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BOSTON -- A collection of postgame news and notes after the Boston Celtics defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 98-80 Sunday afternoon at TD Garden:

Quick links: No play for old friend TA | Doc no fan of matinees | Loose balls

DNP CAN'T OVERSHADOW BOSTON RETURN FOR TONY ALLEN

Old friend Tony Allen knows all too well the frustration of being pinned to the bench at TD Garden. Despite currently playing some of the most inspired ball of his career, he was forced to sit out Sunday's game against his former team due to left knee and hip soreness.

Talking with Boston reporters before Sunday's game, a mellow Allen, who must have known his injuries would prevent him from getting on the floor, discussed comments he previously made about feeling "overshadowed" in Boston where his court time was limited, particularly given his emergence this season as a starter in Memphis.

"When I was saying 'overshadowed,' I felt like I couldn't get any further than where I was, playing behind Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, those Hall-of-Fame guys," said Allen, who is averaging 10.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals over 25.3 minutes per game this season in 23 starts. "On paper, you would be a fool to play Tony Allen in front of Ray Allen or you'd be a fool to play Tony Allen in front of Paul Pierce. I wouldn't blame anybody for that decision. But like I said, it's just a chapter in my book and I'm starting a new one. And I'm enjoying it. I'm loving it, and success is here and the sky's the limit for Tony Allen over here."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers doesn't necessarily disagree with Allen, who played only 16.5 minutes per game during his final season in Boston (emerging as a true defensive stopper late in the year and aiding Boston's run to the NBA Finals).

"No matter what he did, he was only going to play a certain amount of minutes," Rivers said. "You have Ray and Paul in front of you. I don’t know, 'overshadow' was probably not the word he was looking for. A guy like Tony should and deserves to play 30 minutes per game. But on this team he couldn’t. Where I appreciated him is that he accepted that. It was never an issue. He wanted to play more, but he understood our team, he understood his value to our team and that’s cool to me. I wish we had a whole bunch of him out there."

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BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 98-80 in a Sunday matinee at TD Garden.

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
Kevin Garnett converted 9-of-12 field goals for a game-high 24 points, while Paul Pierce continues to fill up the stat sheet, registering 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and a steal, while finishing plus-28 in plus/minus over 31 minutes. Boston limited Memphis to 36.8 percent shooting (32 of 87 overall) and overcame 20 turnovers (usually fatal against the Grizzlies) to turn this one into a fourth-quarter laugher (even if someone forgot to make Gino dance on the JumboTron).

TURNING POINT
The Grizzlies opened the second quarter on a 16-3 run to turn an eight-point deficit into a five-point lead with 7:10 to go in the first half. The Celtics soon rallied back to tie, but the offense looked a bit stagnant (prompting Celtics radio analyst Cedric Maxwell to rip off his headset at one point and shout, 'Hey guys, shoot the ball!') Allen buried a long jumper, Pierce added a 3-pointer, and Jermaine O'Neal delivered an emphatic two-handed jam to key a 9-1 run to close out the half and Boston led by eight at the break (43-35). Memphis didn't get closer than five (48-43, 8:29 of 3rd) the rest of the way.

BOSTON RUNS ON RONDO
With the early start, you wondered if the Celtics might need some coffee to get going. No, Rondo provided the caffeine. Playing just his second game since returning from a right wrist injury that sidelined him for two weeks, Rondo raced around the court, handing out 10 first-half assists (on 16 Boston field goals) to fuel Boston's early lead. Rondo finished with 14 assists over 34:35.

WILCOX, JOHNSON PICK UP SLACK
With Brandon Bass (sore left knee) missing Sunday's game, reserve big men Chris Wilcox and JaJuan Johnson provided a boost up front. Wilcox registered 10 points and 4 rebounds in the first quarter alone, while Johnson finished with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting overall.

ANOTHER 3-POINTER FOR KG
After saying the other night that he doesn't "want to become the new Rasheed Wallace of the league," Kevin Garnett buried his third 3-pointer in as many games with a third-quarter triple against the Grizzlies. "We got enough guys around here that shoot 3’s, I don’t want to get confident with that," Garnett said after Friday's win. So much for that.

WHAT IT MEANS
For the third time this season, the Celtics own a season-high four-game winning streak. They'll look to extend it Tuesday night when this five-game homestand continues with a visit from the Charlotte Bobcats. The Celtics are playing inspired ball at the moment and getting contributions throughout their lineup even as injuries like the knee ailment that kept Bass out Sunday crop up. Boston can surely benefit from the depth its breeding, particularly in this game-heavy season when all 15 members of the roster will be called upon at times to contribute. Now go watch some football.

