryant under the basket. But when Bryant missed the technical free throw, you could hear Wallace saying, ‘Ball don’t lie!’”

Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated – “‘I’m not really concerned about [making adjustments], to be honest with you,’ said Bryant. ‘I’m more concerned about getting rebounds and getting the loose balls and stuff like that. When push comes to shove, I can always get a bucket.’ Truer words have not been spoken, at least not in this series. The Celtics have slowed Dwyane Wade and stifled LeBron James. They’ve marginalized Rashard Lewis and shut down Vince Carter. But Bryant is a different breed in the playoffs. It may take some impossible shots but, time and again, Bryant has proven that on this stage, the impossible is very much possible. Sure, Bryant will need help to win this series. He needs Pau Gasol to rise to the occasion and Andrew Bynum to squeeze three more games out of his achy knee. He needs Derek Fisher to knock down open shots and Ron Artest to play in control. But if he gets that help — just enough of it — Bryant has served notice that he is ready to put this team on his shoulders. Prepare accordingly.”

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

The man is not sane.

With every game he spends blending into the periphery, every quarter he spends squandering opportunities and every play he spends  shying away from attack mode, Paul Pierce brings the Boston Celtics one step closer to postseason elimination.

Finals MVP. Eight-time All-Star. Captain. Leading scorer. Crunch-time go-to guy. That’s what Pierce has been in the past, what he still was even last series. But, in these Finals, he has come a long way from living up to his big-game reputation.  As it is, he stands perilously close to damaging that reputation and allowing a chance at a second championship to slip right through his suddenly ice-cold fingers.

15 points, Pierce had in Game 3, but the 15 points hardly told the story. About half of them were as the seconds dwindled down and the game was more or less already decided. And those 15, those ugly and meaningless 15, were downright heavenly compared to the 10 points (on 2-11 shooting) he had in Game 2. Pierce is rhythmless offensively, and while his Game 3 foul trouble did nothing to help that (“He’d play five minutes, have to go back down, four minutes, have to sit,” said Doc Rivers. “I mean, he wasn’t allowed to play. They didn’t allow him to play tonight.”), it alone cannot be blamed for his failures. So what can?

Ron Artest? ”I don’t really see anything he’s doing special that any other teams haven’t done throughout the course of the playoffs,” Pierce said, defiantly. “That’s it.”

Maybe Artest isn’t doing anything strategically different from the other Pierce defenders, but — and it’s about as obvious as the bulging vein in Tracy McGrady’s shoulder — Artest is a different animal than Vince Carter. They could be applying the exact same strategy but it would still be a wee bit tougher to get buckets against Artest. He’s stronger, more relentless and — perhaps most importantly — relishes the challenge of stopping an opponent’s top option. Phil Jackson sics him on other teams’ best players and Artest does his job (just ask Kevin Durant, he of the 35.0% shooting in round one).

Artest clearly believes it’s his own doing that Pierce has been locked up. “Paul said it wasn’t me. Paul said I’m not doing anything, so I guess I better play better defensively (against him),” Artest said, with sarcasm oozing out of his voice. “I have to go out there and make my defense affect somebody.”

Artest continued, “I know how to change a game defensively. I’ve dominated games defensively, and sometimes people don’t see it. It’s like that Chinese death blow hit. You don’t feel until it’s in you, and five seconds later, you kind of die. I forget the name of it, but it’s a death blow.”

“I think Ron affects everyone’s offense. He’s the best perimeter defender in the league,” said Luke Walton, who apparently forgot to consider Lebron James in the equation. “I have to play him in practice every day, and it’s a pain in the ass. His strength, his hands, he makes it tough to get into any kind of a rhythm. I don’t think Pierce is frustrated, but he’s not putting up the numbers he has in the past, and I credit Ron with that.”

