Allen expected to play tonight

Guard spends the day at hospital with son

Ray Allen is expected to play in Game 6 of the Finals tonight after tending to a medical situation involving his youngest son in Los Angeles.

According to a team official, Allen was at the hospital all day yesterday with his son and was scheduled to fly home late last night or early today. According to the official, Allen's son went to the hospital for treatment prior to Game 5 Sunday night and has recovered well.

The official said Allen was disappointed after hearing about erroneous reports suggesting his oldest daughter was being treated at the hospital.

Despite his family situation, Allen had 16 points in Sunday night's 103-98 loss before fouling out in 39 minutes. He went to the hospital immediately after the game.

The exhaust circuit

Doc Rivers called the turnaround between Game 5 Sunday night and Game 6 tonight "terrible," citing the exhausting transcontinental travel that essentially wiped out the off day.

And that was before the Celtics had trouble escaping Los Angeles.

The team was supposed to leave at 11 a.m. Pacific time, but because of mechanical issues with the plane, they didn't leave until after 2:30 p.m., and they arrived at Hanscom Field in Bedford around 10:30 p.m. Eastern time. Even without plane trouble, it was set up to be a tiring turnaround for the Celtics, who will play their 26th postseason game tonight.

"There's nothing you can do about it," said Rivers. "It's a tough one, as tough as you can have. I think going West to East is tougher. Sleep patterns are messed up.

"There's no way around it. It's just a tough turnaround. I wish we could do this on Thursday and just skip a Tuesday. Both teams have the same issue, so it could come down to a game of mental toughness, who fights the fatigue mentally better."

Rajon Rondo attributed the Celtics' sluggish start to Game 3 in part to the rigors of the schedule, as that game followed a cross-country trip.

"As you saw in Game 3, we didn't come out with a great start," said Rondo. "I mean, Game 4 also, but Game 3 we really struggled, especially with our shots, early in the game."

Causeway streak

Leading, 3-2, in the series, the Celtics have to feel good about coming home. They have been nearly unbeatable at TD Banknorth Garden in the postseason, posting a 12-1 mark. Now they have two shots at home to wrap up the title.

If they do, they'll set an NBA record for home wins in one postseason. Currently, they are tied with their 1984 Boston forebearers (12-1) and the 1988 Lakers (12-2), although it should be noted that NBA first-round playoff series were best-of-five until 2003.

The statistics back up the contention that the Celtics have played their best playoff basketball on Causeway Street. They've scored 97.2 points per game while shooting 47.3 percent at home, compared with 87.4 on 41.4 percent on the road. They've allowed opponents to score 85.2 points per game at home, holding them to 40.7 percent shooting, while surrendering 92.3 points on 44.7 percent shooting on the road.

But the success goes beyond the numbers, according to Kevin Garnett. Part of it is the atmosphere.

"It's going to be - you know what it is," he said. "It's going to be like coming into the Amazon, into the jungle. I look forward to going home and playing."

Perkins uncertain

Injured center Kendrick Perkins remains a question mark for Game 6. With the travel day, the team had no update on his status.

Perkins, who missed Game 5 with a left shoulder strain sustained during the third period of Game 4, had said before Game 5 that if the series were extended, he would try to suck it up and play.

"Yeah, I will play on Tuesday if it goes that far," said Perkins prior to Game 5.

But his prediction may have been based more on emotion than medicine. He was scheduled to have an MRI in Boston.

He would be a welcome addition for the Celtics tonight.

"Perk is a physical guy," said Garnett. "He plays the post better than anybody in the league. That's what he does. When you lose a key guy, you're losing something."

Fits and starts

The Celtics have suffered from slow starts in their last two games. In Game 4, they trailed, 35-14, after the first period before mounting a historic comeback, and in Game 5, they were down, 39-22, after one. "We've just got to get off to better starts," said Paul Pierce. "The Lakers dominated us in the first quarter the last couple of games. It's tough when you're always fighting back from big leads." . . . Rivers came to the defense of Rondo following Game 5. Rondo, who is nursing a bone bruise on his left ankle, played just 14 minutes and had 3 points, 3 assists, and 2 turnovers. "He's fine," said Rivers. "You know what, he's a second-year basketball player, and I never lose sight of that. There's a lot of pressure on him. I'm not going to put more pressure on him." . . . Keep an eye on both teams' benches tonight. They have been engaging in gamesmanship. Celtics reserves have been rising up and heckling Laker 3-pointer shooters in front of the Boston bench, and members of the Lakers bench were caught tossing towels as an ostensible distraction when Celtics went to the free throw line in Game 5.

Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com