BOSTON -- Celtics reserve forward Brandon Bass will sit out Sunday's matinee against the Memphis Grizzlies due to left knee soreness, while center Jermaine O'Neal, who underwent a right knee MRI on Saturday, will play.

Coach Doc Rivers didn't seem overly concerned about Bass, suggesting that the soreness was likely the result of wear-and-tear during this game-heavy, condensed season. Chris Wilcox will see an uptick in time, while rookie JaJuan Johnson could be utilized as well. The Celtics could also go with smaller lineups to match up with a Memphis team that likes to do the same.

"I actually think it's just the accumulation of the games," Rivers said of Bass' injury. "He had some swelling in it, so we’re just going to sit him."

Rivers did laugh when discussing how he's started to expect bad news before each game.

"It's the late notice on stuff," said Rivers. "If you had a heads up that someone was going to miss a game [it would be easier], but this year it just keeps happening -- with every team. You show up at the game and [team trainer] Eddie [Lacerte] walks in 10 minutes before and says, 'This is who is not playing.' That’s the way it is."

O'Neal said he was playing while getting dressed at his locker stall, but asked about the MRI results, he simply smiled and said he'd address it later before ducking into the trainer's room.

Rivers thinks Rajon Rondo, who returned from an eight-game absence on Friday, will continue to find his rhythm with each game as he works his way back from a sprained right wrist.

"He came out of the first game -- besides his eye -- pretty well," said Rivers, noting the shiner Rondo incurred against the Knicks. "So I think today’s game will be more normal than his first game, then the next game will get even closer. He still hasn’t had a practice, [Saturday] was a walkthrough, so these are his practices -- in games."

For the Grizzlies, old friend Tony Allen was a late scratch from the starting lineup due to hip and knee soreness. He will dress, but is not expected to play (and that might help explain why he seemed a little down in the Grizzlies' locker room before the game while addressing his latest return to Boston).

If you're looking for a Super Bowl appetizer, the Boston Celtics (12-10, 8-6 home) host the Memphis Grizzlies (12-11, 5-8 away) in a Sunday matinee at TD Garden (noon, CSN). With the early start and -- let's face it, most of the attention on the Patriots vs. Giants -- we're playing a lightning-round version of 3-on-3 with ESPN Boston's Greg Payne and CelticsHub's Brian Robb to preview the matchup. But first, allow Celtics coach Doc Rivers to explain why this condensed schedule is so crazy:

"The league is just different [this year]," said Rivers. "Every night, it seems like you’re facing a different type of opponent, it’s not like the cookie-cutter NBA. You’ve got small teams, you have athletic teams, and you have power teams. It's a strange group of teams this year, for whatever reason. Memphis poses that problem, they are a great rebounding team; they force turnovers -- they are the best in the league; they want to get in transition, they want to open the game up and get into a 1-on-1 game. You can fall into that and you’re going to lose to them. They are a difficult team to prepare for."

---

1. What is Boston's biggest concern facing Memphis?

Payne: Athletic depth on the wing. The Grizzlies have a number of guys they can throw at Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, including Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, and Sam Young.

Robb: Health combined with a competitive Western Conference. The talent is clearly there, but a solid playoff seed will be tough to manage with Zach Randolph sidelined a couple more weeks and so many teams playing well around them. Like we saw last year though, this will be a team to watch when they get healthy.

Forsberg: Turnovers. The Grizzlies lead the league in steals (243) and opponent turnovers (416). Rajon Rondo is nursing that bad wrist and gave it away five times in his return on Friday. The Celtics must value the ball and make the most of possessions.

(Read full post)

In our postgame notes from the Celtics' loss to the Grizzlies Wednesday, we detailed Boston's struggles to execute late in the game. Here's a quick glimpse at why the first two attempts to pull ahead or tie failed:



The Celtics elected not to call a timeout when Rajon Rondo hauled in a rebound with 26.8 seconds to go in a one-point game. Rondo pushed the ball hard up the court, then waited at the top of the circle for teammates to catch up. For a brief instant, Ray Allen appeared to be open in front of the Boston bench, but Tony Allen closed quickly. Kevin Garnett drew traffic going to the basket, which left Glen Davis openly briefly on the left side. But Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he thought Rondo would hand the ball off to Pierce. As you can tell from the image above, Pierce was the last man up the floor for Boston and had Shane Battier is right on him, preventing that option. Rondo settled for a running floater that was a bit too strong in traffic and the Celtics were forced to foul.



