Allen’s Shooting Keeps C’s Alive in Losing Effort

By Scott Tribble
Celtics.com Correspondent
June 10, 2008

Fittingly enough, only the resident thespian on Boston's roster starred for the Celtics in Tuesday night's Game 3 loss in Los Angeles.

Ray Allen, who knows a little something about Hollywood from his roles in He Got Game and Harvard Man, scored 25 points against the Lakers, boosting the Celtics on a night when Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce shot a combined 8-35 from the field. Despite Allen's best efforts, the Celtics lost 87-81, but retain a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

"I was just trying to just keep the team in it, just trying to put as much energy as I could out there," Allen said after the game. "I don't know, it just seemed like offensively I was just trying to give us a boost of adrenaline out there. The ball came my way and I was just trying to carry the team for a little bit there."

For Pierce and Garnett, the entire first half was an exercise in futility. The Truth shot one of seven from the field, while the Big Ticket succeeded only once in nine attempts. Allen similarly started off slow, logging only a single three-pointer in the first quarter, but heated up in time for the second. In that frame, Allen hit all three of his shots, including two from downtown. His efforts on offense, coupled with some unexpected scoring from Rajon Rondo and James Posey, helped to keep the deficit to a manageable six at the half.

The Celtics mounted a comeback in the third, as Garnett started to hit his shots, but it was Allen who remained the team's primary offensive weapon. The shooting guard dropped ten in the quarter, including his fourth three-pointer of the night. During one 12-2 run that put the Celtics up 51-49, Allen and Garnett combined for seven points and temporarily hushed the boisterous Staples Center crowd.

Boston held the advantage through the first five minutes of the final quarter, but earlier shooting woes resurfaced and this time plagued Allen as well. Dogged by Kobe on defense, Allen mustered only a single basket on three attempts, while Garnett and Pierce shot a combined three of eleven from the field. Though the Celtics cut the lead to two in the final minutes, Kobe Bryant's slashing drives and Sasha Vujacic's outside shooting effectively ruled out any chance of a Celtics' miracle.

Asked about the poor shooting on the night, Garnett said, "I think at times myself, I can't speak for Paul, but rushing shots, hyped about the game, composure [all were factors]. I don't make any kind of excuses for bad games."

His so-so fourth quarter notwithstanding, Allen clearly has reestablished himself as a go-to guy in the Celtics' offense. After enduring a shooting slump earlier in the playoffs, Allen is hitting 51 percent of his shots in the Finals, while averaging 20.3 points per game.

"I thought Ray was fantastic... Guarding Kobe is no easy task, and still, to have the strength to play defense or to score was big," said Celtics Coach Doc Rivers.

The Celtics face a pivotal matchup on Thursday, and, if Doc Rivers and his charges hope to avoid a sequel to Game 2, the three Celtics' leaders together must do their L.A. shooting on schedule.