An uncertain future lies ahead for bruised Celtics

ORLANDO -- It is never good when a playoff series is influenced not by what happens on the court of play, but in the court of NBA dean of discipline Stu Jackson.

So be it, then. Jackson will study tapes of Magic 113, Celtics 92, specifically the split-second snippets involving Kendrick Perkins, and decide whether it rated R or more like PG-13. Judge Jackson has the power to uphold the two technicals the big Celtics center was poked with in Game 5, giving him 7 for the post-season, which comes with an automatic one-game suspension. Which would yank Perkins from the lineup for the important Game 6 at the TD Garden. Which would, or could anyway, sway the Eastern Conference Finals a bit further in the direction of the Magic, suddenly awakened from their series slumber.

Or the Judge can rule no harm, no foul and let the series play on without interference from the high office. Which would certainly get the conspiracy theorists howling about favoritism and selective enforcement and all that.

What's at stake here? Mucho. The Celtics were running short on big men in Game 5 by the fourth quarter that they almost sent an SOS for Bill Russell. Or hey, even Hank Finkle. That's how desperate Boston was after Perkins got the second tech and the hook 36 seconds before halftime. And then Glen "Big Baby" Davis got clocked in the head by a stray Dwight Howard elbow and developed a concussion and had to be prevented from collapsing by referee Joe Crawford. And Rasheed Wallace tweaked his back. Meaning, they can't afford to be without Perk, even if the other bigs declare themselves fit for Friday.

You want the honest assessment about all of this? Here goes: Jackson should stay out of it. Those T's were low on the sinister meter. Both were judgment calls at best.

"I didn't think he deserved either one," said Doc Rivers.

The first was a double tech on Perk and Marcin Gortat. Neither player engaged in any shoving or even much mouthing off. In the view of Rivers, "Perk was bending down, picking the ball up and got a tech for being around." That's a pretty biased view coming from the Celtics coach, but also pretty accurate.

And the second tech? Perk was whistled for a questionable foul on Howard, and suddenly turned and stormed away from referee Eddie Rush, who apparently didn't like the sound of Perk's sneakers marching on the floor. Or maybe Rush heard something he didn't appreciate. In any event, he blew his whistle the second time.

Funny thing: Rush then walked over to Rivers somewhat sheepishly, and Rivers later said what we all suspected.

"I did think Eddie Rush realized once he called it, he couldn't rescind the tech because he forgot they had given him the other one," said Rivers. "I don't think Perk would've gotten (the second)."

Gut feeling here, but if Jackson checks with Rush before ruling, those techs will be waved off and Perk will play. While that certainly will favor the Celtics, it will also bring the league lots of gruff about not following the letter of the law. By comparison, remember when Patrick Ewing took two steps off the Knicks bench, then backpedaled, in 1997? Ewing was at least 60 feet from the fray involving the Knicks and Heat, but the letter was followed and he was suspended for the next game.

While the Celtics wait to hear their fate involving Perkins, they'll be busy wondering where their momentum went. After going up 3-0 in the series, then losing Game 4 in overtime, Game 5 was sealed somewhat early by the Magic, who controlled the game. Orlando shot 52 percent, made 13 from 3-point range and got big lifts from Jameer Nelson (24 points), Howard (5 blocks, 10 rebounds) and J.J Redick (14 off the bench). There was even a Rashard Lewis sighting in the fourth quarter.

"It was our best offensive night of the series," noted Stan Van Gundy.

And now we have a series. Funny, wasn't it just 4 or 5 days ago when both conference finals looked like a sweep? The East isn't tied up like the West, but don't put anything past the Magic, especially given the state of the Celtics and their big men.

Davis appeared normal following the game. He didn't stumble around the locker room as he did on the court, seconds after catching Howard's elbow flush in the face, and after being implored by Rivers to "get up" and hustle down the floor. Davis tried to do as instructed, but teetered like he took a few roundhouse rights from Floyd Mayweather. Finally, he stumbled forward and was caught by Crawford, who's almost four decades older and Lord-knows-how-many tons lighter.

"Glen said he's good," reports teammate Tony Allen, "so he'll be ready to play."

Well, just like with Perkins, the status of Davis will be determined by an impartial party, namely the medical specialists.

Rivers: "I don't know what kind of tests they're going to do with Baby because he's a little delirious half the time, anyway, so I don't know how he's going to pass a test."

This, we know: Orlando passed the latest test, with flying colors at that. Now it's up to the Celtics to make the next move. But first, let's hear what Stu Jackson thinks.

Shaun Powell is a veteran NBA writer and columnist. You can e-mail him here and follow him on twitter.

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