Now down by three, the Celtics got a chance to draw up a play coming out of a timeout, something that Rivers is among the best at in the league. As Rivers confirmed after the game, the play was set up to get either Ray Allen or Pierce on a flare to the wings. Once again, strong defense by the Grizzlies blew it up. Tony Allen managed to get through a Garnett screen to prevent the first flare to the right, while Glen Davis whiffs on a screen for Pierce (see the image above), smothering that option. Rivers said at that point he would have preferred Rondo drive for a two-point bucket knowing the Grizzlies wouldn't foul, but the ball kicked back to Davis, who put up a head-shaking 3-pointer that was off the mark.

After Marc Gasol missed a pair of free throws, Boston got one last gasp and simply put the ball in Pierce's hands hoping to force overtime. He was smothered by Shane Battier (with Tony Allen cheating off Ray Allen to offer help in the final seconds) and found front iron on a desperation heave.

Hop HERE to read more thoughts from the Celtics' on their poor late-game execution.

BOSTON -- The honeymoon might finally be over for Nenad Krstic.

After his initial time with the Boston Celtics were defined by promising play on the offensive end and a surprising assertiveness on the glass -- culminating earlier this month with a Player of the Week nomination -- Krstic's last four performances have been nothing short of lackluster, capped off by Wednesday's forgettable effort in a 90-87 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The numbers alone speak volumes. Krstic scored just six points on 2-of-6 shooting, grabbed only two rebounds, committed five personal fouls, and turned the ball over four times in a little over 21 minutes of action in what ended up being Boston's fifth loss in its last nine games.

"I didn't have a good game," Krstic admitted. "I don't know, I thought maybe a couple times I got fouled but they didn't call it and on the other end I got cheap fouls. It's just frustrating and I think it affects you a little bit, but I just had a bad game, that's all."

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BOSTON -- A collection of news and notes after the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Boston Celtics 90-87 Wednesday night at the TD Garden:

The rundown: Doc Warned His Team | Execution Troubles | Layup Line



The Celtics can't say they didn't see this one coming. Coach Doc Rivers highlighted every key aspect before Wednesday's game, then Boston went out and flopped on each account. Just check out what Rivers said pregame:

"We couldn't script a tougher game, in a good way -- for me anyway, maybe not for the players," said Rivers. "We have to get back to protecting the paint and they're No. 1 in paint points. We have to get back in transition [defense] and I think they're seventh in the league in fastbreak points. We have to get back to dominating on the boards, and I think they're fourth in that category. You couldn't pick a better team for us to play. All the things we have to get better at, they have. It's a good test for us."

Test failed. The Grizzlies dominated points in the paint (52-26), including a 16-3 advantage on second-chance points, and finished with a healthy edge on the glass (43-37). Sure, fastbreak points were a wash (8 apiece), but that was of little solace to the Celtics.

“I am surprised because the whole emphasis of today was they are one of the best, if not the best, in the league at points in the paint," said captain Paul Pierce. "The emphasis was to pack the paint, they aren’t a great 3-point shooting team, so there is no excuse for all that. We should have done a better job in there, make them kick it out and make them knock down a couple of jumpers.

"I thought overall, we played pretty good defense. We held them to what, 90 points? Especially Zach Randolph, he has been playing out of his mind. A lot of these guys have been playing well. I thought it was a pretty strong defensive game. Turnovers really hurt us. I though we missed a lot of easy looks that we usually make right there at the basket under the rim. It’s really hard to put my finger on one thing that cost us the game. It was hard fought and could have went either way, and it went their way tonight.”

The Celtics turned the ball over 20 times leading to 16 points for Memphis, but that was essentially negated as the Grizzlies coughed up the ball up 15 times for 13 points. As Pierce suggested, Boston's defense wasn't bad beyond the paint struggles, but an offense that shot just 42 percent (29 of 69) -- including a mere 34 percent for the starters -- highlighted Boston's recent struggles to light up the scoreboard.

"It’s something you get through," Rivers said of the offensive struggles. "But we’ve got to get through it.”

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BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Boston Celtics 90-87 Wednesday night at the TD Garden:

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
Zach Randolph and old friend Leon Powe combined to score a team-high 13 points for the Grizzlies, who put six players in double figures while fending off Boston at the wire (another old friend Tony Allen in defense as Paul Pierce missed a potential overtime-forcing 3-pointer at the buzzer). Pierce sparked Boston with a big second-half effort, finishing with a game-high 22 points, while Ray Allen kicked in 14 more.

