By Peter F. Stringer
Celtics.com
May 30, 2012
Ray Allen only hit one field goal against the Heat in Game 1 Monday night, and reports started coming out on Tuesday morning that Doc Rivers would consider sitting Allen to rest his troublesome right ankle in Game 2.
Allen’s reaction to the idea he may not play in Game 2?
“Hell no,” Allen said, with a smile. “This is not the time to sit down.”
Speaking of time, Allen arrived about 20 minutes ahead of the team bus to get some early shots up. Allen was practicing both from the free-throw line, where he missed a startling four of his seven attempts, and the 3-point line, where he sank his only shot of the night in Game 1.
While Ray’s pregame routine of arriving hours ahead of tip-off to hoist shots is well known, the media hasn’t typically seen him do it before a shootaround. But Allen told reporters that they just hadn't seen him do it. After all, aside from the postseason, media isn't typically lurking at shootarounds anyway.
“That’s normal for Ray. He does that all the time,” captain Paul Pierce said. “It’s been frustrating and a lot of that has to do with his injury. It’s hard for him to get his normal lift.”
Allen, who watched film with the team on Tuesday, explained again that he's not getting the right lift on his jumper, which affects the arch of his shot. He also explained that he's attempting to return to a challenging routine.
“At some point I’ve gotta put my body through some type of rigorous shooting,” Allen said.