Preview: Wizards at Celtics

Tonight's Matchup

	vs.
0-0	Record	0-1
0	PPG	110.0
0	PPGA	119.0
0	FG%	36.4
0	Opp. FG%	41.3
0	Rebounds	56.0
0	Assists	15.0
0	Turnovers	18.0
0	Steals	6.0
0	Blocks	0
0-0	Season Series	0-0

Point Guard
Rajon Rondo Points: 0.0 Rebounds: 0.0 Assists: 0.0	Gilbert Arenas Points: 34.0 Rebounds: 8.0 Assists: 3.0
Shooting Guard
Ray Allen Points: 0.0 Rebounds: 0.0 Assists: 0.0	DeShawn Stevenson Points: 3.0 Rebounds: 1.0 Assists: 1.0
Small Forward
Paul Pierce Points: 0.0 Rebounds: 0.0 Assists: 0.0	Caron Butler Points: 19.0 Rebounds: 11.0 Assists: 0.0
Power Forward
Kevin Garnett Points: 0.0 Rebounds: 0.0 Assists: 0.0	Antawn Jamison Points: 27.0 Rebounds: 16.0 Assists: 3.0
Center
Kendrick Perkins Points: 0.0 Rebounds: 0.0 Assists: 0.0	Brendan Haywood Points: 10.0 Rebounds: 13.0 Assists: 1.0
Sixth Man
Eddie House Points: 0.0 Rebounds: 0.0 Assists: 0.0	Antonio Daniels Points: 4.0 Rebounds: 0.0 Assists: 3.0

Friday, November 2, 2007
TD Banknorth Garden, 8:00 PM
TV: Comcast Sports Net
RADIO: WEEI 850 AM

By Peter F. Stringer
Celtics.com

After a trip to Europe, a cancelled halfway-through game in Worcester and a few warm-ups at the Garden, it's time to take the court for real. Welcome back to the Jungle.

The Celtics open their 2007-08 campaign against the Washington Wizards, who beat the Celtics all three times they met last season.

Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce have already made it clear that they aren't concerned with what Wizards point guard and All-World trash talker Gilbert Arenas may write in his NBA.com blog. Arenas has apparently guaranteed a Washington win, but Rivers said that the only guarantee he's interested in would be one from his stock broker and Pierce commented that Arenas "needs attention." They are concerned, however, with how the new-look Celtics will perform now that the games finally count.

"I'd have to say I'm ready. We got in a good practice today and we're ready to start the season," Pierce said after Thursday's practice. "It's the real thing. People play different in the regular season than in the preseason."

For Pierce and his reconstituted Celtics, the stakes are little higher than usual on this opening night.

"You always look forward to Opening Night, but we never had the expectations," Pierce said.

His coach is equally eager to get under way for real.

"I can't wait. I don't know if excitement is the word, but I just want to get it started. I know this is a long journey we're going to have to go through," Rivers. "[The players] are ready. That's why I ended practice [early]. As a coach, you have to have a feel sometimes, and they wanted to play. They'd like to play right now."

After weeks of teaching their offensive and defensive philosophies, the Celtics spent time Thursday in their walk-through preparing specifically for the Wizards and some of their offensive sets.

Toward the end of practice, Garnett was very direct with his younger teammates, imploring them to ask questions if they don't understand how the schemes work.

"When we walk through stuff, the Garnetts, Ray Allen and Paul, they ask questions. They want to make sure it's right. The young guys, the coaches had to blow the whistle and tell them to do it again and do it harder. They don't take walk-throughs seriously, they just think it's something you have to go through," Rivers said. "The veterans understand that when there's 20 seconds left in the game and you weren't focusing on that one play [in the walk-through], and they run it, you're going to get beat."

Of chief concern will be shutting down Arenas, who's hit a few gamewinners against the Celtics already. Arenas dropped 34 points and forced overtime in Indiana Wednesday night in the Wizards' loss to the Pacers, so if the game comes down to a final shot, you can bet Arenas will be looking to pull the trigger again. So how do the Celtics stop Agent Zero?

"I've always said, if it was easy to stop guys like Arenas and Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant, they would not be Arenas, Pierce or Bryant. It's very difficult to stop guys like that," Rivers said, noting that fouling Arenas might be the way to go. "Clearly, when he squares you up like that, it's to his advantage. We would run someone at him and make him give the ball up. It's tough to watch him beat you."

Notes: Rivers called Brian Scalabrine "50-50" with regard to whether he'd be able to play. Scalabrine missed practice with a strained left big toe...James Posey will not be available for the opener (1-game NBA suspension), which could press Brandon Wallace into service off the bench...The Wizards struggled to defend Jamal Tinsley on high pick-and-roll plays Wednesday night, so Rajon Rondo may be called upon to attack the basket early.