TURNING POINT
The Celtics boasted a chance to tie the game down three in the final seconds, but a play broke down and Boston settled for a head-shaking 3-point attempt by Glen Davis that was way off the mark. The Celtics got another life when Marc Gasol missed a pair of free throw attempts that could have sealed the game, but this time it was Pierce that was off-target as Tony Allen exulted.

Boston actually led 77-76 with a little less than eight minutes to play, but the Grizzlies scored the game's next eight points -- old friends Leon Powe and Tony Allen combing for six of them -- to build a seven-point cushion that Boston never could claw back from.

STAT OF THE GAME
Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Boston needed to limit points in the paint. The Grizzlies finished with a 52-26 advantage in that category, as well as a 43-37 edge on the glass.

UNSUNG HERO
Powe made Boston regret not giving the thought of bringing him back after being bought out by scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting over 17 minutes. He didn't grab a rebound, but he sure made his presence felt against his former team.

WHAT IT MEANS
The way Western Conference teams are playing in Boston, maybe the Celtics don't want homecourt advantage if they reach the NBA Finals. The Celtics are 21-0 against Eastern foes, but now a mere 8-7 against the West at the TD Garden. This is the second straight year they've lost to Memphis in Boston. All the good feelings from back-to-back 15-point rallies are washed away by a disappoint loss at home that drops Boston a full game behind the Bulls in the race for the top seed in the East.

BOSTON -- Tony Allen is back in Boston for the first time since bolting for Memphis as a free agent this offseason, a move that coach Doc Rivers admitted took him and the organization by surprise. Allen admitted there were some nostalgia coming back to the Garden, but said his focus was on business for a Grizzlies team fighting for a final playoff berth.

"It's where I started my career off at, you know?" said Allen. "I've been through some good times, I've been through some bad times here, but, for the most part, I'm very excited to be back here and hopefully we can get the win today."

Allen did note that it was odd coming to the arena as a visitor.

"I came in through the back way, and that was kind of like a pinch on the cheek or something, like, 'Wow, I've never been this way,'" said Allen. "I came in through the back and that's when I really knew, 'Hey, I'm not a Celtic [any] more. It's time to come out here, scrap, and fight and get a win.' But, for the most part it's special because I've got a lot of good memories here, and I'm happy to be here, so it's going to be fun today."

(50-19, 29-6 home)

-- vs. --

(39-32, 14-22 away)

at TD Garden, 7:30 p.m. | CSN, WEEI (850 AM)
PAYNE'S THREE THINGS TO WATCH

• TA's Return: Tony Allen, who elected to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies instead of re-signing with the Celtics last summer, will make his first appearance in TD Garden since joining his new squad. Allen, who's currently starting at the two-guard spot for Memphis with the injured Rudy Gay out of the lineup, is averaging 8.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 turnovers in 19.2 minutes per game this season and currently boasts a field goal percentage of exactly 50 percent. Allen will most likely spend time defending both Ray Allen and Paul Pierce Wednesday -- two players he knows well.
• Big Man Battle: Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph continues to somehow fly under the NBA radar, despite his season averages of 20.2 points and 12.6 rebounds. He'll go toe-to-toe with Kevin Garnett Wednesday, in what should be another classic matchup of offense versus defense. Garnett was able to help hold another talented big man -- New York's Amare Stoudemire -- to just 16 points overall on 7-of-15 shooting, and a whopping zero points in the fourth quarter on Monday ((Stoudemire is averaging 25.9 points per game this season). Will Randolph have better success against the Big Ticket Wednesday?
• No More Comebacks: As thrilling as coming back from 15-point deficits in back-to-back games has been, the Celtics can no longer employ the catch-up model the way they have in their last two contests. Rather than come out slow and timid (particularly on defense) in the opening half Wednesday, the Celtics need to carry over their style of play from the second half against the Knicks on Monday. At halftime of that game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers hinted that his team was playing "soft," -- a statement that sparked life into his troops. Will it take another halftime speech from Rivers to get the Celtics' heads where they need to be, or will they understand that that type of energy and aggressiveness that was on display in the second half against New York is expected from them all the time?

GAME PREVIEW (via Stats Inc.)

While the Memphis Grizzlies are battling for one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference, their next two games will have major implications in the East.

The Grizzlies begin a two-game trip against one of the East's best Wednesday night when they take on the Boston Celtics.