I think it’s clear Artest has something to do with Pierce’s struggles, but there’s one nagging thought to disprove the notion that Artest should get all the credit: Walton bottled Pierce up, too. Artest got into foul trouble during Game 3 and Walton had Pierce in shackles. Even if Artest was such a dominant defender and taking Pierce out of his game, shouldn’t the patchy-facial-haired wonder be able to score on Walton? I mean, Luke Walton?

“With me, I thought I missed shots in the first half with some good looks,” Pierce told the Boston Globe. “I’ll take those looks all night long, the ones I got. ”

“I thought Paul is getting good shots,” Doc Rivers told reporters Wednesday. “He’s not making some of them. Maybe Ron has something to do with that, but I don’t think he is. If we get Paul in rhythm and get him on his spots, I feel very confident that Paul will have big games for the rest of the series.”

He’d better. Pierce’s big-game reputation, not to mention the NBA Finals, is on the line.

Here are a couple funny quotes I found from the Lakers.

Ron Artest, via the LA Times:

“He’s 300 pounds, maybe. He would argue that?” Artest said.

So Ron Ron modified his estimate, saying: “299.”

OK, then …

“295,” Artest said. “He can move and he’s quick, and he can dunk.”

The way Artest was thinking, Baby could be something of a sports renaissance man.

“He really should play football, and basketball,” Artest said. “And box. And baseball. And I don’t know what else, rugby?

“And be a bouncer. And cook. … He’d probably rather eat. He’s a great all-around athlete and, I guess, cook.”

If it wasn’t Artest, a player saying an opponent would “probably rather eat” than play basketball would be offensive. With Artest, it’s just another perfect example of how nutty he is.

Artest, via the Globe:

“I don’t know what people want from me sometimes. What do you want from me, 20 points? I want to win. That’s it. I think last night I played great. I always think I play great, even in Game 2 when some people were probably saying I had a bad game. I had a good game. I thought I played great.”

Nutty Ron example number two. By the way, Ron shot 1-10 in Game 2 and took a crunch-time shot Phil Jackson referred to as, “one of the more unusual sequences I’ve ever witnessed.”

Kobe Bryant, via ESPN:

“Derek, he’s our vocal leader,” Bryant said. “He’s the guy that pulls everybody together and is always giving positive reinforcement. I’m the opposite.”

So there you have it folks, from Bryant’s own mouth — he’s the exact opposite of a vocal leader.

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 couldn't stay on the floor for more than two or three seconds at a time.

Bill Plaschke, LA Times – “Bigger than ever he is, this creaky Lakers leader who has once again saved a game that his longtime running mate and much brighter star named Kobe Bryant could not. Remember when Fisher’s two three-pointers stole Game 4 from Orlando last June? This time he was stunning for an entire quarter to steal Game 3 from the Celtics, Fisher’s 11 points in the final period leading the Lakers to a 91-84 victory and a two-games-to-one series lead. His coast-to-coast layup, a three-point play because he was fouled, was only his final basket of a period in which he repeatedly held off the surging Celtics amid a blistering roar from TD Garden fans who could not believe this was happening to them. They pull within one point and Fisher fights his way for a layup? They later pull within two points and Fisher bounces off Allen for a jumper? Then he hits another running jumper? Then he fights through Davis and Rondo for a bank shot? Is it any wonder that by the time Fisher grabbed that ball to begin his full-court flush, the Celtics were in such a state of shock, they could only watch him? [...] ‘To come through tonight again for this team… after so many great moments, it’s always quite surreal and quite humbling to experience it again and do it again,’ he said. ‘But it’s like being a kid, man, you just never get tired of that candy.’”

