Celtics notebook

Allen's optimism is guarded

Feelings are mixed about a Star turn

Ray Allen, who has a shot at getting a late All-Star invitation, slips past Shawne Williams to score 2 of his 23 points. (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)

Email|Print| Text size – + By Marc J. Spears

Globe Staff / February 13, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS - While Celtics guard Ray Allen would love to be an All-Star, he hopes it won't be because his friend and fellow ex-Connecticut star Caron Butler can't play.

The Washington Wizards small forward has missed four straight games with a strained left hip flexor and is a game-time decision tonight against the Clippers. Doc Rivers, who will coach the Eastern Conference team in Sunday's game, said yesterday that if Butler can't play, he hopes Allen will replace him. Rivers also said he has received no word from the NBA on Butler's status.

"I do hope he's healthy," said Allen, who scored 23 points in last night's 104-97 win over the Pacers. "I don't wish anything bad on anybody. When the situation goes down, I got to do what I got to do to move forward.

"We have a real good relationship. I've always wanted to see him do well, and he's done great. And I like the way he plays. He plays hard. He plays the way the game should be played."

In regards to the All-Star situation, Butler told the Washington Post his health is the most important factor.

"I don't want to go out there, make it even worse than it is and have it turn into something that carries into the second half," he said to the paper.

The Celtics have two All-Stars in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Garnett, however, missed his eighth straight game with an abdominal strain last night against the Pacers and will miss the All-Star Game. The Celtics had hoped Allen would replace Garnett, but NBA commissioner David Stern selected Detroit forward Rasheed Wallace. If Butler cannot play, another possible candidate is Orlando forward Hedo Turkoglu.

Allen said he has a commitment to appear on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" in New York City Thursday, and if he isn't named to the All-Star team, he plans on taking a private plane to the Bahamas after the taping. If he is an All-Star, he would depart for New Orleans after the taping.

No pushing

Garnett said he is getting better and is running, but he has yet to return to basketball activity. Center Kendrick Perkins also missed last night's game, his second straight, with a strained left shoulder. Both will miss tonight's game against the visiting Knicks. While Rivers expressed hope that everyone will be available next Tuesday, when the schedule resumes with a game at Denver after the All-Star break, he said neither Perkins nor Garnett would return unless they were 100 percent. Rivers said he sees daily improvement in them. "If they are ready, they will play," Rivers said. "If they are not, I'm not going to push them. I'm not pushing either one until they are 100 percent." Perkins had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder two years ago, but he said an MRI showed that his current injury isn't related to the old one. "I guess I'm just out," Perkins said. "It's still sore."

Pollard available

Celtics center Scot Pollard had not played since Jan. 9 because of a sore left ankle, but the Celtics dressed him last night for use only in an emergency. Pollard, who wasn't needed last night, said he was fitted with tall ankle braces . . . Allen is a member of the Screen Actors Guild - having appeared in movies such as "He Got Game" in 1998 and "Harvard Man" in 2001 and numerous commercials - and has supported the writers' strike, which could be ending soon. He said the staff at "Late Night" wasn't aware of his affiliation. "I wasn't going to break the [picket] lines," said Allen. "They are still on strike and they'll probably end this week. You could get blacklisted if you did anything."

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