Memphis (39-32) is in eighth place in the West as it starts a road trip in which it will probably be happy to win one game. The Grizzlies visit Chicago on Friday, and the Bulls and Celtics (50-19) are in a tight race for the No. 1 seed in the East.

"We can't lower our heads and say: 'We've got to play two of the best teams coming up on the road,' and be down about it," guard Mike Conley said. "We've got to take the challenge and take it head on."

Boston will be seeking its third season sweep of Memphis in the last four seasons. The Celtics won 116-110 in overtime Nov. 13 behind Paul Pierce's 28 points and Rajon Rondo's 17 assists.

Memphis was led by Rudy Gay's 22 points. The club announced Tuesday that Gay will miss the rest of the season since surgery has been recommended for an injured left shoulder that has kept him out of action since Feb. 22.

The Grizzlies are 8-6 in Gay's absence, winning their second straight 103-85 over Utah on Monday. Zach Randolph had 19 points and 13 boards while Conley had 11 points and 11 assists.

"Each game is a playoff game for us," Randolph said. "We're trying to get there. We're in the last spot. We're trying to hold onto it or move up. So it's important every game to come out and be focused."

Read the full preview HERE.

MEMPHIS -- A collection of news and notes after the Boston Celtics defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 110-106 in overtime Saturday night at the FedExForum.

The rundown (a quick look at postgame headlines)
* T.Allen carves out role amidst limiting playing time in Memphis
* What's up Doc? Rivers uncertain about J.O'Neal diagnosis
* Loose balls: Pierce missing Pacquiao; KG fine after takedown

--TA CARVES OUT ROLE AMIDST LIMITING PLAYING TIME IN MEMPHIS--

Tony Allen isn't registering the sort of on-the-court impact he probably expected in Memphis, but his off-the-court imprint is impossible to miss.

Hip-hop blared inside the Grizzlies' locker room before Saturday's game and, according to Grizzlies observers, that's something new this season. Maybe it's not surprising to find out that it's music-loving Allen whose iPod was jammed in the speaker dock at the front of the room before tip-off against the Celtics, setting the mood for Memphis' young and exuberant squad.

Two months shy of his 29th birthday, Allen is one of the elder statesmen on this Grizzlies squad. Only Zach Randolph (29) is older and has more experience (nine years). Even as he's struggled to maintain playing time, Allen is trying to bring some of the leadership he absorbed in Boston to a fledgling Memphis team.

"It's pretty different, going from a more veteran ball club to a young ball club, obviously, but I'm enjoying it," said Allen. "I'm pretty much trying to carry [the leadership from Boston] over, trying to get guys to be more focused in games, more serious in practices -- not saying they've haven't -- but just making it more of a point of emphasis."

Playing for the first time against the team he spent his first six NBA seasons with, Allen chipped in 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with four rebounds, three assists and three steals over nearly 21 minutes of floor time as his Grizzlies forced Boston to stay late for the win.

"We definitely had an opportunity to see where we are at with a top team in the league, a team that has been around the block," said Allen. "This is a team that has their mind focused on championships and pretty much knows they are going to the playoffs. A team that knows a lot about winning basketball. It definitely was a chance to see where we are at. We competed, but the little things that we didn't do, the miscommunication on offense and mishaps on the defensive end."

In his new leadership position, it will be up to Allen to help show his new teammates how to get to that next level. It's part of what was expected of him after inking a three-year, $9.45 million deal this offseason.

Huddling with Boston reporters Saturday following Memphis' morning shootaround, Allen detailed how a hard recruitment by general manager Chris Wallace, Boston's former front-office chief who drafted Allen with the 25th overall pick in the 2004 draft, left him jumping at the choice to join the Grizzlies early in the free-agency period. His sudden departure came as a surprise in Boston and left the Celtics scrambling to add depth at the swingman spot.

"I felt wanted," said Allen. "I felt like this is where I needed to be."

Allen only shrugs and dismisses the what-if scenario when asked if a harder recruitment early in the free-agency period by Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge could have lured him back to Boston. The Celtics put a heavy focus on re-signing Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in early July, then brought in Jermaine O'Neal with the mid-level exception before turning their attention to next batch of free agents.

By that point, Allen was gone. Now he's trying to prove he's worth the investment.

Last week, Allen logged back-to-back DNPs (coach's decision) during Memphis' only wins on a four-game road trip. He entered Saturday's game averaging 5.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over seven appearances off the bench. While Allen said he's still learning the playbook and defining his role on his new team, Memphis coach Lionel Hollins suggested Allen might see more DNPs on occasion.

