{"id":419018,"date":"2011-05-06T22:44:19","date_gmt":"2011-05-06T22:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-05-06T22:44:19","modified_gmt":"2011-05-06T22:44:19","slug":"celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"Celtics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP)\u2014Paul Pierce<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> has figured out how to help the Boston Celtics<\/a> play better during the final minutes of their next playoff game against the Miami Heat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s going to stick around.<\/p>\n

Pierce was ejected from the series opener with 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter, and in Game 2 he strained his left Achilles\u2019 tendon in the first half and was still hobbling down the stretch. He knows that Boston\u2019s chances of avoiding a 3-0 hole depend on his ability to stick around at the end, and he plans to be there.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul Pierce being in the game in the fourth quarter, healthy, is always going to help the Celtics,\u201d he said before practice on Friday.<\/p>\n

The Heat took the first two games of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals in Miami, and the series resumes with Game 3 on Saturday night in Boston. For these Celtics, who have never fallen behind 0-2 since the New Big Three was assembled in the summer of 2007, it\u2019s a crucial game to avoid what could be an insurmountable hole.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still feel like it\u2019s going to be a seven-game series,\u201d Pierce said. \u201cI like our chances, especially with our backs against the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Celtics have reason to be optimistic that they can at least make a series of it. They are back at home, where this core is 29-7 in the playoffs, and they expect to be healthier than they have been in a while, thanks in part to the three days off since their Game 2 loss.<\/p>\n

That will help Ray Allen<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> who has a bruised chest from being elbowed by LeBron James<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> and Rajon Rondo<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> who has a stiff back. Pierce said his Achilles\u2019 is fine, and coach Doc Rivers said he expects to have Shaquille O\u2019Neal<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> coming off the bench for the first time in the postseason.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Neal has played just 5 minutes, 29 seconds since Feb. 1 because of a leg injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther than that, we don\u2019t know what he can give us on the floor,\u201d Rivers said, adding that O\u2019Neal would not be limited in practice. \u201cThere\u2019s no way we can get him at 100 percent. That ship has sailed. That would be a miracle. But we can get him to a point where he can help us.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Neal came to Boston for just this time of year, but he missed the sweep of the New York Knicks<\/a> in the first round and the first two games against Miami because of a calf injury in his right leg. The Celtics originally called it a \u201cminor\u201d injury, and he has been day-to-day from month-to-month, but he hasn\u2019t gotten back on the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know what to expect,\u201d Heat guard Dwyane Wade<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> said. \u201cShaq is a champion. He\u2019s a guy who has won four rings. He\u2019s had a lot of big playoff moments. Having him back is going to be a boost in energy to the crowd and to the team. But it\u2019s our job to go in and continue executing our game plan and not really worry about who\u2019s coming back, who\u2019s in the lineup and who isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

The defending Eastern Conference champions, Boston won it all in 2008 and took the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> to seven games in the NBA finals last year. The Celtics cruised through the Knicks in the first round for their date with Heat\u2014 a matchup that had been anticipated ever since James and Chris Bosh<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> joined Wade in Miami to form the league\u2019s newest superteam.<\/p>\n

But to get past them, Boston will have to do something its has never had to do before: Rally from two games down in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole thing\u2019s a challenge,\u201d forward Kevin Garnett<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> said. \u201cOur mentality is an all-in mentality for tomorrow\u2019s game. \u2026 This is it. We\u2019ve used all our lifelines. I hate to say it like that, but it\u2019s true. This is not a cool, kind of, \u2018Keep your composure.\u2019 No, this is \u2018We\u2019ve got to get the next game.\u2019 It\u2019s all-in. This is it, I\u2019ve got two pocket kings and I\u2019m all in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra would expect nothing less.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re a poised, experienced team that\u2019s been through it all,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd they\u2019ve been through this before, where everybody\u2019s throwing dirt on them, saying that whatever it may be, that it\u2019s near the end of the line, that their guys have too many miles on those wheels.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t believe any of that,\u201d Spoelstra said. \u201cEvery time you count them out, they come back with a championship response. That\u2019s who they\u2019ve been. That\u2019s what they deserve. They deserve that type of respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this story from Miami.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

View article:
\nCeltics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP)\u2014 Paul Pierce (notes) has figured out how to help the Boston Celtics play better during the final minutes of their next playoff game against the Miami Heat . <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-419018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nCeltics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP) - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Celtics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP) - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"WALTHAM, Mass. (AP)\u2014 Paul Pierce (notes) has figured out how to help the Boston Celtics play better during the final minutes of their next playoff game against the Miami Heat .\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ghanamma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ghanamma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Celtics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP)\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-05-06T22:44:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/\"},\"wordCount\":834,\"commentCount\":0,\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/\",\"name\":\"Celtics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP) - Ghanamma.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2011-05-06T22:44:19+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/\",\"name\":\"Ghanamma.com\",\"description\":\"News In Ghana - Latest Ghana News Headlines\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Celtics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP) - Ghanamma.com","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Celtics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP) - Ghanamma.com","twitter_description":"WALTHAM, Mass. (AP)\u2014 Paul Pierce (notes) has figured out how to help the Boston Celtics play better during the final minutes of their next playoff game against the Miami Heat .","twitter_creator":"@ghanamma","twitter_site":"@ghanamma","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Celtics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP)","datePublished":"2011-05-06T22:44:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/"},"wordCount":834,"commentCount":0,"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/","name":"Celtics facing rare 0-2 hole (AP) - Ghanamma.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website"},"datePublished":"2011-05-06T22:44:19+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/06\/celtics-facing-rare-0-2-hole-ap\/"]}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/","name":"Ghanamma.com","description":"News In Ghana - Latest Ghana News Headlines","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=419018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419018\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=419018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=419018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=419018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}