Celtics' stage set for new act

WALTHAM - If someone who looks like Celtics newcomer Ray Allen asks for directions this afternoon, please point him toward TD Banknorth Garden.

The Celtics are 2-0 in preseason action, but both contests were overseas on the NBA Europe Live Tour. Tonight, Allen and nine other new Celtics will make their home exhibition debut against the Knicks. More important, it's also the first time Boston's star trio of Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce plays together in front of the hometown fans.

"The other day we were talking about [how] we don't even know how to get to the arena," Allen said. "We've been by it plenty of times, but to actually know the streets to get down there from where each of us lives, that is new here.

"We'll probably be asking somebody on the street as we go along. We all have navigation [systems], so it shouldn't be too bad."

Since the blockbuster acquisitions of Garnett and Allen to join Pierce in the offseason, the Celtics have been receiving major attention and have vaulted from an NBA laughingstock to a perceived NBA title contender. When asked if he was curious to see Allan Houston back in a Knicks uniform tonight, New York center Eddy Curry said he actually was more curious about seeing his Atlantic Division rival Celtics.

"Boston has a great team; KG is obviously a great player, has been one for a long time," Curry said. "And I feel like with the moves that they made, we're going to have some great matchups for years to come."

When asked if the Celtics were the favorite in the Eastern Conference, Knicks coach Isiah Thomas told reporters in New York, "When you have that type of talent and those three guys together on the same team, I'd say it's fair."

While Pierce expects a regular-season atmosphere tonight, Garnett is more focused on team development.

"It's not like I haven't played with the guys before," Garnett said. "But it is something I'm looking forward to. I'm going to have some fun and I'm going to do everything I can do to get this team better. That's the focus."

Said Pierce, "We get a chance to show everyone firsthand what we got."

When asked if he tried to trade for Garnett, Thomas wouldn't give a definitive answer. "Any time talent like that is on the market, whether it be Garnett, [new Knick Zach] Randolph, Allen, our job is to be interested and to kind of poke around and see if there's something that can be done," said Thomas. "We always want to upgrade our roster and we feel that we had a great summer and a huge upgrade at the power forward position [in Randolph]."

Thomas, when asked if the Garnett trade would have happened without the Celtic connection between director of basketball operations Danny Ainge and Timberwolves executive Kevin McHale, smiled and said, "I don't know. That's something you have to speak to those guys about."

Garnett and Allen have seemed quite comfortable playing at the FleetCenter/Garden as Celtics foes. Garnett averaged 23.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 12 games with Minnesota at the arena. Allen has averaged 22.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists 15 games with the Bucks and Sonics.

"I have been comfortable [there], and that's not a good thing," said Allen about the Garden. "Me being on the opposing team for such a long time, we want the guys coming in to be very uncomfortable. I know when we came in there in years past it was always extremely cold in there for shootaround. So, it takes a little bit longer to get warmed up."

Even with all the hype, the Celtics have taken a back seat to the Red Sox in the playoffs, the dominating Patriots, and the highly ranked Boston College football team. But tonight, the Celtics have the hot Boston sports spotlight to themselves.

"I can't really think about a town that has these types of teams," Pierce said. "You have the football. Of course, the Patriots are going to be pretty exciting. The Red Sox have a chance to win the championship.

"I think we're going to have an exciting team. The buildup of all three [professional] sports, I don't think that's something you've seen in a town for a long time."

Guard Tony Allen didn't practice yesterday because of a right eye injury suffered in practice Monday. He is doubtful for tonight. Allen, who was sporting sunglasses, said his eye has healed about "60 percent" and he could practice as early as tomorrow. "I was being too aggressive on the defensive end," Allen said. "I took an elbow to the face." Center Scot Pollard is out because of a left ankle injury and has yet to practice.

Ainge met with officials from the team's Development League affiliate, the Utah Flash, for more than two hours. Celtics coach Doc Rivers said all of his rookies (Gabe Pruitt, Glen Davis, Jackie Manuel, and Brandon Wallace) are Flash candidates. "Hopefully the players will understand that it's not like a punishment to come and play for us," Flash owner Brandt Anderson said. "We'll make it as nice as we can. We'll make it such that they'll get the All-Star treatment as much as you can in the D-League."

The roster was trimmed to 16 after the team waived forward-center Esteban Batista. Rivers had said Monday he hoped to have the roster trimmed to as low as 14 by today so his players could get more reps in practice. Players still on the bubble include Manuel, Wallace, and Dahntay Jones.

Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com