“He’ll have a couple of DNPs,” Hollins said. “I think he had a couple of DNPs in Boston. Tony Allen’s a utility player who comes in and gives you some energy and gives you some defense at different times. Then there’s times when you need something else."

The Grizzlies need Allen to give them something else and he showed potential to do that against his former team.

--WHAT'S UP DOC? RIVERS UNCERTAIN ABOUT J.O'NEAL DIAGNOSIS--

Rivers said he had no update on reserve center Jermaine O'Neal, who returned home to Boston with a sore left knee, missing his second straight game as doctors try to figure out why he continues to experience flare-ups and swelling after an initial outburst following a loss last month in Cleveland.

"I’ll find out more [Sunday], I haven’t even checked, to be honest," said Rivers. "We gotta get through this game, then we’ll figure out what’s going on."

Even as the Celtics prepare to get Delonte West back as his 10-game suspension expired after Saturday's game, Rivers is resigned to the fact that his team might never e in full this season, due in large part to the injuries in the frontcourt.

"We're not going to have [a full and healthy team]," said Rivers. "Really. I went into the season thinking that, and, so far, I’ve been proven right more than I wanted to be. I just don’t see that happening with so many guys with age and we’re just going to have that [especially up front]. Our starting center has not even played yet in [Kendrick Perkins], then you've got the other two [O'Neals] who have been injured. I'm just hoping Jermaine can get back and get right. We’ll find that out. I don’t know anything yet, so we’ll find that out later."

--LOOSE BALLS: PIERCE MISSING PACQUIAO; KG FINE AFTER TAKEDOWN--



* Celtics captain Paul Pierce was kicking himself after the game. Not just for a defensive lapse that allowed Rudy Gay to tie the game (and force overtime) with 7.3 seconds to play or for failing to get off a potential winning shot at the end of regulation out of an isolation set.

"It felt like we've been on the road for a while and you get mental fatigue, especially on a Saturday night when you should be at home watching the [Manny] Pacquiao fight," said Pierce. "That's what I'm more disappointed at, this thing going to overtime. I got the fight on DVR. I'll take the blame for that: My bad defense at the end on Rudy Gay. My teammates picked me up."

Pierce, a Pacquiao supporter, can take solace in the fact that his fighter dominated Antonio Margarito over 12 rounds, earning a lopsided decision in Dallas.

* Ray Allen connected on one of his first six shots, but rebounded to hit four of his final five shots, including a trio of 3-pointers, while scoring 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

" A few shots I missed, I thought I should have made," said Allen. "By the fourth quarter, it doesn't matter what happened in the first three quarters. You have to make shots to win the game, you gotta be ready and prepared."

* Kevin Garnett said he's no worse for the wear after a hard takedown at the hands of Zach Randolph in the overtime session that saw Garnett hit the floor hard, his head appearing to hit the hardwood.

"I’m good man," said Garnett, who stayed in the game and played nearly the entire overtime session. "It's part of it. It’s part of the game."

Rivers put a lighter spin on it.

"It happens, I didn’t think he hurt himself," said Rivers. "I thought maybe he hurt his head. I was hoping Zach knocked some sense into him."

MEMPHIS -- First impressions after the Boston Celtics defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 116-110 in overtime Saturday night at the FedExForum:

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
Ray Allen shook off some early shooting woes, hitting four of his final five shots, including a trio of 3-pointers, while scoring 13 of his 15 points after the third quarter. Shaquille O'Neal, playing only his second game after missing nearly two weeks and five games due to a right knee bruise that he's still not completely healed from, scored a season-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, giving Boston an inside presence it's sorely lacked amidst early season injury woes for its bigs. Paul Pierce added a game-high 28 points, while Rajon Rondo handed out 17 assists for Boston.

TURNING POINT
Glen Davis, Rondo, and Allen scored the first three baskets of overtime, helping Boston race away with the win in the extra session. Despite their inability to generate a potential winning shot at the end of regulation (another Pierce ISO play failed to deliver a shot), the Celtics gave themselves a chance to win in overtime because of some clutch perimeter shooting. Rudy Gay's layup with five minutes remaining helped the Grizzlies match their largest lead of the night with a 92-89 edge, but Allen and Pierce, who hadn't made a 3-pointer to that point, provided back-to-back trifectas as Boston regained the lead.

STAT OF THE GAME
The Celtics shot a blistering 57.7 percent from the field (45-of-78 overall) and probably shouldn't have needed the extra session to put the Grizzlies away, but 17 turnovers leading to 22 points didn't help their cause (nor did allowing nine offensive rebounds and 21 second-chance points).