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! – “It would start to be a dark night with those Celtics closing tighter and tighter in the fourth quarter, a 17-point lead dissolved to one point before Derek Fisher, oldest Laker, oldest values, understood that one more of these moments had come, one more of these chances, and he didn’t dare let go. “To come through again for this team, 14 years in, after so many great moments, it’s always surreal … always humbling,” Fisher said. Yes, he had that .4 second shot in ’04 to beat the Spurs, had those huge shots to beat Orlando in Game 4 a year ago, and on and on down the years. He’s 35 years old, and the precious nature of these nights, these moments, suggested to him that maybe one would never present itself again for Fisher. Only it did, and there was Derek Fisher, chugging down the floor, pushing past the years, past the Celtics, and scoring on a breathless end-to-end run to silence the Garden and transform the Celtics into Game 3 losers. ‘Five or ten years from now, when I’m long gone, I would have hated to feel like I didn’t just do everything I could to help my team, and live with the consequences,’ Fisher said. He thinks about those things a lot, every day, and this is why those eyes were filled with tears. Here came the ball again, here came redemption. He made his shots, and that’s how a champion frames his forever, how everything else gets scrubbed away and only those telltale minutes, those shots, are remembered. Yes, this made Derek Fisher weep on Tuesday night. He was so grateful, so sure history never forgets a man delivering in these moments.”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe – “The Los Angelers Lakers had a guard close the game last night, but it wasn’t the guy you expected. It wasn’t Kobe Bryant. It was Derek Fisher, the “other’’ guard, the sturdy 35-year-old lefty who invariably plays his best basketball in the months of May and June. He has made much of his reputation on the one or two big end-of-the-game shots, but last night he expanded his domain to include the entire last nine minutes. More than anyone else, he made sure the Lakers would get this sweet bounce-back road victory, a 91-84 triumph that gives them a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. With the Lakers having lost almost all of a onetime 17-point lead, Fisher scored four times in the next five minutes and five times in all, capping his big fourth period with a driving transition layup that hit high on the glass and fell through the hoop for an old-fashioned 3-point play that gave his team an 87-80 lead with 48.3 seconds to go.”

Dave McMenamin, ESPN Los Angeles – “But just as Ray Allen played Jekyll and Hyde, going from a Finals-record eight 3-pointers Sunday to an abysmal 0-for-13 in Game 3, so did Bryant suffer his own unfortunate turnaround. His opening, which had been so grand, fell flat down the stretch, as he choked in his familiar closer’s role and shot just 1-for-6 from the field in the fourth quarter. Outside of a bounce-back game from Kevin Garnett, Allen got little help on the night. Bryant, on the other hand, was lifted up by a troop of teammates who filled in, acting as the Lakers’ bullpen by committee and leading Los Angeles to a 91-84 victory and a 2-1 series lead. While Kobe was clanking, Derek Fisher was connecting, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the final period on 5-of-7 shooting. ‘We saw some things we could accomplish by playing a little two-man game between Kobe and myself,’ Fisher said. ‘When Kobe sets a screen, his man is going to be very reluctant to help off him, so it allows somebody else to get into the interior of their defense, and a couple times I made a pass or two and a few other times I was able to knock down shots.’”

Monique Walker, Boston Globe – “Kobe Bryant is expected to make the game-winning shot or the game-changing play. But last night, he was more than happy to talk about teammate Derek Fisher’s late performance that helped the Lakers clinch Game 3 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden. While Fisher may be the positive voice in the locker room, Bryant acknowledged at times he may be more critical. If there is anyone who can pull Bryant aside to serve as his challenger it is Fisher. ‘Yeah, he’s really the one I listen to,’ Bryant said. ‘Everybody else is a bunch of young kids. Derek, he and I came in the league together. We spent long nights together as rookies, battling each other, playing full court one-on-one games. You know, we’ve been through it. So he can come to me and say Kobe, ‘You’re [screwing] up.’ We owe that to each other.’”

Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe – “‘Derek had made a number of plays in the fourth quarter,’ said Jackson, now two victories shy of his 11th championship. ‘He saw the opening and went, and made a very bold play. It was one-on-four. It’s imperative that it goes in.’ ‘I was just trying to advance the ball,’ said Fisher. ‘I saw [Kevin Garnett] coming up and the angle he took. I knew I could get around him. Once I broke through him, I saw they didn’t have anybody at the basket so I just took the direct line.’ Fisher made the shot as he was bounced to the floor by Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis. ‘Derek Fisher was the difference in the game,’ said Celtic coach Doc Rivers. ‘He won the game for them. I thought we lost our composure. We let Derek Fisher go up the court and get a 3-point play. He’s just a gutty, gritty player. Fisher basically took the game over.’”

Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! – “‘For me, I always think every one is going in,’ Allen would say. Only this time not a single one did. ‘I had a good rhythm out there,’ he said. Only the ball kept clanking away. The owner of the most honey-sweet shot in the NBA lost it somewhere on the flight from L.A. to Boston. ‘I think you guys look at it as a difference in the two nights,” Allen said. “I just tip my hat to their defense.’ Yes, the Lakers’ defense was better. And early on Ron Artest hammered Allen, which may have affected his legs (‘Who knows?’ Allen said). That wasn’t all of it, though. Doc Rivers thought Allen’s jumper was ‘flat’ and noted that most of his shots fell well short of the rim. Allen said at least a few were blocked. Rivers felt Allen was pressing. Ray said he should’ve found other ways to score. Mostly, no one knew what the heck had happened. Around the locker room the Celtics kept shaking their heads in disbelief. ‘Ray went 0-got-13,’ a dumbfounded Glen Davis said. ‘Who would have ever thought that? We only lost by a couple of points. He hits a couple of shots and we’re in the game, we’re winning the game.’”

Rich Levine, CSNNE – “As Ray Allen stood before his locker, in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s frustrating loss to the Lakers, his voice, attitude and demeanor weren’t that different than in the moments after Sunday’s inspiring Celtics win. If you were watching from across the room, and couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying, you really wouldn’t have known if he’d just drained eight three-pointers, or gone 0-8. He spoke clearly and concisely. He was composed and confident. He was just Ray Allen. In a perfect world, there’d have been a better explanation for what happened to him at the Garden in Game 3. Maybe a glitch in his pre-game preparation, a lapse in his focus, a hit to his confidence or some other substantial reason for his near historic NBA Finals 0-fer. But the truth is, those types of excuses don’t exist in Allen’s world. He’s a creature of habit—a man who prepares the same whether it’s the third game of the preseason or Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Nothing is ever different. So on occasions like Tuesday night, when Allen went 0-13 from the field—one miss away from tying a Finals record for futility—the future Hall of Famer could only stand before the media, and provide the only explanation possible: For one night, one that happened to coincide with the biggest game of the Celtics season, he simply didn’t have it; the Lakers just got the best of him.’

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Allen refused to use an injury or ailment as a crutch. He spoke in calm and confident tones after Tuesday’s game, as if there’s no doubt in his mind he’ll correct the issue at Wednesday’s practice. ‘I’ve been doing this a long time,’ said Allen. ‘You prepare your body, you get your rest. You do the things you have to do to be ready for the next game. The preparation is the biggest key, so I’ll go back at it that way.’ But don’t expect Allen to toss up a couple hundred extra trifectas before Wednesday’s practice session. The same strategy that failed him Tuesday, made him the hero Sunday. He won’t change because of one night. Said Allen: ‘I’ll just go in there and get my shots up.’ After all, there’s no doubt in his mind that No. 14 is definitely going to drop.”