UNSUNG HERO
Nate Robinson continues to thrive off the bench, connecting on 6-of-8 shots, including 3-of-5 trifectas, for 15 points (the rest of the bench combined for just 11 points with nine from Davis). Robinson mixed up his production, getting out front on the fastbreak for some easy layups and mixing in solid perimeter shooting.

WHAT IT MEANS
Despite playing their third overtime game in six outings, the Celtics wrapped a daunting four-game road trip at 3-1 overall, besting three quality teams in Oklahoma City, Miami, and Memphis (while letting a winnable game in Dallas slip away). Boston returns home with three days of rest as its reward and will take Sunday off before getting back on the practice court Monday. Playing shorthanded due to injuries for much of the trip, the second unit gets a boost as guard Delonte West is eligible to return from a 10-game suspension when the Celtics host the Wizards Wednesday night at the TD Garden.

MEMPHIS -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers joked that it feels like his team has been out on the road for a month during this weeklong four-game road trip -- the longest trek of the young season -- and Boston is hoping to head into a much-needed three-day break on a high note.

First they must get past a young and feisty Grizzlies squad that posed troubles last season.

"Their speed; they're young, fast, and enthusiastic -- all the things we're not," said Rivers. "They force turnovers, they lead the league in that, and they crash the glass. Last year we were a horrendous rebounding team, this year we’re so much better, but that’s where they pose a problem. If they get out on the break, they’re tough to beat, and that’s where we gotta slow them down."

A couple other pregame bullets:

* Rivers said he doesn't have any update on Jermaine O'Neal (sore left knee) and hopes to find out more about his backup big man when the team returns home Monday. O'Neal did not accompany the team to Memphis, traveling home to Boston after seeking a second opinion on his ailing knee in Miami Friday. "I’ll find out more tomorrow, I haven’t even checked, to be honest. We gotta get through this game, then we’ll figure out what’s going on."

* Shaquille O'Neal (bruised right knee) is back in the starting lineup and Rivers doesn't expect to monitor his minutes based on Jermaine O'Neal's absence. "Whether Jermaine was here or not, we’d play Shaq probably the same."

* Doc on the 31-point, 31-rebound effort posted by Minnesota's Kevin Love during Friday's tilt against the Knicks: "No one on our team could do it because the guards steal too many rebounds. But 31 alone, in either category, is impressive. When you get two of them in one game, in any category, that's an amazing night. You don't see many nights like that."

(7-2, 3-2 away)

-- vs. --

(4-5, 2-2 home)

at FedExForum, 8 p.m. | CSN, WEEI (850 AM)
GAME PREVIEW (via Stats Inc.)

Ray Allen and the Boston Celtics delivered their best offensive performance of the season in a win over a supposed title contender their last time out.

There's no reason to believe their hot shooting won't carry over to Memphis.

The Celtics have shot better than 50 percent in their four straight road victories over the Grizzlies, an impressive streak they'll look to extend Saturday night in the finale of a four-game trip.

With an NBA-best 14.9 assists per game, Rajon Rondo is making sure Boston's shooters get plenty of open looks.

When the Celtics (7-2) -- particularly Allen -- are knocking those shots down, they're tough to beat. Allen went 7 of 9 on 3-pointers en route to a season-high 35 points, Rondo had 16 assists and Boston hit 54.4 percent from the field in a 112-107 win at Miami on Thursday, its second victory over the NBA's new superstar cast.

"Everybody just stepped in and did their job," coach Doc Rivers said. "Tonight was the first night I thought we had complete trust in the next pass."

Since the start of the 2009-10 season and including playoffs, the Celtics are 39-10 when Allen scores at least 18 points and 33-31 otherwise.

Read the full preview HERE.

FORSBERG'S THREE THINGS TO WATCH

• Value the ball: The Grizzlies are one of the top team in forcing turnovers and it's often their recipe for success due to defensive struggles. Boston, which can fall victim to turning the ball over, has done a nice job limiting turnovers, particularly Thursday night in Miami, and will need to limit giveaways to thrive.
• C's go small?: Without Jermaine O'Neal, the Celtics have depth issues up front, but facing an undersized Grizzlies squad might allow the team to go smaller on occasion. Earlier this season, the Celtics experimented with smaller lineups, leaving Kevin Garnett or Big Baby as the only true big on the court.
• Finish up strong: The Celtics can finish this trip with a rock-solid 3-1 mark with a win Saturday (and you can make the case that they probably should have won in Dallas). With three days of rest looming, Boston could head home feeling real good about itself with a quality triumph. Even better if they can put together a full 48-minute effort.

MEMPHIS -- A few notes after the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies held their shootarounds Saturday morning at the FedExForum:

--SHAQ: 'NO [EXPLETIVE] LAYUPS'--

Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal earned a flagrant foul for a body-check he applied to former teammate LeBron James in the third quarter of Boston's win Thursday night in Miami. On Saturday, he discussed his philosophy on potential layups, emphasized by a certain 12-letter curse word.

"That’s what I do: No [expletive] layups," said O'Neal. "Print it just like that and, if you get fined, come see me, and I’ll reimburse you... No layups."

O'Neal nimbly avoided saying too much about the actual play, in which James stormed the lane in transition and got throttled as Shaq delivered a two-armed shove as James drew contact. O'Neal then threw his arms up in the air and moved away (instead of coming down hard on James), but still earned the flagrant-1 designation.

"I can get grabbed around the neck and it’s not flagrant, but as soon as i body-check somebody... ," O'Neal said trailing off. "Hey, man, I'm used to it. But, yeah, no layups. Guys in our league, they know that. They know I'm serious about that."

The Celtics know full well after O'Neal used his full complement of six fouls to enforce the lane during his time with the Cavaliers, especially during last year's Eastern Conference semifinals. Rajon Rondo, in particular, learned the hard way about attacking the basket with Shaq protecting the rim.

When someone like James is storming the lane, O'Neal knows the rule of thumb is to try and draw the charge. He also knows James isn't going to get whistled for a lot of those.

"You're supposed to take the bump and fall," explained O'Neal. "I'm not going to do that because they're not going to call it anyway. With him coming full speed like that, you're probably not going to block his shot, so you gotta chuck him. I think he missed, what, one of those free throws? So yeah, you just gotta chuck him. He's a tough kid, he can take it. There's a difference between a hard foul and trying to hurt somebody."

As for trying to take charges, Shaq's done with that. During his time with Phoenix, got into a war of words with Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy about perceived flop while defending Dwight Howard. He's still sore about it when reminded Saturday and said it's all about giving the foul now.

As for his health, O'Neal said he's still sore from Thursday's game -- his first after sitting out five straight with a right knee bruise -- but will be back in the starting lineup for Saturday's game.

--JUST ANOTHER GAME FOR TA--



While Tony Allen's time in Memphis probably hasn't gone as he planned -- Allen is averaging just 12 minutes per game and earned two DNP's last week (coach's decision) in a pair of the Grizzlies' wins on a four-game road trip -- he remains content with his new situation.

"How’s everything been going? Everything’s been going cool so far," said Allen, leaning on the trunk of a display Lexus in the concourse of the FedExForum after the Grizzlies finished their morning workout. "Everything’s copacetic. I’m taking everything in stride, trying to learn the offense, trying figure out what they need from me defensively and learning the sets. But I'm enjoying my new situation."

Allen surprisingly bolted Boston this offseason, signing a three-year, $9.5 million deal and leaving the Celtics scrambling a bit to fill depth at the wing position. Allen reiterated that it was a hard recruitment by Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace, Boston's former front-office leader who drafted Allen with the 25th pick in 2004 draft, that led him to make an early decision to join Memphis.

Allen sad he felt "wanted" in Memphis, but suggested he didn't necessarily feel unwanted in Boston. Asked if he might have been more likely to return to Boston if they had recruited him harder in the early stages of free agency, Allen simply shrugged and said he's happy to be with the Grizzlies.

Allen, who wears No. 9 now in Memphis, is averaging 5.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 12.7 minutes per game. After his two-game absence, he returned to the court earlier this week against Dallas and chipped in four points, three assists, and two rebounds over 10 minutes off the bench.

"I'm just trying to find my niche," said Allen. "Trying to find where I can get my groove in on the defense and offense end. Right now I'm just learning the sets -- they've got a lot of sets -- and I'm just trying to learn."

--PIERCE DOWNPLAYS 'SOUTH BEACH' TWEET--

Asked about his tweet that took a playful jab at James following Boston's victory over Miami Thursday night, Pierce brushed it off, telling reporters, "It's self-explanatory."

"I mean, there’s nothing else to talk about. I don’t need to add to it," Pierce said, according to the Boston Herald. "Don’t get caught up in all that media hype. What’s wrong with y’all, dog? Y’all need to stop watching SportsCenter, ESPN. Don’t get caught up in all that. C’mon now, we’re better than that. C’mon."