Mike Bresnahan, LA Times – “Fisher had 11 fourth-quarter points, including the play of the season for the Lakers, taking a defensive rebound, dribbling past a sleepy Celtics defense and getting fouled after making a layup. He made the free throw, giving the Lakers an 87-80 lead with 48.3 seconds to play on their way to their first playoff victory in Boston since Magic Johnson’s ‘junior skyhook’ in 1987. The series was suddenly in the Lakers’ control, the play leading to a quick celebration from Bryant, an all-business type these days. There was also an emotional catch in Fisher’s voice in a TV interview immediately after the game. Said Fisher, a while later: ‘I love what I do and I love helping my team win.’ Said Bryant: ‘He’s been criticized quite a bit for his age. It’s a huge thrill for him and for all of us to see him come through in these moments.’ Said Celtics Coach Doc Rivers: ‘[Fisher] won the game for them.’ It was the 35-year-old Fisher who brought the Lakers to victory, finishing with 16 points and also holding Allen to two points on 0-for-13 shooting. Allen didn’t come close to the 32-point effort he had in Game 2, where he made eight three-pointers. ‘The job that Fish did on Allen was terrific tonight,’ Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “Derek Fisher came through in the clutch, as he has many times in his career. The 14-year veteran scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to enable the Lakers to hold off repeated runs from the Celtics. ‘He’s been criticized quite a bit for his age, which is a huge thrill for him and for all of us to see him come through in these moments,’ said Kobe Bryant, who had 29 points on 10-of-29 shooting. ‘But truthfully, he’s done it over and over again so it’s almost his responsibility to our team to do these things.’ It should be noted that Bryant was more gracious in victory than defeat. He averaged far more than seven words per response, as was the case after the Lakers lost Game 2. Bryant wasn’t quite as excited as the LA reporter who began a question with a hearty ‘congratulations,’ but he wasn’t glum either.”

Dan Ventura, Boston Herald – “The Celtics starters provided the ideal lift to start the game. The Celtics bench erased the early goodwill with some lackluster play the rest of the first half. As a result of the uneven performance, the Celtics lost Game 3 and the homecourt advantage, 91-84, last night at the Garden. The numbers certainly didn’t lie as the bench quartet of Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace, Nate Robinson and Tony Allen were a combined minus-35, a fact not lost on Davis. ‘The first team established the tempo and we didn’t apply the pressure,’ he said. ‘There were a lot of things we didn’t do right in the first half. I think we have to be ready to play when we go out there and I blame that on myself. I didn’t bring energy, I turned the ball over – if I helped a little more in the first half, we might have done a better job.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘It happens,’ Pierce said. ‘We lost a game. We’ve got to go back to LA. I’m not going to win a game in LA and say we’re coming back. I mean, no. That means I’m saying we’re going to lose at home. I mean, I’m confident in my ballclub. So if I do say that type of stuff, it’s all in good spirits, man. I want to win, just like they want to win. We’ve got to go back to LA. It is what it is. We’ve got to just do it the hard way. It’s not a problem.’ It will be a problem unless Pierce can improve from his 13-for-36 shooting performance in the first three games. ‘I’m not really thinking about that,’ he said. ‘Right now I just want to go out there and help my team win. Regardless of if we all play well or not, we know that we can win a series. We just need to put out the effort and have a couple of guys step up, night in and night out. Because at the end of the day we’re a defensive team.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “‘It seemed like when we got to two or three points — with the ball — we’d come down, turn it over, [commit] offensive fouls or something,’ said Pierce. ‘It just seemed like something bad happened when we had the ball [looking to go ahead]. They capitalized when they came down with free throws, big shots, to go back up three or four. When you have these types of games — when it’s tight — down the stretch you’ve got to execute. The littlest plays can be the difference between winning and losing.’ Pierce remains confident looking ahead to Game 4, even if his proclamation about not returning to L.A. has been spoiled (unless the Lakers close out Boston). ‘I feel confident with my ballclub,’ said Pierce. ‘We came [in the locker room] and talked about it a few minutes before the coaches came in. We’re a team that’s going to stick together, not get down, point fingers at one another. So we’ll bounce back for Game 4.’”

Ron Borges, Boston Herald – “On a night when Ray Allen and Paul Pierce went a startling 5-of-25 combined from the field, it still was a two-point game with two minutes to play. How that came to be was a combination of Garnett’s offensive domination of Gasol and a defense that held the Lakers to 44.7 percent shooting. ‘It’s very frustrating when you don’t play well offensively, but defensively you sort of buckle down and get the stops and things that you want and you get back into the game, only to come up short,’ Garnett said. Had the Celtics not shot a subpar 43.8 percent from the field and, even worse, 66.7 percent (16-of-24) from the foul line, things might have ended differently. That it did not was not a reason for the Lakers to sleep easily. Not with the looming spectre of a renewed Garnett leaping over Gasol and turning him back into ‘Pudding’ – the nickname he was labeled after the Finals two years ago because his game was so soft. ‘He didn’t get it enough,’ Doc Rivers said of Garnett’s dominance. ‘We talked about 20 shots before the game. He got 16. Should have had 25 as far as I was concerned.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “Allen’s problems, in particular, offered a painful contrast to Game 2 and his Finals-record eight-trey performance. ‘It’s a helluva swing, I’ll tell you that,’ said Doc Rivers, who suspected his guard was suffering from fatigue in the two-day turnaround since Sunday’s win in Los Angeles. ‘But it’s basketball, and that’s why you can’t worry about it. He’ll be back in the gym tomorrow and getting ready for the next game. I thought he was pressing early on some of them, and honestly, I thought all of his shots looked flat tonight,’ Rivers added. ‘I didn’t think he had any legs. I don’t know if the knee and the thigh had anything to do with it, but I just thought he was short on most of his jump shots. Of the 13 (shots), I think eight of them were great looks, and all of them were short, all of them were flat. It happens to the best of us.’”

Jessica Camerato, WEEI – “A win is still a win, even if the star player shoots 10-for-29 and the team hits just 2 of their 15 3-point attempts. It was the kind of win the Lakers had in Game 3 against the Celtics Tuesday night at the TD Gardem to give them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. ‘I’ve played in the East before, so I already know these Boston, Detroit-type wars where it hurts to play,’ Artest said following the Lakers 91-84 victory. ‘You’ve got to continue to want to feel the pain because in the East, it’s really like grind-out basketball. But luckily I’ve been here before.’”

Steve Buckley, Boston Herald – “‘I think early in the game two 3’s were in and out,’ Allen said, seemingly playing the game film in his head. ‘My legs felt good . . . and a couple of shots they got their hands on.’ Fine. But 0-for-13? ‘I thought they did a good job defensively,’ he said. But 0-for-13? He did get banged in the knee pretty good by Ron Artest, right? ‘I did hurt, for sure,’ he said. But 0-for-13? [...] Everyone knew Allen wouldn’t just keep on throwing in 3-pointers all the way to the Rolling Rally. Everyone knew the law of averages would take over. Everyone knew the Lakers would have something to say about all those shots going in. But 0-for-13?”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘Every game so far we’ve had one of our top players in foul trouble,’ said the Celtics coach. ‘Maybe I should start complaining about fouls. Maybe I can get a turnaround like it was turned around tonight. That was amazing.’ Pierce played only 34 minutes, scoring 15 points with five fouls. Rivers, though, already had built a head of steam before the game even started, saying: ‘I’m just miffed and amazed about how the other team complained about the fouls, since we’ve been the team that’s been in foul trouble for two games. Maybe they do different math there or something. I don’t get that one. But we just have to keep (Garnett) on the floor. Two of his fouls were not smart fouls, so he has to do a better job of that.’”

Peter May, ESPN – “Of the first critical review, Rivers said, ‘I thought that was a tough overrule because I watched it five times and I wasn’t sure. And I thought that if it was inconclusive, that you couldn’t overturn it. But clearly I was wrong. Going by the percentages of the replays,’ Rivers continued, ‘we should replay a lot of them because every one of them turned the other way. Maybe we need to use the replay more in a lot of our calls.’”

Dan Ventura, Boston Herald – “Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, meet Red Sox draft pick Kendrick Perkins. The Red Sox selected Perkins, a power-hitting infielder/outfielder in the sixth round of the amateur baseball draft yesterday. Not only do the two share the same name, they also attended high schools in Texas less than an hour away. The Celtics [team stats]’ Perkins played his high school basketball at Clifton J. Ozen in Beaumont, while the Red Sox’ Perkins just concluded his high school baseball career at La Porte High School. ‘For real? You gotta be kidding,’ the Celtics center said last night. ‘Another Kendrick Perkins? I thought there was only one of us out there. I didn’t know there was even anyone else named Kendrick (other than his son).’”

Robert Mays, Boston Globe – “The difference in Lamar Odom’s Game 3 performance was simple. He had to be on the floor to contribute. After five personal fouls limited Odom to less than 15 minutes and 3 points in Game 2, the Lakers’ forward played nearly 28 minutes and scored 12 points in the 91-84 Lakers win. Odom started early with 6 points in the first quarter. After two games of offensive struggles a 3-pointer from the top of the key that banked off the backboard was just what he needed. ‘That was kind of a gift from God to him for all that stuff he’s been through in the series,’ said Lakers coach Phil Jackson.”

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

This wasn't clean?

Here’s a riddle for you:

Q: What do you do if you’re a Los Angeles Lakers columnist and an NBA star predicts your Lakers are going to lose three game in a row and not return to LA for a potential Game 6?

A: You take a personal attack at his entire well-being, and then — just for fun — take a shot at Kevin Garnett too.

Via Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register:

Paul Pierce is a drama king, a man who loves to draw attention to himself whether that means faking fouls or yapping nonsense. [...]

Today we’re writing about Pierce again because it’s believed he announced late in Boston’s Game 2 victory Sunday that this matchup wouldn’t be returning to Staples Center.

Odd that one of the Celtics – their captain, even – would forecast a Laker sweep from this point, but, like we said, Pierce loves being the focal point.

Of course, the more popular theory is that he was predicting Boston would now end this showdown at home, winning Games 3, 4 and 5 here and thus the series, four games to one.

Believe us, there’s a better chance of Pierce being named Miss America during these Finals than that happening.

His prediction was caught on video – Isn’t everything these days? – and apparently was directed toward Lakers fans. Many of those fans spent Monday wringing their hands and frothing because they couldn’t wring Pierce’s neck instead.

People, why? What’s the point? Just let the little birdie chirp. Here’s a simple rule that, if followed, can ease anyone’s life: Don’t let foolish people tick you off.

Pierce’s words after Game 2 should be viewed pretty much the same way he was viewed during Game 2. With snickers and disbelieving head shakes.

And here’s what Miller wrote about Garnett:

Based on his Game 2 performance – he actually was less productive than Pierce was – Garnett evidently didn’t take exception to what Gasol said and even appeared intent on proving the Lakers’ forward correct.

Limited to 24 minutes because of foul trouble, Garnett didn’t look particularly spry in Game 2. Generally speaking, he did almost nothing. We can’t be too critical, though. You try impacting a NBA Finals game with a first step no quicker than Larry King’s.

I would respond to this shit but, frankly, I don’t have the time. The one thing I will say is that if Pierce really wanted to draw attention to himself he would have said it to the media, not a couple of fans in the fucking front row. And, umm, I wonder what this guy’s feeling are about Ron Artest and Lamar Odom.

I can’t wait until Pierce is named Miss America, Kevin Garnett interviews Lebron James and the Lakers are swept the rest of the series.

This is the possession Phil Jackson was speaking about when he said, “one of the more unusual sequences I’ve ever witnessed.” Artest himself, when asked what he was doing during the play, said merely, “I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

In case you were wondering, the above paragraph is exactly why a lot of people cautioned that the Lakers would have been better off keeping Trevor Ariza.

(h/t Ball Don’t Lie)